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Institute for NET/JRF, GATE, IIT-JAM, M.Sc. Entrance, JEST, TIFR and GRE in Physics

1. Coulomb’s Law and Superposition Principle

The electric field at any point due to stationary source charges is called as electrostatic
field.
The electric force on a test charge
Source point
Q due to a single point charge q , z
 Q R̂
which is at rest and a distance R
R 
apart is given by Coulomb’s law q Field point

  
1 Qq ˆ r
F R. r
4 0 R 2

The constant  0 is called the y

permittivity of free space.

C2 x
In mks units,  0  8.85  1012 .
N .m 2
  
R is the separation vector from r (the location of q ) to r (the location of Q ):
  
R  r  r  ; R is its magnitude, and R̂ is its direction. The force points along the line
from q to Q ; it is repulsive if q and Q have the same sign, and attractive if their signs
are opposite.
 Q 
q R q Q
  R̂ R
  R̂

 Q 
q R q Q
  R̂ R
  R̂

The electric field is force per unit charge experienced by source charge Q

 F 1 q ˆ
E  R
Q 4 0 R 2

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 fiziks
Institute for NET/JRF, GATE, IIT-JAM, M.Sc. Entrance, JEST, TIFR and GRE in Physics

1.1.1 Electric Field

If we have many point charges q1 , q2 ,...... at distances R1 , R2 , R3 ...... from test charge Q ,

then according to the principle of superposition the total force on Q is

   Q  q1 ˆ q2 ˆ 
F  F1  F2  ............   2 R1  2 R2  ......... 
4 0  R1 R2 
 
 F  QE Source point
y
 1 n qi  q1
where E  P   q  
 Ri
4 0 i 1 Ri2 Ri 
P
q
i


2  Field point

E is called the electric field of the source '

 ri
r
charges. Physically E  P  is the force per

unit charge that would be exerted on a test x

charge placed at P .

z
If charge is distributed continuously over some region, then
 1 1 ˆ
E r   2
Rdq (See figure (a) shown below)
4 0 line
R

The electric field of a line charge is  dq   dl   (See figure (b) shown below)
 1  (r ) ˆ
E r   2
Rdl  where  is charge per unit length.
4 0 line
R

For surface charge  dq   da  (See figure (c) shown below)

 1  (r ) ˆ
E r   Rda where  is charge per unit area.
4 0 surface
R2

For a volume charge  dq   d   (See figure (d) shown below)

 1  (r ) ˆ
E r   Rd  where  is charge per unit volume.
4 0 volume
R2

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 fiziks
Institute for NET/JRF, GATE, IIT-JAM, M.Sc. Entrance, JEST, TIFR and GRE in Physics

P
 
R  P R

dq
dl '
 a  Continuous distribution  b  Line charge,
 P
 R
da ' R  P
d '

 c  Surface charge,   d  Volume charge, 

Example: (a) Find the electric field a distance z above the mid point
P
between two equal charges, q , a distance d apart.
z
(b) Repeat part (a) after replacing right hand charge to  q .
1 q q d d q
Solution: (a) E1  E2 
4 0 r 2 2 2
E2 E E1
Horizontal components cancels and
P z
E z  E 1 cos   E2 cos   2 E1 cos 
  r
d2 z r x
Since r 2  z 2  , cos   z
4 r
 1 2qz
E zˆ 
4 0  2 3 / 2 q d /2 d /2 q
2 d
z  
 4 

 1 2q
When z  d , E  (looks like a single charge 2q ).
4 0 z 2

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 fiziks
Institute for NET/JRF, GATE, IIT-JAM, M.Sc. Entrance, JEST, TIFR and GRE in Physics

1 q E1
(b) E1  E2 
4 0 r 2 z
E
Component along z-direction cancel out. 
r E2
 d z x
Thus E  2 E1 sin  xˆ , sin  
2r
 1 qd
E xˆ q d /2 d /2 q
4 0  2 3 / 2
2 d
z  
 4 

 1 qd
When z  d , E  xˆ (field of a dipole)
4 0 z 3
Example: Three charges q , 2q and 3q are placed at the A D
q
three corners  A, B and C  of a square of side a . Then the
a
electric field at the fourth corner D.

2q 3q
Solution: B a C
Electric field due to charge at A ,
EC 
q y E
EA  along AD EB
4 0 a 2
A D 45 0
q EA  x
Electric field due to charge at B ,
2q q a 2a
EB  2
  EA along BD
4 0 a 2
4 0  2a 
2q 3q
Electric field due to charge at C , B a C
3q
EC  along CD
4 0 a 2

Thus resultant field E   E A  E B cos 450  xˆ   EC  EB sin 450  yˆ

 q  1  q  1    Ey 
E 2 
1   ˆ
x  2 
3   ˆ
y where E  Ex2  E y2 and   tan 1  
4 0 a  2 4 0 a  2  Ex 

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 fiziks
Institute for NET/JRF, GATE, IIT-JAM, M.Sc. Entrance, JEST, TIFR and GRE in Physics

Example: Find the electric field a distance z above the midpoint of a straight line
segment of length 2L , which carries a uniform line charge  .
Solution: Horizontal components of two field cancels and the field of the two segment is
1 dq dE2 dE1
dE1  dE2  
4 0 r 2 z
P
 1   dx 
Net field is dE  2dE1 cos  zˆ  2 cos  zˆ r
4 0  r 2  r
z x

z 1 L 2 z
Here, cos   , r  z 2  x 2  E  0 dx  dq dq
r 4 0  2 3/ 2
2
z x
  L  L dx
x
L
2 z  x   1 2 L
Thus E    E zˆ
4 0  z 2 z 2  x 2  4 0 z z 2  L2
0

1 2 L
For z  L , E 
40 z 2
1 2
and when L    E 
4 0 z

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