For this lab you were required to visualize equipotential lines and the electric field for one of three charge configurations. Examples of such plots are given below. All units are dimensionless in these plots. Your plots may differ slightly or even greatly, because the plate configurations you used may not be exactly the same as mine; however, the basic physics will be identical: the E-field points to negatively charged surfaces and is exaggerated near tips/edges.

Configuration #1: capacitor in a grounded box — Note that the capacitor behaves ideally near the center, but that edge effects are pronounced near the grounded box edges and at the tips of the capacitor plates.

Configuration #2: rectangular co-axial cable — Note that configuration behaves as a rectilinear capacitor (if you rounded the edges, you'd have a co-axial cable or cylindrical capacitor).

Configuration #3: lightning rod – Note here that the electric field strength is very high near the tip of the lightning rod, not merely everywhere the potential is high at the high voltage plate.