Dr. M. M.

Abdel Aziz

Chapter (2)

Electric Charges, Electric Charge

Densities and Electric Field Intensity

2.1 Introduction
The entire universe is composed of matter that has electric charges (+ve and –ve ) at the
root of its structure. Stationary charges produce forces on other charges. These forces are
known as electrostatic fields. Moving charges produce current. The dc current produces
magnetic fields. Accelerated charges produce electromagnetic fields. In this chapter,
coulomb's force law will be used to develop the concept of an electric field using vector
concepts introduced in chapter1 through extensive solved examples.

2.2 Charge Configurations

a) Point charge:
The concept of the point charge is used when the dimensions of an electric charge
distribution are very small compared to the distance to the neighboring charges, i.e. the
point charge is occupying a very small physical space

b) Line charge density ρL :

+ + + +
+ +
Q +
   lim +
0  dl +
+
dQ = L dl
So the total charge : Q     dl [C ] +
+
If  l is uniform : Q      [C ]
+ + + +

Fig.2.1
c) Surface charge density ρs :

Q
 s  lim
s 0 S
ρs
So the total charge : Q    S dS [C ]
S dS

If  s is uniform : Q  S  S [C ]
Fig.2.2

d) Volume charge density ρv

Q
 v  lim v0
v
dv
 Q    v dv
v dQ =  v dv
If  v is uniform : Q   v v C 
Fig.2.3

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 Dr. M. M. Abdel Aziz

Example 1:

A uniform spherical volume charge density distribution contains a total charge of 10-8
C, if the radius of the sphere =2×10-2 m. Find ρv.
Solution:
4 3 4
Q  10 8 C , r  2  10 2 m , v  r  (2  10 2 ) 3  8  10 6 m 2
3 3
10 8
.
Q
 v    2.98  10 4 C m 3
v 4 8
 8  10
3
Example 2:
k1
A non-uniform spherical volume charge density distribution with  v  C.m-3.
rs
Find the total charge contained in the volume of a sphere of radius a [m]

Solution:

dv  drs  rs d  rs sin  d
2  a
k1
Q    v dv     rs . rs sin  d rs d d
2

0 0 0
2
r
Q  k1 [ s ]0a [ ]02 [ cos  ]0
2
 Q  2  k1a 2 [C ]

2.3 Force between point charges

Coulomb’s law:

The force between two stationary point charges Q 1, and Q2 is proportional to the
product of the two charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance R
between them.

F21 R â12 F12

Q1 Q2
i.e F k
Q1 Q2
N 
R2

Using the international system of units (SI), the constant k equals 1/4πε 0 ,where ε0 is the
permittivity of free space,
ε0 = 8.854 x 10-12 [F/m] , thus

Q1Q2  Q1Q2 
F12  a12 , F21  a21
4 0 R 2
4 0 R 2

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 Dr. M. M. Abdel Aziz

Where:
F12 force acting on Q2 due to Q1 (N)
F21 force acting on Q1 due to Q2 (N)
R distance between location of Q 1 and Q2 (m)
aˆ12  aˆ 21 unit vector from charge Q1 to Q2 charge.
F12 = - F21

In general, if we have charges Q 1 , Q2,…….. Qn at distances R1, R2, ….Rn

The force acting on a test charge Q t, is the sum of the forces due to each charge acting
independently

Fnt
F2t
n Qi Qt Qt
Ft   aˆit [ N ] Q1
R1t
F1t
4 0 Rit
2
i 1

R2t
Rnt
Q2

Example 3 Qn
Find the force F in vacuum on a point Q1 =10-4 C due to a point charge Q 2 = 2 ×10-5 C
where Q1 is centered at point (0,1, 2) m and Q2 at (2,4,5) m

Solution:
Q1Q2 Q1Q2
F aˆ 21  R21
4 0 R 2
21 4 0 R21
3

R21
R21  (0  2) xˆ  (1  4) yˆ  (2  5) zˆ F21
Q2 (2,4,5) Q1(0,1,2)
 2 xˆ  3 yˆ  3zˆ
R21  4  9  9  22
R21  2 xˆ  3 yˆ  3zˆ
aˆ 21  
R21 22
(0 4  2  10 5 )  (2 xˆ  3 yˆ  3zˆ)
F 
4  8.85  10 12 ( 22 ) 2  22
10 9
" Note that :  0   8.85  10 12 F / m
36
2.4 Electric Field Intensity due to point charge Q
It is a vector force acting on a unit (+ve) charge. The electric field intensity due to a
point located at distance R from the charge Q is given by:

