CHAPTER 1: ELECTRIC FIELDS

1.1. Properties of Electric Charges

- Two kinds of electric charges: positive and
negative
- Charges of the same sign repel one another
and charges with opposite signs attract one
another
- Conservation of electric charge: Electric
charge is always conserved in an isolated
system.
- Electron has a charge -e and proton has a
charge of equal magnitude but opposite sign
+e:

= 1.60218 × 10 
- Quantization of electric charge: electric
charge always occurs as integral multiples of a
fundamental amount of charge e:
q = ±Ne
where N is some integer.
 CHAPTER 1: ELECTRIC FIELDS
1.2. Charging Objects by Induction
- Classification of materials:
+ Electrical conductors are materials in which some of the electrons are free
electrons that are not bound to atoms and can move relatively freely through the
material
+ Electrical insulators are materials in which all electrons are bound to atoms
and cannot move freely through the material
+ Semiconductors are materials whose electrical properties are somewhere
between those of insulators and those of conductors.

- Charging a metallic object by induction

 CHAPTER 1: ELECTRIC FIELDS
1.2. Charging Objects by Induction
- Charging insulating object by induction
 CHAPTER 1: ELECTRIC FIELDS
1.3. Coulomb’s Law
- Point charges: charged particles of zero size
- The magnitude of the electric force (sometimes called the
Coulomb force) between two point charges  and  is
given by:
 
 =  (23.1)
 

where  is a constant called the Coulomb constant.

+ The Coulomb constant  in SI units has the value:
1 !"#
 = = 8.9876 × 10
4 #
where the constant $% is known as the permittivity of
free space and has the value:
 #
 = 8.8542 × 10 #
!"#
 CHAPTER 1: ELECTRIC FIELDS
1.3. Coulomb’s Law
- The electric force vector  exerted by a point charge
 on a point second charge  :
 
 =   ' (23.2)

where ' is a unit vector directed from  toward  .
- The electric force vector (⃗# exerted by the charge * on
the charge * :
 
 =   '

where ' is a unit vector directed from  toward  .
- When more than two charges are present, the resultant
force on any one of them equals the vector sum of the
forces exerted by the other individual charges.
Example, if four charges are present, the resultant force
exerted by particles 2, 3, and 4 on particle 1 is:
 =  + , + - (23.3)
 CHAPTER 1: ELECTRIC FIELDS
1.4. Analysis Model: Particle in a Field (Electric)
- Electric field: a field exists in the region of space around a charged object
- The source charge: the charge establishes the electric field
- The electric force (⃗ # exerted by * on *# can be modeled as a two-step process:
+ * establishes a electric field around it
 * is the source charge
+ *# interacts with the field and experiences a force
- The presence of the electric field can be detected by placing a test charge in the
field and noting the electric force on it.
- The electric field vector due to the source charge at a point in space is defined as
the electric force vector  acting on a positive test charge  placed at that point
divided by the test charge:

.= (,. -)

- The existence of an electric field is a property of its source; the presence of the
test charge is not necessary for the field to exist. The test charge serves as a
detector of the electric field: an electric field exists at a point if a test charge at that
point experiences an electric force.
 CHAPTER 1: ELECTRIC FIELDS
23.4. Analysis Model: Particle in a Field (Electric)
- If an arbitrary charge q is placed in an electric
field ., it experiences an electric force:
 = . ,. /
+ If q > 0,  ↑↑ .
+ If q < 0,  ↑↓ .

- Electric field created by a point charge:

+ Consider a test charge 2 placed at point P, a
distance r from the source charge . the force
exerted by * on the test charge is:
%
 =   '

where ' is a unit vector directed from * toward * .
+ The electric field at P created by  is:
 
.= =   ' (,. 3)
% 
 CHAPTER 1: ELECTRIC FIELDS
23.4. Analysis Model: Particle in a Field (Electric)
Electric field created by a group of point charges:
+ The total electric field due to a group of source charges equals the vector sum
of the electric fields of all the charges.
5
. =  4  '5 ,. 3
5
5
where 5 is the distance from the ith source charge 5 to the point P and '5 is a
unit vector directed from 5 toward P.
1.5. Electric Field of a Continuous Charge Distribution
- The electric field at P due to one charge element ∆*:
∆
∆. =   ' (,. 7)

where 8 is the distance from the charge element to point P
8̂ is a unit vector directed from the element toward P
- The total electric field at P due to all elements in the charge
distribution is approximately:
∆5
. ≈ 4  '5 (,. ;)
5
5
 CHAPTER 1: ELECTRIC FIELDS
23.5. Electric Field of a Continuous Charge Distribution
- When ∆*  0:
∆5 B
. =  lim 4  '5 =  A  ' (23.9)
∆→@ 5 
5
- If a charge Q is uniformly distributed throughout a volume V,
the volume charge density C is defined by:
E E
D= ⟹ B = DBF = BF (23.10)
F F
- If a charge Q is uniformly distributed on a surface of area A, the
surface charge density H is defined by:
E E
I= ⟹ B = IBJ = BJ (23.11)
J J
- If a charge Q is uniformly distributed along a line of length K, the linear charge
density L is defined by:
E E
M = ⟹ B = MBN = BN (23.12)
N N
 CHAPTER 1: ELECTRIC FIELDS
23.5. Electric Field of a Continuous Charge Distribution
Example 1: The Electric Field Due to a Charged Rod
O* LOQ
OP =  # =  #
Q Q
STU
STU
LOQ 1
P = A  # =  L −
Q Q S
S
 E
.=
V(N + V)
Example 2: The Electric Field of a Uniform Ring of Charge

O*
OPW =  # XYZ[
8
O*
OPW =  # XYZ[
\ + Q#
Q Q
XYZ[ = =
8 \# + Q #
 CHAPTER 1: ELECTRIC FIELDS
23.5. Electric Field of a Continuous Charge Distribution
Example 2: The Electric Field of a Uniform Ring of Charge
O* Q  Q
OPW =  # = # O*
\ + Q # \# + Q # \ + Q # ]/#
Q  Q
P=A # O* = # A O*
\ + Q# ]/# \ + Q# ]/#

 _
.=  E
V + _ ,/