❖ Electric Charge:-
‣ Electric charge is a fundamental property of matter that causes it to experience a force
when placed in an electric field.
‣ Types:
-Positive charge (+)
- Negative charge (-)
- Neutral charge (no net charge)
‣ Unit: Coulomb (C)
- Examples:
- Protons have a positive charge (+1.6 × 10^-19 C)
- Electrons have a negative charge (-1.6 × 10^-19 C)
❖ Coulomb's Law
‣ The force between two point charges is proportional to the product of their charges and
inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.
‣ Formula: F = (k * q1 * q2) / r^2
‣ Constants:
- k = Coulomb's constant (8.99 × 10^9 N m^2/C^2)
- q1, q2 = charges (C)
- r = distance (m)
- Example:
- Two charges, q1 = 2 μC and q2 = 3 μC, separated by 0.5 m:
F = (k * 2 μC * 3 μC) / (0.5 m)^2 = 215.6 N
❖ Electric Field
‣ The electric field is a vector field that surrounds charged particles and exerts a force on
other charges.
‣ Formula: E = k * q / r^2
‣ Units:
- Electric field strength (E): N/C or V/m
- Electric field direction: away from positive charge, toward negative charge
- Examples:
- Electric field around a positive charge:
- E = k * q / r^2 = (8.99 × 10^9 N m^2/C^2 * 1 μC) / (0.1 m)^2 = 899 N/C
- Electric field around a negative charge:
- E = -k * q / r^2 = -(8.99 × 10^9 N m^2/C^2 * 1 μC) / (0.1 m)^2 = -899 N/C
❖ Electric Field Lines
‣ Electric field lines are imaginary lines that emerge from positive charges and enter
negative charges.
‣ Properties:
- Electric field lines are continuous and unbroken
- Electric field lines never intersect
- Electric field lines are denser near charges
❖ Electric Potential
‣ Electric potential is the potential energy per unit charge at a point in an electric field.
‣ Formula: V = k * q / r
‣ Units: Volts (V)
- Examples:
- Electric potential near a positive charge:
V = k * q / r = (8.99 × 10^9 N m^2/C^2 * 1 μC) / (0.1 m) = 899 V
- Electric potential near a negative charge:
V = -k * q / r = -(8.99 × 10^9 N m^2/C^2 * 1 μC) / (0.1 m) = -899 V
❖ Gauss's Law
‣ The total electric flux through a closed surface is proportional to the charge enclosed.
‣ Formula: Φ = Q / ε₀
‣ Constants:
- Φ = electric flux (N m^2/C)
- Q = enclosed charge (C)
- ε₀ = electric constant (8.85 × 10^-12 F/m)
- Example:
- A spherical surface enclosing a charge Q = 1 μC:
Φ = Q / ε₀ = (1 μC) / (8.85 × 10^-12 F/m) = 113.1 N m^2/C
❖ Electric Flux
‣ Electric flux is the measure of the electric field that passes through a surface.
‣ Formula: Φ = E * A * cos(θ)
‣ Units: N m^2/C
- Examples:
- Electric flux through a surface perpendicular to the electric field:
Φ = E * A = (100 N/C * 0.1 m^2) = 10 N m^2/C
❖ Electric Potential Energy
‣ Electric potential energy is the energy a charged object has due to its position in an
electric field.
‣ Formula: U = k * q1 * q2 / r
‣ Units: Joules (J)
- Examples:
- Electric potential energy between two charges:
U = k * q1 * q2 / r = (8.99 × 10^9 N m^2/C^2 * 1 μC * 2 μC) / (0.1 m) = 179.8 J