Q 1 QR
E aˆ R  (V/m)
4 0 R 2
4 0 R 3

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 Dr. M. M. Abdel Aziz

If we have a system of charges Q 1, Q2…Qn. the total electric field at a point is the vector
sum of all fields due to the different charges.
n
Qi
Et   Ri 
i 1 4 0 Ri
3
R1
n
Qi
 aˆi â1 R2 Rn
i 1 4 0 Ri
2 Q 1
â 2 â n
Q2 Qn
Example 4
Find the electric field intensity at the point (2,4,5) m due to a point charge
Q  2  10 5 C located at (0,1,2) m.
E
Solution:
(2,4,5
QR R
E
4 0 R 3
(2,4,5
R  (2  0) xˆ  (4  1) yˆ  (5  2) zˆ
Q=2×10 -5 C
 2 xˆ  3 yˆ  3z
R  4  9  9  22
2  10 5 (2 xˆ  3 yˆ  3zˆ)
E  ... xˆ  ... yˆ  ... zˆ
4 (8.85  10 12 ) ( 22 ) 3

2.5 Electric Field Intensity at a point due to a line charge ρL

dQaˆ R dQR
dE   z
4 0 R 2
4 0 R 3 dE
b
b
E   dE , and dQ    dl R
a

dl
b b   dl R (**) a
E   dE  
a a 4 0 R 3 y

Example 5
x
Find the electric field intensity at a point
p (rc , φ, z) due to a finite line charge between points a and b located along z –
axis as shown in Fig. 2.4

Solution:
Let us use the primed variables to locate points on the line of charge, and the
unprimed variables to locate the electric field point
dQ R
dE  , dQ   L dz 
4 0 R 3

R  rc rˆc  ( z   z ) zˆ

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 Dr. M. M. Abdel Aziz

b
dz'
R
Z
  R
z'
z   (rc , z)
a
z
y rc



x
Fig.(2.4)

 R  rc2  ( z   z ) 2
 L dz \ [rc rˆc  ( z   z ) zˆ]
dE  3
4 0 [rc2  ( z   z )] 2
 b ( r rˆ  ( z   z ) z
ˆ)dz 
 E   dE  L  c c
4 0 a [r 2  ( z   z ) 2 ] 3 2
c

Note: use the following integration results

dx x
 
c   
3 1
2
x 2 2
c2 c2  x2 2
and
xdx 1
 
c  c 
3 1
2
x 2 2 2
 x2 2

 
L  b dz
b
z  z  dz 
4  0  a
E  rc rˆc  
r  r  
3 3
  z  z   z  z  
2 2 2 a 2 2 2
c c

Noting that d ( z  z)  dz

And carrying out the integration, we have

b
 L  z   z  
z


E rˆc 
4  0  2 2 1 
  r 
1

 r c r c  z   z   z   z   a
2 2 2 2 2
c

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 Dr. M. M. Abdel Aziz

    
E
L  b  z  
a  z   rc   rc

rc z
4  0  2 1 
rc  2
1 
       
1 1
 r c  b  z  r c  a  z  2   r c  b  z  2 r c 2  a  z 
rc

2 2 2 2 2 2 2

 
L  z
E sin  2  sin  1  cos  2  cos  1 
r c

4 0  rc rc 

L
E sin  2  sin 1 rˆc  cos  2  cos 1  zˆ
4 0 rc
Notes:
1- For infinite line , 1  90,  2  90 ( a = ∞, and b = -∞ )
L , rc  x 2  y 2
E rˆc
2  0 rc

2- If the line is on the y-axis:

L
E sin 1  sin  2 rˆc  cos  2  cos 1 yˆ 
2 0 rc
 rc  x 2  z 2

3- If the line is parallel to the z-axis and passes through the point (xo,
yo, zo), then rc will be:
rc   x  x 0 2   y  y 0 2

2.6 Electric Field Intensity of a Surface of Charge

For a surface charge distribution, the point charge is formulated by the charge on a
differential surface ds. The differential point charge on ds is dQ = ρs ds (C). The
differential electric field intensity dE becomes:
dQ R
dE  , dQ   s ds
4 0 R 3

Example 6

Through the use of cylindrical coordinates, find the electric field intensity about an
infinite sheet of uniform charge distribution ρs as shown in Fig. (2.5) on the next
page.

