A very large sheet of insulating material has had an excess of electrons placed on it to a surface charge density of –3.00nC/m2
. (a) As the distance from the sheet increases, does the potential increase or decrease? Can you explain why without any calculations? Does the location of your reference point matter? (b) What is the shape of the equipotential surfaces? (c) What is the spacing between surfaces that differ by 1.00 V?
Since the charge is negative , potential will be negative near it . At a far point potential will be less negative. So potential will virtually increase on going away from the sheet . At infinity it will become almost zero. Electric field will be towards the plate , so potential will decrease towards the plate.
b ) The shape of equi -potential surface will be plane parallel to the sheet of charge because electric field will be perpendicular to the sheet of charge and almost uniform near the sheet of charge. The equi- potential surface is always perpendicular to electric field.
C ) Electric field which is almost uniform near the sheet of charge is equal t the following
E = σ / ε₀ where σ is charge density of surface and ε₀ is permittivity of medium whose value is 8.85 x 10⁻¹²
