Lecture 8 Electrostatic Field and Potential Gradient

Sections: 4.5, 4.6 Homework: D4.6, D4.7, D4.8; 4.16, 4.17, 4.18, 4.19, 4.20, 4.22, 4.23, 4.24, 4.25
LECTURE 8 slide 1

Conservative Property of Potential of Point Charge 1 the potential of a single point charge at the origin depends solely on the radial distance to the observation point A (see L07) Q 1 VA = 4 rA the potential difference VAB between points A and B depends solely on the their radial distances from the origin rB B Q Q 1 1 VAB = E dL = a a r dr = 2 r N 4 rA rB 4 r A r dL
A

E
+

angular positions, and , of observation points do not matter

rA
A

rB
B

path of integration does not matter integrand has only r component and r dependence
LECTURE 8 slide 2

Conservative Property of Potential of Point Charge 2 if path of integration is closed potential difference is zero VAA Q =v E dL = 4 c 1 1 =0 rA rA

vector field whose closed-path integral is zero for any closed contour is called conservative E
+

rA

A B

LECTURE 8

slide

Superposition of Potential potential of discrete (point) charges

Qn V (r ) = | 4 0 n =1 | r rn 1
N

this is an algebraic superposition potential due to distributed charge

z Q

P
r
y

VP = V (r ) = V (r ) = 1

dv, V 4 0 | r r |
v

v (r)

v
x
1
L

ds, V 4 0 | r r |
s

s (r)

V (r ) =

dl , V 4 0 | r r |

l (r)

LECTURE 8

slide

Conservative Property of Electrostatic Potential conservative property of potential follows from superposition and conservative property of potential of point charge if work along a closed path is zero for a single point charge, it will be zero for any collection of charges electrostatic potential taken on a closed integration path is zero
VAA = v E dL = 0
c

path #1
z

it follows that neither absolute potential nor voltage depend on the path taken #1 + V #2 = V #1 V # 2 = 0 VAA = VAB BA AB AB
#1 = V # 2 VAB AB
LECTURE 8

B A
pat 2 # h

y
slide 5

Conservative Property and KVL

Kirchhoffs voltage law in circuits is a direct consequence of the conservative property of the electrostatic field along any closed contour of a circuit the sum of the branch voltages is zero
Vn = 0 v E dL = 0 n
c

LECTURE 8

slide

Electrostatic Potential Gradient 1

consider a sufficiently small line element LAB along which E is constant L AB = xa x + ya y + za z VAB = E L AB = VA VB = (VB VA ) = V V = ( Ex a x + E y a y + Ez a z ) (xa x + ya y + za z ) V = Ex x + E y y + Ez z for LAB0 dV = ( Ex dx + E y dy + Ez dz ) on the other hand V V V dV = dx + dy + dz x y z V V V , Ey = , Ez = Ex = x y z
LECTURE 8 slide 7

Electrostatic Potential Gradient 2 remember the vector operator from L06 = ax + a y + ax x y z the gradient of V

V V V V V V , Ey = , Ez = Ex = E = ax + ay + az x y z y z x
E = V , V/m

V gradV

the electric field vector equals the gradient of the potential with a minus sign

LECTURE 8

slide

The distance between the plates of a parallel-plate capacitor is 10 mm: the left plate is at x = 0 and the right plate is at x = 10 mm. The left plate is at potential VL = 0 V and the right one is at potential VR = 10 V. Find V(x) inside the capacitor bearing in mind that E is constant. Find E inside the capacitor. V VR = 10
VL = 0 0

10 mm

LECTURE 8

slide

Gradient and Directional Derivative 1 assume a scalar field V(x,y,z) an infinitesimal displacement along the x-axis dx brings us to a slightly different scalar value V(x+dx,y,z) there are respective changes in V for displacements dy and dz d xV = V ( x + dx, y, z ) V ( x, y, z ) 6 dL = dxa x d yV = V ( x, y + dy, z ) V ( x, y, z ) 6 dL = dya y d zV = V ( x, y, z + dz ) V ( x, y, z ) 6 dL = dza z an infinitesimal displacement dL = dxa x + dya y + dza z invokes all three changes at the same time dV = d xV + d yV + d zV = V ( x + dx, y + dy, z + dz ) V ( x, y, z )
LECTURE 8 slide 10

Gradient and Directional Derivative 2

V V V dV = d xV + d yV + d zV = dx + dy + dz x y z V V V dV = ax + ay + a z ( dxa x + dya y + dza z ) y z x directional derivative

dV = V dL = V dLa L
Alternatively,

dV = V a L dL

z dV V dx V dy V dz a Lz = + + dL x dL y dL z dL y dV V V V x = cos x + cos y + cos z y dL x y z x = V a L directional cosines

LECTURE 8 slide 11

Gradient and Directional Derivative 3

dV = V a L dL

the directional derivative shows the rate of change of the scalar function in a specified direction aL the maximum possible directional derivative is the magnitude of the gradient itself dV dV =| V |, = | V | dL max dL min the gradient shows the direction and the magnitude of the maximum rate of ascent of a scalar function the directional derivative in any direction is determined by the projection of the gradient onto this direction
LECTURE 8 slide 12

Gradient and E-field

E = V

the electrostatic field E points in the direction of the fastest descent of the electrostatic potential and is equal to the rate of this descent

LECTURE 8

slide

13

Equipotential Surface equipotential surface is the geometrical place of all points with equal potential

in 2-D problems the equipotential surface collapses into a line

LECTURE 8 slide 14

Equipotential Surface and Gradient

any direction tangential to the equipotential surface is a direction of zero directional derivative (no ascent/descent)

V = V a = 0 V a
the directions normal to the equipotential surface are the directions of fastest ascent/ descent, i.e., they are aligned with gradV Can you estimate roughly the E field direction and magnitude from a potential map? E = V
LECTURE 8

E
V = 4 V V

V E at an

V =3V V V =2V E
V =1 V
slide 15

Equipotential Surface and Gradient

if a surface is defined by

V ( x, y, z ) = const
its unit normal can be found at any point as

an =

V | V |

LECTURE 8

slide

16

Gradient in CCS and SCS

dV = V V V dll + dl2 + dl3 = V dL l1 l2 l3

dL = h 1d 1 a1 + h 2 d 2 a2 + h 3 d 3 a3 N N N
dl1 dl2 dl3

V =

V V V a1 + a2 + a3 l1 l2 l3

V 1 V V CCS: V = a + a + az z 1 V 1 V V SCS: V = ar + a + a r r r sin

LECTURE 8

slide

17

Homework: An equipotential surface is defined by V0 = 10. If V(x,y,z) = y, find: (a) the equation of the surface f(x,y,z) = 0; (b) the unit normal an to the equipotential surface pointing away from the origin; (c) the electric field vector E on that side of the surface which does not contain the origin.

LECTURE 8

slide

18

You have learned:

that the electrostatic field is conservative, i.e., work does not depend on the path taken and work is zero along a closed path how to apply the principle of superposition in order to find the potential of a system of charges what gradient is and what directional derivative is that the E field is equal to the gradient of the potential V with a minus sign how to find the unit normal to a surface

LECTURE 8

slide

19