PHYS 144-02 Electric Fields _ Dipoles

ELECTRIC FIELDS &
ELECTRIC DIPOLES
Readings: Chapter 21 (12th edition),
721- 749
PowerPoint® Lectures for

University Physics, Twelve Edition
– Hugh D. Young and Roger A. Freedman
Adopted by Phys. Dept, UG
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Inc.
Learning Goals
By the end of this lecture, students would be able to :

• Explain or make a distinction between electric force
and electric field.
• Perform electric field calculations due to different
charge distributions.
• Calculate the properties of electric dipoles.
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Inc.

Electric Field
•Electric field is a region in which electric force is experienced.
•Experimentally, a test charged qo is used and if the test
charge experiences an electric force, then there is an electric
field at that point.
•The field is produced by charges other than qo.
•Electric field 𝑬 at a point is defined as electric force per unit
charge.
•Mathematically
If qo is positive, direction of the force Fo experienced by it

gives the direction of the electric field; otherwise the Fo points
in the opposite direction to the field.
Electric Field of a Point Charge
• Source point (S): the location where the point charge q

producing the electric field is found.
• Field point (P): the location where the electric field produced
by the point charge q is determined.
• A unit vector points along the line from source point to field
point
Since and
Vectorially, the electric field is expressed as

Electric Field Lines
An electric field line is an imaginary line or curve drawn
through a region of space so that its tangent at any point
is in the direction of the electric field vector at that point.
 Electric field lines for a single positive charge
Field lines always point

away from positive charges
and toward negative
charges
Electric field lines for Electric field lines for two
two equal and opposite equal positive charges
charges (a dipole)
At each point in space Field lines are close

the electric field together where the field is
vector is tangent to strong, and farther apart
the field line passing where it is weaker.
through that point.
Consider an electron release from rest at the top of a pair of plates as
shown.
The distance between the plates is 1 cm. Determine
1.the acceleration of the electron
2.The speed of the electron
3.The kinetic energy acquired by the electron as it hits the lower plate
4.The time it takes to reach the lower plate.
NB: When position of plates are interchanged, E is
downward and F = (-e)(-E) = eE
Superposition of Electric Fields
The principle states that the electric field of any combination of
charges is the vector sum of the fields caused by the individual
charges.
In the figure below 𝒒𝟏 = -𝒒𝟐 = 12 nC.
Determine the total field at point a.
CHARGE DISTRIBUTION
 LINEAR CHARGE DENSITY (λ): It is the distribution of charges along
a long, thin, charged plastic rod expressed mathematically as
 unit is C/m
 SURFACE CHARGE DENSITY (σ): It is the distribution of charges over

any surface area expressed mathematically as
 unit is C/m2
 VOLUME CHARGE DENSITY(ρ): the distribution of charges through a

volume expressed mathematically as
unit is C/m3
Note that the distance
r, from the segment P is
Standard
tables help
establish
Electric Dipole
 An electric dipole is a pair of point charges with equal magnitude and
opposite sign (a positive charge q and a negative charge – q) separated
by a distance d.
 An electric dipole experiences a force and a torque in an external
electric field.
When an electric dipole is placed in a uniform external electric field 𝐸,
both charges experience forces acting in opposite directions.
The forces are equal in magnitude, given by 𝐹=𝑞𝐸
The net force on an electric dipole in a uniform external electric field is
zero. However the two forces do not act along the same line so their
torques do not add up to zero.
The magnitude of the net torque 𝜏 with respect to the centre of the
dipole is given by
where 𝜙 is the angle

between the electric
field and the dipole axis
The lever arm for

both forces 𝑭− and
𝑭+ is
NB: The magnitude of the net torque is twice the magnitude of either
individual torque.
The magnitude of the electric dipole moment 𝑝 is given by
And 𝜏 = 𝑞𝐸 𝑑𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜙 = 𝑝𝐸𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜙
Thus 𝝉 = 𝒑 × 𝑬
NB: The unit of p is charge times distance (C·m)
The torque is greatest when 𝒑 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑬 are perpendicular, and is zero
when they are parallel or anti parallel.
The position 𝝓 = 𝟎, with 𝒑

parallel to 𝑬 , is a position
of stable equilibrium
The position 𝝓 = 𝝅, with 𝒑
and 𝑬 anti-parallel, is a
position of unstable
equilibrium.

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ELECTRIC FIELDS &

PowerPoint® Lectures for

By the end of this lecture, students would be able to :

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Inc.

If qo is positive, direction of the force Fo experienced by it

• Source point (S): the location where the point charge q

Vectorially, the electric field is expressed as

Field lines always point

At each point in space Field lines are close

 SURFACE CHARGE DENSITY (σ): It is the distribution of charges over

 VOLUME CHARGE DENSITY(ρ): the distribution of charges through a

where 𝜙 is the angle

The lever arm for

The position 𝝓 = 𝟎, with 𝒑

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