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Basic Electrostatics
From Molecular to Con/nuum Physics I WS 11/12

Emiliano Ippoli/| October, 2011
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Review
Mathematics
...
Physics
Basic thermodynamics
Temperature, ideal gas, kinetic gas theory, laws of thermodynamics
Statistical thermodynamics
Canonical ensemble, Boltzmann statistics, partition functions, internal and free energy, entropy
Basic electrostatics
Classical mechanics
Newtonian, Lagrangian, Hamiltonian mechanics
Quantum mechanics
Wave mechanics
Wave function and Born probability interpretation
Schrdinger equation
Simple systems for which there is an analytical solution
Free particle
Particle in a box, particle on a ring
Rigid rotator
Harmonic oscillator
Basics
Uncertainty relation
Operators and expectation values
Angular momentum
Hydrogen atom
Energy values, atomic orbitals
Electron spin
Quantum mechanics of several particles (Pauli principle)
Many electron atoms
Periodic system: structural principle
Molecules
Two-atomic molecules (H2+,H2, X2)
Many-atomic molecules
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Chemistry
Informatics
...
...
Coulombs law
Let us consider two point-like
electric charges q and Q at position
x1 and x2, respectively.
The force on q due to Q is then:
qQ
FQq = k 3 r
r

r = r = xq xQ
1. proportional to the strength of charges;

2. inversely proportional to the square of the separation;
3. directed along the line connecting the charges;
4. repulsive for like charges and attractive for opposite charges.
Emiliano Ippoliti
Units
In SI units:
1
k=
9 10 9 Nm 2C-2
4 0
an electron carries a charge e equal

to 1.6 x 1019 C
In Gaussian units:
k =1
an electron carries a charge e equal

to 4.803 x 1010 statcoulomb
1 statcoulomb = 3.3356 1010 C
Emiliano Ippoliti
Electric field
Take a very small test charge q (small so that it does not
disturb the charge distribution whose field we're measuring),
and measure the force on the test charge as a function of
position x. Then the electric field is defined as:
F ( x)
E ( x ) = lim
q0
q

Q x
Q e r
E(x) =
3 =
2
4 0 x
4 0 r
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Superposition
principle
It is an experimental fact that electrostatics is linear, so that
the electric fields produced by a collection of point charges
{qi} at positions {xi} simply add:

1
x xi
E(x) =
qi 3
4 0 i =1 x xi
N
that can be rewritten as:

E(x) =

3
(3)
d x qi ( x xi )
4 0
i =1
( x )
N
Charge density
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x x
3
x x
Dirac delta function

The Dirac delta function is a mathematically convenient way
of representing singularities such as point charges.
It is really not a function but a distribution. However, we will
ignore this at this level.
One way of defining the delta function in one dimension is:
1/ w
( x ) = lim
w0
0
Emiliano Ippoliti
if - w / 2 < x < w / 2
otherwise
Dirac delta function

Properties
+
1.
( x ) dx = 1.
2.
( x a ) f ( x ) dx = f ( a ).
3.
( x a ) f ( x ) dx = f ( a ) [ integrate by parts and use 2 ].
4. Let f ( x ) have simple zeros at { xi } , i.e. f ( x ) f ( x ) ( x xi ) for x near xi , then
f ( x ) =
i
1
( x xi ) .
f ( xi )
5. In three dimensions ( x) = (x) (y) (z). This simple formula hold only with
cartesian coordinates.
(d )
6. In d dimensions, ( x ) has dimensions of L d .
Emiliano Ippoliti
Gauss law
For a single charge q:
E n =
q cos
4 0 r 2
so that the flux of the electric field through the area

element da is:
E n da =
q da cos
q
=
d
2
4 0
r
4 0
Then, integrating over the entire surface:
q
S E n da = 0
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solid angle subtended by

da (i.e., r2 d = cos da)
d = 4
Differential form of
the Gauss law
For a collection of charges {qi} inside the surface:
1
1
n
S da = 0 i qi = 0
3
(x)d x
The divergence theorem states:
A n da =
3
A d x
Then
Emiliano Ippoliti
E n da =
10
3
1
V E d x = 0

3
V ( x ) d x E = 0
Electrostatic potential
By using the identity:
1
e r
= 2
r
r
q
we can write the electric field of a point charge: E =
4 0 r
and the field of a set of charges:

1

1
E=
qi ( x )
4 0 i
x xi
where is the electrostatic potential:
( x ) =
Emiliano Ippoliti
11
1
qi
1
=
4 0 i x xi
4 0
( x ) 3
d x
x xi
Meaning of
If there are no charges at infinity, so that ( ) = 0, then q ( x )
is the work required to bring a charge q from to x (the

other charges being held fixed).
More generally, the work to bring q from A to B is
B

