Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
Electric Charge,
Forces & Fields
Electric Charge
Page 1
Charge Balance
Charge Separation
Page 2
Static Electricity
Charging by Conduction
• Inside a conductor charges (electrons) are free to move
A charged object (the insulated rod) is
brought near and then placed in
contact with another object (the
conducting sphere)
• As the rod is brought near, but prior to
contact, the charges in the sphere are
redistributed. Some of the electrons in the
sphere are repelled from the electrons in
the rod
Upon contact, some surface electrons
on the rod can move to the sphere
When the rod is removed, the sphere
is left with a charge
The object being charged is always left
with a charge having the same sign as
the object doing the charging
Page 3
Charging By Induction
Polarization
Page 4
“Electrostatic” Force (Coulomb’s Law)
Two charges, q1 and q2, separated by distance r exert a force
on each other:
q1 q2
F = ke
r2
q1 q2
r
Page 5
Example…
A charged ball Q1 is fixed to a horizontal
surface as shown. When another massive Q2
charged ball Q2 is brought near, it achieves
an equilibrium position at a distance d12 Q2
directly above Q1.
d12 d23
When Q1 is replaced by a different charged g
ball Q3, Q2 achieves an equilibrium position Q1
at distance d23 (< d12) directly above Q3. Q3
g
+3q +q
+3q +q
+q +3q +3q +q
Page 6
What happens when you
consider more than two charges?
• If q1 were the only other charge, we
would know the force on q due to q1 . → +q1
F1
• If q2 were the only other charge, we
would know the force on q due to q2 . -q →
F
What is the force on q when both q1 and q2 are
present?? →
F2 +q2
The answer (just as in mechanics):
Vector Example
What is the net force acting on q2?
Page 7
Or…….
Like the net force on q3 instead
Electric Field
Can think of electric force as establishing “field” telling particles
which way to move and how fast
Electric “field
lines” tell a
positive
+ charge which way
to move.
Run Away!
+
For example, a positive charge itself has field lines pointing away
from it, because this is how a positively-charged “test-particle”
would respond if placed in the vicinity (repulsive force).
Page 8
Electric Field Lines for a Negative Point Charge
r
r F q
E= =k 2
qo r
N
(Units = )
C
Page 9
Field Lines From Two Opposite Charges
= Dipole
Page 10
A negative charge is placed in a region of electric field
as shown in the picture. Which way does it move ?
Page 11
•Examine the electric field
lines produced by the
charges in this figure.
Page 12
Problem
+q a -2q
a
a
-q a +2q
End of
Electric Charge,
Forces & Fields
Lecture
Page 13