ELECTRIC FIELDS
ELECTRIC CHARGES (Scalar)
Measured in Coulombs (C)
1C is the quantity of charge that passes any
section of a conductor in one second when a
current of 1A is flowing.
• The Ampere is the basic electrical unit.
The smallest unit of charge known in nature is
that of an electron e=1.602 x 10-19C.
• 1C≈ charge of 6.24 x 108 electrons(-e) or
protons(+e)
ELECTRIC CHARGES
Neutral atom
• Has a central positive nucleus and a number of
electrons whose total charge is numerically equal
to that of the nucleus.
• If electrons are removed, a positive ion is formed
• If electrons are in excess, a negative ion is formed
Electric sources are inherently "monopole" or point charge sources.
ELECTRIC CHARGES: Properties
Like charges repel, unlike ones attract.
Electric charge is always conserved in an
isolated system
• Where charge is transferred from one body to
another, the total charge is constant throughout
the process
Charge is quantized i.e.it exists in discrete
packets.
ELECTRIC FORCE
COULOMB’S LAW (Inverse square law)
• “If two bodies are small compared to the distance
between them, then the force is inversely
proportional to the square of the distance.” Fα 1/r2.
The force between two charges,Q1 and Q2 is
directly proportional to the product of the
charges. F α Q1Q2.
The force is directed along the line joining the
charged bodies.
Negative if attractive , positive if repulsive
ELECTRIC FORCE
Attractive if charges are unlike, repulsive if charges are like.
Is a conservative force.
A force which has a property that
FαQ1Q2 F=ke Q1Q2 the work done is same for all paths
between any two given points
ke=1/4 ε0 is coulomb’s constant
r2 x 109N m2/C2
ke=8.9875 r2
ε0 is the permittivity of free space (vacuum)
ε0 =8.8542 x10-12 C2/N.m2.
For media other than a vacuum ε0 is replaced with ε
(permittivity of the medium)
Example
• Find the electrostatic force between a
proton(+1.6 x10-19C) and an electron (-1.6 x
10-19C) in a hydrogen atom if their separation
is 5.3 ´ 10-11 m. What does the sign tell you?
Use ke=9 x 109N m2/C2
Example
F= 1Q1Q2
40 r2
F = (9 x 109 Nm2/c2) (+1.6 x 10-19 C ) ( -1.6 x 10-19 C)
(5. 3x 10-11 m)2
F = - 8.20 x 10-8 N
The minus sign tells us that the forces are attractive
ELECTRIC (electrostatic)FIELD
A region where an electric charge experiences a
force.
Produced by charged particles in their surrounding
area.
A test charge experiences either an attractive or
repulsive force whose magnitude is an indication of
the electric field at that point.
Direction of the field depends on the distribution of
the positive and negative charges which are
responsible for the field.
ELECTRIC (electrostatic)FIELD
• Conventionally the direction of the electric field
is the one in which a positive charge would
move.
• A free positive charge will move away from
another positive charge towards a negative
charge/surface.
• A line of electric field shows the direction of the
field.
• Vector.
ELECTRIC FIELD LINES
UNIFORM FIELD
• Field lines are parallel and RADIAL FIELD
• Example of non-uniform
evenly distributed.
field.
• There is plane symmetry.
• Magnitude and direction of
• E has same magnitude and
E varies with position
direction at all points
• Line radiate symmetrically
• Value of field is the same at
outward in a sphere.
all points & charges travel //
to field lines.
+ + + + + + + +
- - - - - - - - +
ELECTRIC FIELD STRENGTH(E)
• E at a point is force on a unit charge at that
point. E=F/Q’ (N/C or Vm-1)
Due to point charge
• From F = keQ1Q2 = ke qQ
r2 r2
E due to a point charge Q on a test charge q is
E = V/d
F = ke Q or
[E V d
– electric field strength; – voltage; distance in
q r2 m]
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL ENERGY
• A charge exert a force on any other charge and
PE arises from any collection of charges e.g. if a
positive charge Q is fixed at some point in
space, any other positive charge which is
brought close to it will experience a repulsive
force and will therefore have potential energy
• PE associated with a charge at a point depends
on location of the point and the magnitude of
the charge
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL ENERGY
• Electric potential energy :
PE = qEd
where:
• q is the charge of an object (C),
• E is electric field produced by Q
(N/C), and
• d is the distance between the
two charges.
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
• Potential difference or Voltage
• Electric potential energy per unit charge
• Potential at a point : the energy required to
move unit positive charge from infinity to the
point.
• A high voltage means that each individual
charge is experiencing a large force. A low
voltage means that each individual charge is
experiencing a small force.
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
• Voltage is also related
to force.
• V = Ed = d(F/q) = Fd/q=
W/q
Example
A positive charge of 6 nC attracts a negative charge of 5 nC from a
distance of 4 mm. What is the work done?
V = 9 109 6 10-9 -5 10-9 = - 6.75 10-
5
J
4 10-3
ANALOGY BETWEEN ELECTRIC AND
GRAVITATIONAL FIELD
Gravitational field Electric field
FG= G Mm :Newton’s law F=ke Q1Q2 :Coulomb’s Law.
r2 r2
EG = g= G.m (Nkg-1) E= ke Q ( N C-1)
r2 r2
F= mg = mEG (on mass m) F = QE (on charge Q)
W= mV W=QV
-GM
V= r (distance r from m) V= ke Q
r
Differences
• Gravitational fields can only produce forces of
attraction, whereas electric fields can produce
attraction and repulsion.
• Objects can be shielded from an electric field,
they cannot however be shielded from a
gravitational field
