Electromagnetic Fields

Chapter two

Electrostatic Fields
 INTRODUCTION
 Electrostatic field is produced by a static (time invariant)
charge distribution in a free space (vacuum). (e.g. CRT)
Application areas:
• In electric power transmission, X-ray machines, and
lightning protection
• computer peripheral devices : Touch pads, keyboards,
and electrostatic printers are typical examples.
• In medical diagnosis: electrocardiograms, and other
recordings of organs with electrical activity
• In industry:
• In agriculture: sort seeds, direct sprays to plants, measure
the moisture content of crops, etc
 Cont’d
Two fundamental laws governing electrostatic
fields:
1. Coulomb's law: is applicable in finding the electric field due
to any charge configuration

2. Gauss's law. it is easier to use when charge distribution is

symmetrical.
 Coulomb’s Law and Field Intensity

Coulomb's law states that the force F between two

point charges Q1 and Q2 is:
1. Along the line joining them
2. Directly proportional to the product Q1Q2 of the
charges
3. Inversely proportional to the square of the
distance R between them.’
Q1Q2
Mathematically; F k
R2
1
k ;  0 8.854x10 12 F / m and it is the permit ivity of f ree space
4 0
 Cont’d

Consider the following figure where Coulomb vector

force acts on point changes Q1 and Q2.

F21 = | F21 |aR21 = | F12 |(-

aR12)
F21 = - F12 and aR21 = (-
aR12)
 Cont’d

For point charges Q1 and Q2 located at position vectors r1

and r2
Q1Q2 Q1Q2
F12 k 2
a12 or F21 k 2
a 21
R R
• F12 is the force on Q2 due to Q1

• F21 is the force on Q1 due to Q2

R12 r2  r1 and R 21 r1  r2

Q1Q2 R 12 Q1Q2 r2  r1
Re-write F12 as: F12  
4 0 R R 4 0 r2  r1
2 3
 Cont’d

The basic Principle:

• Like charges repel, (a) and (b), and unlike charges attract,
(c).

• The distance R between Q1 and Q2 must be large

compared with the linear dimensions of the bodies, i.e. Q1
and Q2 must be point charges

• Q1 and Q2 must be static (at rest)

7
• The signs of Q1 and Q2 must be taken into account
 Cont’d
Principle of Superposition: The principle states that if there are N charges Q1,
Q2,…,QN located, respectively, at points with position vectors r1, r 2,…,rN, the
resultant force F on a charge Q located at point r is the vector sum of the forces
exerted on Q by each of the charges Q1, Q2,…,QN.

QQ1 (r  r1 ) QQ2 (r  r2 ) QQN (r  rN )

F 3
 3
 ......  3
4 0 r  r1 4 0 r  r2 4 0 r  rN

Q N
Qk r  rk 
F
4 0 
k 1 r  rk
3

8
 Electric Field Intensity

The electric field intensity (or electric field strength) E is the

force per unit charge when placed in the electric field.
F F
E  lim or simply E 
Q 0 Q Q

Ex. Show that the electrostatic field E at point r due to a point charge

located at r’ is given by:

Q Q (r  r ' )
E 2
aR 
4 0 R 4 0 r  r ' 3

N
Q1 (r  r1 ) Q2 (r  r2 ) QN (r  rN ) 1 Qk r  rk 
E
1

4 0 r  r 3 4 0 r  r 3
2
 ... 
4 0 r  r 3
N

4 0 
k 1 r  rk
3

9
 Example

1. Point charges 1 mC and -2 mC are located at (3, 2, -

1) and (-1, -1, 4), respectively. Calculate the electric
force on a 10-nC charge located at (0, 3, 1) and the
electric field intensity at that point.

10
 Electric Fields due to Continuous Charge Distribution

ious Charge Distributions

dQ  L dl 

Q   L dl
L
( Line ch arg e)

dQ  S dS 

Q   S dS
S
( Surface ch arg e)

dQ  v dv 

Q   v dv
v
(volume ch arg e)

 L : Line ch arg e density ; ρv: Volume ch arg e density ρS : Surface ch arg e density
11
 Cont’d
Application of the electric fields
A. A line Charge

B. A Surface
Charge

C. A Volume Charge

12
 Electric Flux Density
(Recall the surface integral or flux of A in vector calculus)


  A dS

Suppose a new vector field D is defined by: D  0 E

Define electric flux  D dS

The electric flux is measured in coulombs (C).
Hence, D is called the electric flux density in C/m2

s v dv
D
2
an D

4R
a
2 R

13
Example
1. Determine D at (4, 0, 3) if there is a point
charge
at (4, 0, 0) and a line charge mC/m
along the y-axis.

Figure: Flux density D due to a

point charge and an infinite line
charge.

14
 Gauss’s Law - Maxwell’s Equations
Gauss's law : stales that the total electric flux  through
any closed surface is equal to the total charge enclosed
by that surface.

 
 Qenc  d  D dS  v dv
S
 v

S

From Divergence theorem : Q  D dS   D dv
v
(x)

Compare to the last term in the earlier equation:

 v D  ( y )
Eq. (y) in words: volume charge density is the same as the
divergence of the electric flux density and this is the first of
the four Maxwell's equations 15
 Electric Potential
Consider the figure: The work done (Potential energy) to move
Q from A to B:
B
W  Q
 A
E dl

The potential difference, VAB

B
W J 
VAB   E dl
Q 
A
 C volt 
 
VAB VB  VA

• A is the initial point while B is the final point

• VAB is negative indicating loss in potential energy in moving Q from A
to B
• VAB is independent of the path taken 16
 Cont’d
If the E field in the Figure is due to a point charge Q located
at the origin, then: rB Q
Q
V AB 
 4 r
rA 0
2
a r dr a r
E a
2 r
4 0 r Q  1 1
   
4 0  rB rA 

Example

17
Relationship between E and V Maxwell’s Equation
Recall: V between points A and B is independent of the path taken and VAB
= - VBA , and hence,
…no net work is done in moving a charge
E dl 0 along a closed path in an electrostatic field

E dl EdS 0 (from Stokes's theorem)

OR
These equations are referred to as Maxwell's equation
 E 0 for static electric field in integral and differential forms.

Physically, what this means is

that no net work is done in
moving a charge along a
closed path in an electrostatic
18
field (see figure)
 Cont’d
Additionally, from the previous expression of the potential V

dV  E dl  E x dx  E y dy  E z dz

But
V V V
dV  dx  dy  dz
x y z

and:

E  V

• E is the gradient of V
• The negative sign shows that the direction of E is opposite to the
direction in which V increases

19
 An Electric Dipole and Flux Lines
An electric dipole is formed when two charges of same magnitude
but opposite in sign are separated by a small distance
Q 1 1 Q  r2  r1 
V     
4 0  r1 r2  4 0  r1r2 

If r  d , r2  r1 d cos , r2 r1 r 2

Q d cos
V
4 0 r2

From the figure:

d cos d a r Where d da z
p a r
define p Qd as the dipole moment and V
4 0 r 2 20
 Cont’d
Note that the dipole moment p is directed from -Q to +Q.
If the dipole center is not at the origin but at r’;
p. r  r'
V 3
4 0 r  r'

For different situation

Example

21
 Energy Density in Electrostatic fields
To determine the energy present in charges, we must first
determine the amount of work necessary to assemble them.

Addition of the two gives: WE  1 Q1V1  Q2V2  Q3V3 

2
n
In general, if there are n 1
point charges
WE 
2 Q V
k 1
k k (in joules )

Ex. See to the other energy equations that can be 22

derived and go through the example problems.