Electric Field and Electric

Forces
 Learning Outcomes
• Explain the process of charging;
• Solve problems involving transfer of charge from
one object to another;
• State and explain Coulomb's law;
• Define and explain electric field; and
• Solve problems involving electric field and
electric force calculations.
18.1 The Origin of Electricity

The electrical nature of matter is inherent

in atomic structure.

m p  1.673 1027 kg

mn  1.675 1027 kg

me  9.111031kg

e  1.60 1019 C
coulombs
18.1 The Origin of Electricity

In nature, atoms are normally

found with equal numbers of protons
and electrons, so they are electrically
neutral.

By adding or removing electrons

from matter it will acquire a net
electric charge with magnitude equal
to e times the number of electrons
added or removed, N.

q  Ne
18.1 The Origin of Electricity

Example 1 A Lot of Electrons

How many electrons are there in one coulomb of negative charge?

q  Ne

q 1.00 C
N   6.25 1018

e 1.60 10 C
-19
• Electrostatics is the branch of science that
deals with the phenomena arising from
stationary or slowly moving electric
charges.
 Charging by Friction
• Friction(rubbing): as two objects rub
together, the resulting heat energy may
cause one object to lose electrons and the
other object to gain electrons.
 Charging by Contact
• By contact, when you take a neutral object and
touch it with a charged object. And when a
charged object touches a neutral object their can
be a transfer of charge from one to the other.
Then the neutral object becomes either
positively or negatively charged. Think of it as a
healthy person being touched by a sick person
and the disease or illness is contagious by touch
and you have the transfer of the disease from
one person to the other.
 Charging by Induction
• Charging an object without direct contact.
18.2 Charged Objects and the Electric Force

It is possible to transfer electric charge from one object to another.

The body that loses electrons has an excess of positive charge, while
the body that gains electrons has an excess of negative charge.
18.2 Charged Objects and the Electric Force

LAW OF CONSERVATION OF ELECTRIC CHARGE

During any process, the net electric charge of an isolated system remains
constant (is conserved).
18.2 Charged Objects and the Electric Force

Like charges repel and unlike

charges attract each other.
18.2 Charged Objects and the Electric Force
18.3 Conductors and Insulators

Not only can electric charge exist on an object, but it can also move
through and object.

Substances that readily conduct electric charge are called electrical

conductors.

Materials that conduct electric charge poorly are called electrical

insulators.
 Conductors vs. Insulators
• Insulators-are poor • Conductors- they
conductors. They do allow both heat and
not allow heat and electricity to flow very
electricity to flow well through them.
through them very • Conductor examples:
well. Metals (silver)
• Insulator examples:
Rubber, wood, glass
• Air is a poor conductor. That is why they
tell you in cold weather to wear layers of
clothing so that your body heat gets
trapped in between the layers and it
doesn’t conduct your body heat away as
quickly compared to just a single layer.
18.4 Charging by Contact and by Induction

Charging by contact.
18.4 Charging by Contact and by Induction

Charging by induction.
18.4 Charging by Contact and by Induction

The negatively charged rod induces a slight positive surface charge

on the plastic.
18.5 Coulomb’s Law
18.5 Coulomb’s Law

COULOMB’S LAW

The magnitude of the electrostatic force exerted by one point charge

on another point charge is directly proportional to the magnitude of the
charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between
them.
q1 q2    8.85 1012 C2 N  m2 
F k
r2
k  1 4 o   8.99 109 N  m2 C2
18.5 Coulomb’s Law

Example 3 A Model of the Hydrogen Atom

In the Bohr model of the hydrogen atom, the electron is in orbit about the
nuclear proton at a radius of 5.29x10-11m. Determine the speed of the
electron, assuming the orbit to be circular.

q1 q2
F k
r2
18.5 Coulomb’s Law

F k
q1 q2

8.99 10 9 2 2

N  m C 1.60 10 19
C 2

 8.22 108 N
r2 5.29 10 11
m 
2

F  mac  mv2 r

v  Fr m 
8.22 10 N5.29 10
8 11
m   2.18 10 6
ms
9.1110 kg -31
18.5 Coulomb’s Law

Example 4 Three Charges on a Line

Determine the magnitude and direction of the net force on q1.

