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Lecture 7 PDF

1) The document discusses electrostatic potential energy and how it relates to work done by conservative electric forces. The electric potential energy of a charge q is defined as the negative integral of q times the electric field. 2) An example is provided to calculate the potential energy of a charge q2 in the electric field of another charge q1. Using the definition of potential energy and conservation of energy, expressions are derived for the potential energy and kinetic energy of q2. 3) Another example calculates the speed of an alpha particle emitted from a uranium nucleus using conservation of energy and modeling the nuclei as point charges.

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Nathan King
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112 views13 pages

Lecture 7 PDF

1) The document discusses electrostatic potential energy and how it relates to work done by conservative electric forces. The electric potential energy of a charge q is defined as the negative integral of q times the electric field. 2) An example is provided to calculate the potential energy of a charge q2 in the electric field of another charge q1. Using the definition of potential energy and conservation of energy, expressions are derived for the potential energy and kinetic energy of q2. 3) Another example calculates the speed of an alpha particle emitted from a uranium nucleus using conservation of energy and modeling the nuclei as point charges.

Uploaded by

Nathan King
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Electrostatic Potential Energy

Reminder:
Work(r1r2) = Fdr, evaluated from a starting value
r1 to an ending value r2.
For conservative forces, DPE(r1r2) = -W(r1r2).
Whats new:
The electric force is conservative.
So the electric potential energy of a charge q is
DPEE(r1r2)= -qEdr.
And the total energy of a charged object experiencing
only electric forces satisfies D(KE+PEE)=0.

Example: PE of q2 in field of q1
We first find the work

q1q2 dr '
q1q2 r1 q1q2 1 1

W ( r ' 0 r ' )

|r2
2
4 0 r '
4 0 r '
4 0 r1 r2
r1
r2

The PE is the negative of the work and can be used with


conservation of energy. Note this result is valid for any
point-charge-like field.

q1q2 1 1

DPE (r ' r1 r ' r2 ) PE 2 PE1
4 0 r1 r2
q1q2
q1q2
KE2
KE1
4 0 r2
4 0 r1

Example: a particle expelled from U-238


An a-particle is a 4He nucleus with 2 protons+2
neutrons. 238U undergoes a decay: 238Ua+234Th.
Suppose the a particle has 0 KE at the surface of the
234Th nucleus. What will the speed of the a-particle be
when very far away. Take the 234Th nuclear radius to be
RTh = 7.710-15 m.
We use conservation of energy: KE1+PE1=KE2+PE2.
KE1=0. PE1=k(2e)(90e)/RTh=5.410-12 J.
Very far away, PE2=0, so KE2=PE1=MHev2/2.
And v=4.1 m/s.

Voltage field of charge


Since the DV=DPE/charge, we can view charge q1 as
setting up a scalar (not vector) voltage field everywhere
is space around it:

q1 1 1

DV (r ' r1 r ' r2 ) V (r2 ) V (r1 )
4 0 r1 r2
It is common to make the convention that V0 as r,
and simplify via 0-V(r1)=-kq1/r1, or since this works for
any q1 and any r1, just drop the 1. So for a point
charge q V(r)=kq/r.
The PE for any charge Q placed a distance r from q is
then U(r)=PE(r)=kqQ/r.

Getting E from V
Since DV=-Edr, it seems reasonable that if we could
invert the integral, we could get E from DV.
If the path of integration is along, say the x-axis, this is very
simple: DV=-Exdx Ex=-dV/dx.
The full result just has to allow for the possibility of any
path in space. We need the 3D derivative, which is known
as the gradient:

V (r ) V (r ) V (r )
E (r ) V (r )
i
j
k
x
y
z

This looks complicated; but looks can be deceiving. This is


the route to the calculation of real E-fields.

Field lines and Equipotentials


Suppose we could map out lines
of equal voltage, equipotentials,
and we chose our lines to to each
be separated by the same voltage
increment.
The electric field must cross these
lines at a right angle (why?).
If the equipotential lines are close
together, the field is strong
(why?).
Moving from 2D to 3D, the lines
would becomes surfaces.

I equipotentials

The figure below shows equipotentail surfaces in a


cross section of the human heart. Pick the point where
E is highest.
B
A.
B.
C.
C
D.
A
D

I equipotentials--II

A.
B.
C.
D.

Suppose the equipotentails close to point A


corresponded to a voltage difference of 10 V and a
sepration of 5 cm. Whats the field strength at the point
A?
B
10 V.
10 V/cm.
50 V/cm.
C
No way to tell.
A
D

Applying superposition directly to V


Since any collection of electric charge is ultimately a
collection of point charges, and we know the formula for
V for a point charge (taking V=0 at r), it follows from
superposition that

V (r )
n

qn

4 0 | r rn |

This is quite a useful way to get at either V and E!

Example: E from V for an electric dipole


Lets look at an electric dipole again. A charge +Q is located at
z=+a/2, and a charge Q is located at z=-a/2.
What is V everywhere? By superposition

Vx, y, z

kQ
x 2 y 2 za/2 2

kQ
x 2 y 2 za/2 2

To get Ex, just take /x of the above. To get Ey, take /y, etc. Its
plug-n-chug!
This can be made a little easier if we consider only points far away
from the dipole. Then one can use a Taylor series (yay!)

Vx, y, z

kQaz
x 2 y 2 z 2

3
2

kpz
x 2 y 2 z 2

3
2

The voltage only depends on the dipole moment p=Qa. The dipole
voltage fall off as 1/r2, rather than 1/r, due to the partial cancellation
from the two charges.

Electric dipole field from voltage


Heres the result, lots of derivatives and algebra, but
nothing hard.
Notice how automatic the process is. The derivatives
take care of all the components.
We see that as advertized earlier, the field depends only
on p=Qa and falls of as 1/r3 for a dipole.
kQaz
3kQaxz
Ex

5
x x 2 y 2 z 2 32
2
2
2 2
x y z
kQaz
3kQayz
Ey

5
y x 2 y 2 z 2 32
2
2
2 2
x y z
kQaz
3kQaz 2
kQa

Ez

.
5
3
3
z x 2 y 2 z 2 2
x 2 y 2 z 2 2
x 2 y 2 z 2 2

V from Continuous distributions


If they charge is spread out in a smooth way, then the
superposition of point charge V still works, but we switch to
integrals.
For charge on a line, surface, or volume, we would use
V=kl(s)ds/r, V=ksdA/r, or V=krds/r, respectively.
Lets do, one more time, the line of charge as an example.
Well center the line of length L on the x axis and find V (and
E) ay any position (x,y,z) in space. The voltage function is

V ( x, y, z )

1
4 0

L/2

ldx

x x '

L / 2

y2 z2

V for a line of charge


The previous integral can be looked up; for the indefinite case:

ln u x

x u 2 y 2 z 2
du

u x 2 y 2 z 2

Putting the limits in gives:

x
2
V ( x, y, z ) ln
L x
2

2
L

2
2

y z
2

2
2

y z
2

Its messy, but only that. Differentiate w.r.t. any coordinate,


add a minus sign, and you have a component of E.

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