Lecture 6

Ch21. Coulombs Law

University Physics: Waves and Electricity

Dr.-Ing. Erwin Sitompul
http://zitompul.wordpress.com
2013

Homework 5: Ambulance Siren

An ambulance with a siren emitting a whine at 1600 Hz
overtakes and passes a cyclist pedaling a bike at 8 m/s. After
being passed, the cyclist hears a frequency of 1590 Hz.
(a) How fast is the ambulance moving?
(b) What frequency did the cyclist hear before being overtaken
by the ambulance?

Erwin Sitompul

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Solution of Homework 5: Ambulance Siren

(a) f 1600 Hz

f 1590 Hz
vD 8 m s , toward S
vS ?, away from D

(b) f 1600 Hz
f?
vD 8 m s , away from S
vS 10.21 m s , toward D

v vD
v vS
343 8
1590 1600
343 vS
1590(343 vS ) 1600(343 8)
545370 1590vS 561600
vS 10.21 m s
f f

v vD
f f
v vS
343 8
1600
343 10.21
1610.63 Hz

Erwin Sitompul

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6/3

Electric Charge
Static cling, an electrical phenomenon
that accompanies dry weather, causes
the pieces of paper to stick to one
another. This is an example that reveals
the existence of electric charge.
In fact, every object contains a vast
electricischarge.
amount
Electricof
charge
an intrinsic characteristic of the
fundamental particles making up those objects.
The vast amount of charge in an everyday object is usually
hidden because the object contains equal amounts of the two
kinds of charge: positive charge and negative charge.
With such a balance of charge, the object is said to be
electrically neutral (contains no net charge).
If the two types of charge are not in balance, we say that an
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Electric Charge
Charged objects interact by exerting forces
on one another.
Charges with the same electrical sign repel
each other, while charge with opposite
electrical signs attract each other.
This rule will be described quantitatively as
Coulombs law of electrostatic force between
charges. (The term electrostatic is used to
emphasize that the charges are stationary
relative to each other.)

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Coulombs Law
If two charged particles are brought near each other, they
each exert a force on the other.
If the particles have the same sign of charge, they repel each
other. The force on each particle is directed away from the
particle.
other
If the particles have opposite
signs of charge, they attract
each other. The force on
each particle is directed
toward the other particle.

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Coulombs Law
This force of repulsion or attraction due to the charge
properties of objects is called an electrostatic force.
The equation giving the force for charged particles is called
Coulombs law, named after Charles-Augustin de Coulomb,
who did the experiments in 1785.
If particle 1 has charge q1 and particle 2 has charge q2, the
r
qparticle
1q2
force
on
F2 k
r12 2 is:

r
r12

The term r12 is a unit vector to the direction from position of q1

to position of q2. The term k is a constant.

1
k
8.99 109 N m 2 C 2
4 0
0 8.854 1012 C 2 (N m 2 )

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Coulombs Law
0 is a constant denoted as permittivity in vacuum, a
measure of how the vacuum medium is affected by an electric
field.
As can be deducted from the constants, the SI unit of charge
is the coulomb (C).
r
q1q2
y
F2 k r 2 r12
q1
r
12

r
12

r1

r2

q2

F2
x

Erwin Sitompul

r
r r
r12 r2 r1
r
r12
r12 r
r12

r r
r2 r1
r r
r2 r1

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Some Examples on Vectors

r
r

Example: If r12 4i 2 j , find r12 and r12 .

r
r12 (4) 2 (2) 2 20 4.472
r
r12 4i 2j
r12 r
0.894i 0.447j
4.472
r12
r
r
r

Example: If r1 2i 3j and r2 4i 2 j , find r12 and r21 .

r
r r
2i 5j
r r r (4i 2j) (2i 3j)
12

r
r r
(4i 2j) 2i 5j
r21 r1 r2 (2i 3j)
r
r
r12 r21
r
r
r12 r21
Erwin Sitompul

Both vectors are of

opposite direction, but
have the same magnitude

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Coulombs Law
If we have n charged particles, they interact independently in
pairs, and the force on any one of them, is given by the vector
sum.
Let us say, we have n particles, then the force on particle 1 is
r by: r
r
r
r
given
F F F F K F
1,net

12

13

14

y
+

1n

q1
q2

F21

q3

F23

F2,net
x

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University Physics: Wave and Electricity

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Example 1: Coulombs Law

The figure below shows two positively charged particles fixed in
place on an x axis. The charges are q1 = 1.61019 C and q2 =
3.21019 C. The q1 is located on the origin, while the
separation is R = 0.02 m.
What are the magnitude and direction of the electrostatic force

F12 on particle 1 from particle 2?

r
r1 0
r
r2 0.02i m
r
r r
r21 r1 r2 0.02i
r
r21 0.02
r
r21
r21 r i
r21
Erwin Sitompul

r
qq
F12 k r1 22 r21
r21

(1.6 1019 )(3.2 1019 )

8.99 10
( i)
2
(0.02)
1.151 1024 i N
9

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Example 2: Coulombs Law

Now, particle 3 lies on the x axis between particles 1 and 2.
Particle 3 has charge q3 = 3.21019 C and is at a distance
3/4R from particle 1.