18.5 Coulomb’s Law

F12  k
q1 q2

8.99 10 9
 
N  m 2 C2 3.0 106 C 4.0 106 C   2.7 N
r 2
0.20m2

F13  k
q1 q3

8.99 10 9
 
N  m 2 C 2 3.0 106 C 7.0 106 C   8.4 N
r2 0.15m2

  
F  F12  F13  2.7 N  8.4N  5.7N
• Calculate the net electrostatic force on charge Q1 due to charges Q2
and Q3.
• Calculate the net electrostatic force on
charge Q3 due to charges Q1 and Q2.
F32

F31x
+65µC Q3
30o
F31

30 cm 60 cm

90o 30o
Q2 Q1 -86µC
+50µC 52 cm
18.6 The Electric Field

The positive charge experiences a force which is the vector sum of the
forces exerted by the charges on the rod and the two spheres.

This test charge should have a small magnitude so it doesn’t affect

the other charge.
18.6 The Electric Field

Example 6 A Test Charge

The positive test charge has a magnitude of

3.0x10-8C and experiences a force of 6.0x10-8N.

(a) Find the force per coulomb that the test charge
experiences.

(b) Predict the force that a charge of +12x10-8C

would experience if it replaced the test charge.

F 6.0 108 N
(a)  8
 2.0 N C
qo 3.0 10 C

(b)  
F  2.0 N C 12.0 108 C  24 108 N
18.6 The Electric Field

DEFINITION OF ELECTRIC FIELD

The electric field that exists at a point is the electrostatic force experienced
by a small test charge placed at that point divided by the charge itself:


 F
E
qo

SI Units of Electric Field: newton per coulomb (N/C)

18.6 The Electric Field

It is the surrounding charges that create the electric field at a given point.
18.6 The Electric Field

Example 7 An Electric Field Leads to a Force

The charges on the two metal spheres and the ebonite rod create an electric
field at the spot indicated. The field has a magnitude of 2.0 N/C. Determine
the force on the charges in (a) and (b)
18.6 The Electric Field

(a) F  qo E  2.0 N C18.0 108 C  36 108 N

(b) F  qo E  2.0 N C24.0 108 C  48 108 N

18.6 The Electric Field

Electric fields from different sources

add as vectors.
18.6 The Electric Field

Example 10 The Electric Field of a Point Charge

The isolated point charge of q=+15μC is

in a vacuum. The test charge is 0.20m
to the right and has a charge qo=+8μC.

Determine the electric field at point P.


 F
E
qo

q1 q2
F k
r2
18.6 The Electric Field

q qo
F k
r2


8.99 10 9
 
N  m 2 C 2 8.0 10 6 C 15 10 6 C   27 N
0.20m 2

F 27 N
E   3.4 106 N C
qo 8.0 10 C
-6
18.6 The Electric Field

F q qo 1
E k 2
qo r qo

The electric field does not depend on the test charge.

q
Point charge q: Ek
r2
18.6 The Electric Field

Conceptual Example 12 Symmetry and the

Electric Field

Point charges are fixes to the corners of a rectangle in two

different ways. The charges have the same magnitudes
but different signs.

Consider the net electric field at the center of the rectangle

in each case. Which field is stronger?
18.6 The Electric Field

THE PARALLEL PLATE CAPACITOR

charge density

q 
E 
o A o

   8.85 1012 C2 N  m2 
Parallel plate
capacitor
18.7 Electric Field Lines

Electric field lines or lines of force provide a map of the electric field
in the space surrounding electric charges.

(a) At any of the eight marked spots around a positive point charge
+ q, a positive test charge would experience a repulsive force directed
radially outward. (b) The electric field lines are directed radially outward
from a positive point charge + q.
18.7 Electric Field Lines

Electric field lines are always directed away from positive charges and
toward negative charges.
18.7 Electric Field Lines

Electric field lines always begin on a positive charge

and end on a negative charge and do not stop in
midspace.

Figure 18-25 In the central region of a parallel plate

capacitor, the electric field lines are parallel and evenly
spaced, indicating that the electric field there has the same
magnitude and direction at all points.

An electric dipole consists of two separated point charges

that have the same magnitude but opposite signs
18.7 Electric Field Lines

The number of lines leaving a positive charge or entering a

negative charge is proportional to the magnitude of the charge.