W = F dl = qE dl = q ( B ) ( A )
B
The work done depends only on the end points (A, B), not on
the path; hence the net work in going around a closed path is
zero. In this case one says the electric field is conservative.
Emiliano Ippoliti
12
Curl of the
electric field
For any smooth function :
= 0
where the curl of a vector V is defined as:
( )
Vz Vy
Vy Vx
Vx Vz
V =
e
+
e
+
e
x
y
z
z
y
x
z
x
y
Therefore
Emiliano Ippoliti

E =0
13
Stokes theorem
From the Stokes theorem:

A dl =
A n da
where S is any surface bounded by the closed contour C, we

can derive the previous statement that the work in going for
a closed path is zero:
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14

E dl =
E n da = 0
Lines of forces
The lines of force (also called the field lines) provide a
method for graphing the electric field.
They are everywhere tangent to the electric field E and therefore for
a point charge are tangent to the force exerted by the field on the
particle.
They begin on positive charges and terminate on negative charges.
The local density of the field lines is proportional to the strength of
the electric field.
The electric field lines do not cross (otherwise the field would not
be unique at that point).
The lines of force are not particle trajectories!

The
particle
trajectories are obtained by solving F = ma with F = qE .

Emiliano Ippoliti
15
Lines of forces
Examples
1 CHARGE
2 CHARGES
The equipotentials are contours of constant electrostatic

potential. They are analogous to the contours on a
topographic map. They are perpendicular to the lines of
force.
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16
Dipole
A dipole is a model of two point charges q and -q at positions
x and x, separated by a infinitesimal displacement

d = x x
The potential in the point P at position x will then be:

1 q
q
1 p ( x x )
( x ) =

d
3
0
4 0 x x
x x + d
4 0 x x
where the dipole moment p = qd.
Emiliano Ippoliti
17
Dipole
The electrostatic potential can also be written as
( x ) =
1 p cos
2
4 0 r
where is the angle between the dipole moment and the

observation point P.
The electric field is then:

1 3n ( p n ) p
E(x) =
3
4 0
x x
where n is the unit vector directed from xto x.

x
Emiliano Ippoliti
18
Poisson equation
Starting from the Coulombs law we have derived the two
differential field equations of electrostatics:

E =0

E = / 0
The most general solution of the first equation can be written:
E =
Inserting it in the second equation, we find that must satisfy:
= / 0
2
Poisson equation
In a region of space with no sources ( = 0) this reduces to:
=0
2
Emiliano Ippoliti
19
Laplace equation
References
1. A. Dorsey. Basic Electrostatics. http://www.phys.ufl.edu/

~dorsey/phy6346-00/lectures/lect01.pdf
2. D.J. Griffiths. Introduction to Electrodynamics. 3th Eds.
Benjamin Cummings, New Jersey, 1999.
3. J.D. Jackson. Classical Electrodynamics. 3th Eds. John Wiley &
Son, New York, 1998.
Emiliano Ippoliti
20

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Basic Electrostatics

From Molecular to Con/nuum Physics I WS 11/12

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

1. proportional to the strength of charges;

an electron carries a charge e equal

an electron carries a charge e equal

1 statcoulomb = 3.3356 1010 C

{qi} at positions {xi} simply add:

that can be rewritten as:

Dirac delta function

Dirac delta function

( x a ) f ( x ) dx = f ( a ) [ integrate by parts and use 2 ].

4. Let f ( x ) have simple zeros at { xi } , i.e. f ( x ) f ( x ) ( x xi ) for x near xi , then

so that the flux of the electric field through the area

Then, integrating over the entire surface:

solid angle subtended by

The divergence theorem states:

and the field of a set of charges:

where is the electrostatic potential:

If there are no charges at infinity, so that ( ) = 0, then q ( x )

is the work required to bring a charge q from to x (the

where the curl of a vector V is defined as:

where S is any surface bounded by the closed contour C, we

The lines of force are not particle trajectories!

trajectories are obtained by solving F = ma with F = qE .

The equipotentials are contours of constant electrostatic

x and x, separated by a infinitesimal displacement

The potential in the point P at position x will then be:

where the dipole moment p = qd.

where is the angle between the dipole moment and the

where n is the unit vector directed from xto x.

The most general solution of the first equation can be written:

Inserting it in the second equation, we find that must satisfy:

In a region of space with no sources ( = 0) this reduces to:

1. A. Dorsey. Basic Electrostatics. http://www.phys.ufl.edu/

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