What is the net electrostatic force F1,net on particle 1 due to

particles 2 and 3?
r
r1 0
r
r3 0.015i m
r
r r
r31 r1 r3 0.015i
r
r31 0.015
r
r31
r31 r i
r31

r
qq
F13 k r1 32 r31
r31

(1.6 1019 )(3.2 1019 )

8.99 10
(i)
2
(0.015)
2.046 1024 i N
9

r
r
r
F1,net F12 F13
1.151 1024 i 2.046 1024 i
8.95 1025 i N

Erwin Sitompul

University Physics: Wave and Electricity

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Example 3: Coulombs Law

Particle 3 from previous example is now replaced by particle 4.
Particle 4 has charge q4 = 3.21019 C, is at a distance 3/4R
from particle 1, and lies on a line that makes an angle = 60
with the x axis.

What is the net electrostatic force F1,net on particle 1 due to

particles 2 and 4?
r
r1 0
r
r4 (0.015) cos 60i
(0.015)sin 60j
0.0075i 0.013j
r
r r
r41 r1 r4
0.0075i 0.013j

r
r41 (0.0075) 2 (0.013) 2
0.015, equals 34 R
Erwin Sitompul

r
r41
r41 r
r41

0.0075i 0.013j

0.015
0.5i 0.867j

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6/13

Example 3: Coulombs Law

r
qq
F14 k r1 42 r41
r41

19
19
(1.6

10
)(

3.2

10
)
9
0.867 j)
8.99 10
(

0.5i
(0.015) 2
1.023 1024 i 1.774 1024 j N

r
r
r
F1,net F12 F14

1.151 1024 i
(1.023 1024 i 1.774 10 24 j)
(0.128 i 1.774 j) 10 24 N

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University Physics: Wave and Electricity

6/14

Checkpoint
The figure below shows three arrangements of one electron (e)
and two protons (p).
(a) Rank the arrangements according to the magnitude of the
net electrostatic force on the electron due
a, toc,the
b protons,
largest first
(b) In situation c, is the angle between the net force on the
than
45
electron and the line labeled d less thanLess
or more
than 45
?

p 1.602 1019 C
e 1.602 1019 C
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University Physics: Wave and Electricity

6/15

Example 4: Coulombs Law

Two particles are fixed in place: a
particle of charge q1 = +8q at the
origin and a particle of charge q2 =
2q at x = L.
At what point can a particle of
charge q3 = +4q be placed so that it
is in equilibrium (the net force on q3

is zero)?
F31
: impossible to place
q3 on the left of q1 or
in the middle
between q1 and q2
: the only possibility
is to place q3 to the
right-hand side of q2
Erwin Sitompul

F32

F32

F31

F32

F31
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Example 4: Coulombs Law

r
r
r
F3,net F31 F32 0
q1q3
q2 q3

k r 2 r13 k r 2 r23 0
r13
r23
qq
qq
k r1 32 i k r2 32 i 0
r13
r23
q1
q2

r 2 r 2 0
r13
r23
8q
2q

0
2
2
( L x)
x
8
2

( L x) 2 x 2

Erwin Sitompul

8 x 2 2( L x) 2
8 x 2 2( L2 2 xL x 2 )
2
6{ x 2
4
L
x

2
L
{
{ 0
c
a
b

b b 2 4ac
x1,2
2a
x1 13 L q3 between q1 and q2

x2 L

q3 to the right of q2

Charge q3 must be
placed on the x
axis, at distance L
to the right of q3, or,
at point (2L,0)

F32
L

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F31
6/17

Charge Is Quantized
Experiment shows that electric charge is not continuous but is
made up of multiples of a certain elementary charge
(quantized).
Any positive or negative charge q that can be detected can be
q as
ne, n 1, 2, 3,...
written
in which e, the elementary charge, has the approximate
value
e 1.602 1019 C
The elementary charge e is one of
the important constants of nature.
The electron and proton both
have a charge of magnitude e.

Erwin Sitompul

University Physics: Wave and Electricity

6/18

Exercise Problems
1. Three point charges are arranged along the xaxis. Charge q1 = +3 C is at the origin, and
the charge q2 = 5 C is at x = 0.2 m. Charge
q3 = 8 C. Where is q3 located if the net force
on q1 is 7 N in the negative x-direction?
Answer: x = 0.144 m.
2. Two point charges are located on an xy-plane as follows. The first charge,
q1 = 2 C is located at (2,4). The second charge, q2 = 3 C is located at
.
(1,6). Determine the force vector acting on q2, i.e. F
21
= 4.824 i 9.649 j mN
Answer: F
21
^

Erwin Sitompul

University Physics: Wave and Electricity

6/19