Solution

Locate the infinite sheet at z = 0 plane and the electric field point is at (0,0,z0)

dQ   s ds , ds  (drc )  (rc d )

R  z 0 z  rc rˆc
R  (rc2  z 0 )1 / 2
2

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 Dr. M. M. Abdel Aziz

 s (rc drc d )  
dE  ( z 0 z  rc rc )

4  0 r c 2  z 0 
2 3/ 2

 s (rc drc d )  
dE  ( z 0 z  rc rc )

4  0 r c 2  z 
2 3/ 2

 s  2 c rc 2 drc d rˆc rc z o drc d zˆ 

r'

E  dE 
4  o  0 0 (r 2  z 2 ) 3 2   (r 2  z 2 ) 3 2 
    
 c o c o 
Over the range of integration 0 < φ < 2 π and 0 < rc < ∞

rˆc  cos  xˆ  sin  yˆ

  2 r dr d rc cos drc d   2 rc2 sin drc d  
 
 2 2
s  z0 y 
 0 0 (r 2  z 2 ) 3 2  
E c c
z  x 
4  o 3 3 
 0 0 (rc  z o ) 0 0 ( rc  z o )
2 2 2 2

2 2
 c o

The last two integrals will become zero due to integration with respect to φ fro 0 to
2π,
2
that is  rc d rˆc  0
0
Thus we have
 2
s r dr d 
E z0   c c 3 z
4  o 0 0 (r 2  z 2 ) 2
c o
Integrating with respect to φ , we have

dE z

(0,0,z) Field point Infinite sheet

zz of charge
R

ΡS

drc

φ dφ y
Source point
(r c ,φ ’ ,0)
’
dE
ds’

x zz

Fig.2.5 dQ
rc rc

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 Dr. M. M. Abdel Aziz


s  1  
E z 0 2   z
4  o  (rc 2  z o2 ) 2 
1
0

Thus s  (2.5)
E z (V / m)
2 o

The last equation gives the electric field intensity for an infinite sheet of uniform
ρs distribution. Since the center of the infinite sheet is at any finite point, we can say
that it is true for any point in the upper half z > 0. For the lower half, we can find
that E is in the –z direction. Note also that E is independent on z.

Example 7

Use the previous work to find the electric field intensity for
a) a disc of charge of uniform charge distribution ρs Fig (a)
b) an annular ring of charge, as shown in Fig. (b) .

z
z

Ρs disc
Ρs
y y
b
b a
b
x x
Fig. b Fig. a

a) Disc of charge
Equation (6) can be used to find E in the +z direction after changing the limits of
integrals as : φ1 = 0, φ2 = 2π, and r1 = 0, r2 = b

 s  b 2 rc drc d   b 2 rc2 cos drc d  b 2 rc2 sin drc d  

4  o  0 0 (r 2  z 2 ) 3 2
E z0 z  x y
 3 3 
z ) z )
2 2 2 2
 
0 0 (r 2 0 0 (r 2
 c o c o c o
b 2
s r dr d 
E z0   c c 3 z
4  o 0 0 (r 2  z 2 ) 2
c o

b
s  1  
E z 0 2   z
4  o  (rc 2  z o2 ) 2 
1
0

 s z0 1 1 
E   z (V / m)
2 o 
 z 0 b  z 0
2

1/ 2


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 Dr. M. M. Abdel Aziz

b) Annular ring of charge

The limits of integrals are changed as : φ1 = 0, φ2 = 2π, and r1 = a, r2 = b

b 2
s r dr d 
E z0   c c 3 z
4  o a 0 (r 2  z 2 ) 2
c o

 s z0  1 1 
E   z (V / m)
2 o 
 a  z 0
2

1/ 2
b 2  z0 
1/ 2


Note: The work can be reduced considerably by taking the advantage of

symmetry to eliminate all but the z-component of E along z-axis.

Example 8
nC
A uniform line charge of infinite extent with  l  20 lies on z-axis. Find E
m
at the point (6,8,3) m.

Solution:

L
E rˆc
2 0 rc
rc  x 2  z 2  6 2  82  10
20  10 9 rˆc
E   113 rˆc V /m
2 (8.85  10 12 ) 10

Example 9

Two infinite uniform sheets of charges  s , and  s located at x  1 m as

1 2

shown in the following figure. Find the electric field in all regions.

Solution: y

III II I

-x x =-1 x =+1 x

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 Dr. M. M. Abdel Aziz

Region I :
s s
E1  1
xˆ , E2  2
xˆ
20 20

 Et  E1  E2 
1
    s xˆ
2  0 s1 2

Region II :
s s
E1  1
( xˆ ) , E 2  2
( xˆ )
2 0 2 0

 Et 
1
2 0 s1

    xˆ
s2

Region III :
 
E1   s1 xˆ , E 2   s 2 xˆ
2 0 2 0

 Et  
1

   s xˆ
2  0 s1 2


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