An electric dipole consists of two separated point charges that have the
same magnitude but opposite signs
Figure 18-26 The electric field lines of an electric dipole are curved and extend
from the positive to the negative charge. At any point, such as 1, 2, or 3, the
field created by the dipole is tangent to the line through the point.
18.7 Electric Field Lines

Figure 18-27 The electric field lines for two identical positive point charges. If
the charges were both negative, the directions of the lines would be
reversed.
18.7 Electric Field Lines

Conceptual Example 13 Drawing Electric

Field Lines

There are three things wrong with part (a) of

the drawing. What are they?

Reasoning and Solution One aspect of Figure 18-

28a that is incorrect is that electric field lines cross at
point P. Field lines can never cross, and here’s why.
An electric charge placed at P experiences a single
net force due to the presence of the other charges in
its environment. Therefore, there is only one value for
the electric field (which is the force per unit charge) at
that point. If two field lines intersected, there would be
two electric fields at the point of intersection, one
associated with each line. Since there can be only
one value of the electric field at any point, there can
be only one electric field line passing through that
point.
Another mistake in Figure 18-28a is the number of electric field lines that end
on the negative charges.
Remember that the number of field lines leaving a positive charge or entering
a negative charge is proportional to the magnitude of the charge. The − 2q
charge has half the magnitude of the + 4q charge. Therefore, since 8 lines
leave the + 4q charge, 4 of them (one-half of them) must enter the − 2q
charge. Of the remaining 4 lines that leave the positive charge, 2 enter each
of the − q charges,
18.8 The Electric Field Inside a Conductor: Shielding

At equilibrium under electrostatic conditions, any

excess charge resides on the surface of a conductor.

At equilibrium under electrostatic conditions, the

electric field is zero at any point within a conducting
material.

The conductor shields any charge within it from

electric fields created outside the conductor.
18.8 The Electric Field Inside a Conductor: Shielding

The electric field just outside the surface of a conductor is perpendicular to

the surface at equilibrium under electrostatic conditions.
18.8 The Electric Field Inside a Conductor: Shielding

Conceptual Example 14 A Conductor in

an Electric Field

A charge is suspended at the center of

a hollow, electrically neutral, spherical
conductor. Show that this charge induces

(a) a charge of –q on the interior surface and

(b) a charge of +q on the exterior surface of

the conductor.

Figure 18-31 A positive charge + q is suspended at the center of a hollow spherical

conductor that is electrically neutral. Induced charges appear on the inner and outer
surfaces of the conductor. The electric field within the conductor itself is zero.
Charge q1 =7.00µC is at the origin and charge q2 = - 5.00µC is on the x –axis,0.3m
from the origin. (a) Find the magnitude and direction of the electric field at point
P, which has coordinates (0,0.4)m. (b) Find the force on a charge of 2 x 10-8 C
placed a t P.
•Point charges q1 and q2 of + 12
nC and -12 nC, respectively, are
placed 0.10 m apart. This
combination of two charges with
equal magnitude and opposite sign
is called an electric dipole.
Compute the electric field caused
by q1, the field caused by q2, and
the total field (a) at point a; (b) at
point b; and (c) at point c.
•(a) at point a
•(b) at point b
•(c) at point c
18.9 Gauss’ Law


E  kq r 2  q 4 o r 2 

E  q  A o 

q
EA 

o

Electric flux,  E  EA
18.9 Gauss’ Law

 E   E cos  A
18.9 Gauss’ Law

GAUSS’ LAW

The electric flux through a Gaussian

surface is equal to the net charge
enclosed in that surface divided by
the permittivity of free space:

 E cos  A  
Q
o

SI Units of Electric Flux: N·m2/C

18.9 Gauss’ Law

Example 15 The Electric Field of a Charged Thin Spherical Shell

A positive charge is spread uniformly over the shell. Find the magnitude
of the electric field at any point (a) outside the shell and (b) inside the
shell.

 E cos  A  
Q
o
18.9 Gauss’ Law

 E   E cos  A   E cos 0A

 E  A  E 4 r 2  


E 4 r  2
 Q
o
18.9 Gauss’ Law


E 4 r  2
 Q
o

(a) Outside the shell, the Gaussian

surface encloses all of the charge.

q
E
4 r 2 o

(b) Inside the shell, the Gaussian

surface encloses no charge.

E 0
18.9 Gauss’ Law
18.10 Copiers and Computer Printers
18.10 Copiers and Computer Printers
18.10 Copiers and Computer Printers