Dielectric and Capacitor 5C20.10

attachment:BatteryAndSeparableCapacitor.jpg

The separable parallel-plate capacitor, the battery, and the dielectric plates are in the [:ElectrostaticsCabinet:Electrostatics Cabinet], A4.

The Electrometer is in the [:ElectrostaticsCabinet:Electrostatics Cabinet], B1.

The bunsen burner is in the [:ThermodynamicsCabinet:Thermodynamics Cabinet], ??.

If lecturing to a large class, project a camera view of the electrometer on a screen.

Connect the parallel-plate capacitor to the electrometer, and charge it to 12V using the battery.

Light the bunsen burner and pass the dielectrics quickly through the flame (about 10 cm above the burner) so the hot air flow removes the surface charge.

Insert and remove the plastic slab and then the glass slab. Note the needle deflections.

Insert and remove the aluminum slab. Note the needle deflection.

Note 6/19/08: difficult to do this experiment because of charge on the experimenter's body. The needle moved in all directions!

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