ELECTROSTATICS

CSPC 132
MR. MARK OFORI NKETIA
 Electric Charge

What is charge?
• basic property of matter (just like, say, mass)
• humans cannot directly sense charge but some animals can
• we can observe charge indirectly via its effects on matter
• customary symbol: q or Q, unit: [q] = C (Coulomb)

Two kinds of charge: + -

• like charges repel
• unlike charges attract

Law of conservation of charge:

•net amount of charge does not change in any process
(Not on your starting equation sheet, but a fact that you can use any time.)
Charges are quantized (come in units of e= 1.6x10-19 C).

Elementary particles that make up atoms:

• Protons + charge +e = +1.6x10-19 C

• Neutrons uncharged

• Electrons - charge –e = –1.6x10-19 C

Helium atom
 Coulomb’s Law

Force between two point charges q1 and q2:

• force is vector, directed along connecting line

• magnitude: q1q 2
F =k 2
12 r12

r12 is the distance between the charges

2
Nm 1 C2
k = 9 109
= with 0 = 8.85 10−12 .
C2
40 Nm 2
 a note on starting equations

q1q 2
F =k 2 is an official starting equation
12 r12

• in homework and exam solutions, official starting equations

can be used without deriving them
• all other steps of a solution need to be derived
• you may formulate the official starting equation in different
variables,
QA QB
• for example the equation F = k is “legal”
E D 2
Coulomb’s Law is strictly valid for point charges only.
It is a good approximation for small uniformly charged objects.

r12

+ -

If more than two charges are involved, the net force is the vector
sum of all forces (superposition). For objects with complex
shapes, you must add up all the forces acting on each separate
charge (calculus!!).

+ -
+ -
+ -
 Coulomb’s Law:
it’s just part of a bigger picture

Coulomb's Law:
1 q1q 2 r12
F =
12 4πε0 r12
2
, + -
Q1 Q2

Charged particles produce forces over great distances.

How does a charged particle "know" another one is “there?”

Introduce concept of electric field

• new way of thinking about the Coulomb force
 The Electric Field

• a charged particle creates a “field” in F12

all space.
+
• other charged particles sense F13
the field and experience a force
in response F31
+
• Distinguish source charges like -
and test charges charges F21 unlike
repel charges
attract

A charged particle modifies the

properties of the space around it.
Definition of electric field:
• one or more source charges
• define the electric field E via force they exert on a test
charge q0:
F0 The subscript “0” reminds you the force is on the
E= “test charge.”
q0

F = qE

This is your second starting equation. It is a vector equation that tells you
magnitude and direction of the force!
  F0  N
The units of electric field are  E  = =
newtons/coulomb. q0  C

The units of electric field can also be expressed as

volts/meter:
N V
 E = =
C m

The electric field can exist independent of whether there is a

charged particle around to “feel” it.
 Gravitational Fields

The idea of a field is not new to you. You experienced fields

(gravitational) in Physics 1135.

m1m2
FG =G 2 , attractive
r12

FG Units of g are
g(r) = actually N/kg!
m

g(r) is the local gravitational field. On earth, it is about 9.8

N/kg, directed towards the center of the earth.
A particle with mass modifies the properties of the space around it.
 The Electric Field
Due to a Point Charge

Coulomb's law says q1q2

F =k 2 ,
12 r12

treat q1 as source charge and q2 as test charge, divide by q2,

the electric field due to point charge q1 is

q1 q
|Eq1 |=k 2 or, generally E=k 2
r12 r

This is your third starting equation.

If we define r̂ as a unit vector from the source point to the field
point…
source point
r̂ +

field point

…then the vector equation for the electric field of a point

charge becomes:
q
E=k 2 rˆ
r
The electric field can be represented by field lines.
These lines start on a positive charge and end on a
negative charge.
Electric dipole: two equal charges, opposite in sign:

16-8 Electric Field Lines

The electric field between two
closely spaced, oppositely
charged parallel plates is
constant.
Summary of field lines:
1. Field lines indicate the direction of the field; the
field is tangent to the line.
2. The magnitude of the field is proportional to the
density of the lines.
3. Field lines start on positive charges and end on
negative charges; the number is proportional to the
magnitude of the charge.
The static electric field inside a conductor is zero—if it
were not, the charges would move.

The net charge on a

16-9 Electric Fields andconductor is on its
Conductors
surface.
The electric field is perpendicular to the surface of a
conductor—again, if it were not, charges would move.
Example: calculate the magnitude of the electric field at the
electron’s distance away from the proton in a hydrogen atom
(5.3x10-11 m).

+e -e EP
+ -

k q k(+e) 9 10 (1.6 10 ) N

−19
D 9

EP = 2 = =
(5.3 10 ) C
−11 2
2
r D

N
EP = 5.110
11

For comparison, air begins to break down and conduct

electricity at about 30 kV/cm, or 3x106 V/m.
 A Dipole

A combination of two electric charges with equal magnitude and

opposite sign, separated by a fixed distance, is called a dipole.

+q + - -q

The distance between the charges is d. Dipoles are

“everywhere” in nature.

This is an electric dipole. Later in the course we’ll study magnetic dipoles.
 The Electric Field of a Dipole

Example: calculate the electric field at point P, which lies on the

perpendicular bisector a distance L from a dipole of charge q.

+q + - -q

d
Example: calculate the electric field at point P, which lies on the
perpendicular bisector a distance L from a dipole of charge q.
y
E+ E = E+ + E−
 E y = 0 (symmetry)
P 

E x = 2E +,x (symmetry)
E-
r L r
E x = +2E+ cos 

 
+q + - -q
x

d
Example: calculate the electric field at point P, which lies on the
perpendicular bisector a distance L from a dipole of charge q.
y E x = +2E+ cos 
E+


P 
d/2 d
E x = +2E+ = +E+
r r
E-
r L r
k +q d kqd
Ex =+ 2 = 3
r r r

 d/2 d/2  - qd ˆ
+q + -q E = i
x 40 r 3

d “Charge on dipole” is positive by

convention, so no absolute value
signs needed around q.
THANK YOU