33 Electric Fields and Potential

An electric field is a
storehouse of energy.
33 Electric Fields and Potential

The space around a

concentration of electric
charge is different from
how it would be if the
charge were not there. If
you walk by the charged
dome of an electrostatic
machine—a Van de Graaff
generator, for example—
you can sense the charge.
Hair on your body stands
out—just a tiny bit if you’re
more than a meter away,
and more if you’re closer.
The space is said to
contain a force field.
33 Electric Fields and Potential

33.1 Electric Fields

The magnitude (strength) of an electric field can be

measured by its effect on charges located in the
field. The direction of an electric field at any point,
by convention, is the direction of the electrical force
on a small positive test charge placed at that point.
33 Electric Fields and Potential

33.1 Electric Fields

If you throw a ball upward, it follows a curved path
due to interaction between the centers of gravity of
the ball and Earth.
The centers of gravity are far apart, so this is “action
at a distance.”
The concept of a force field explains how Earth can
exert a force on things without touching them.
The ball is in contact with the field all the time.
33 Electric Fields and Potential

33.1 Electric Fields

You can sense the force field that surrounds a
charged Van de Graaff generator.
33 Electric Fields and Potential

33.1 Electric Fields

An electric field is a force field that surrounds an electric charge or group
of charges.
33 Electric Fields and Potential

33.1 Electric Fields

An electric field is a force field that surrounds an electric charge or group
of charges.
A gravitational force holds a satellite in orbit about a planet, and an
electrical force holds an electron in orbit about a proton.
33 Electric Fields and Potential

33.1 Electric Fields

An electric field is a force field that surrounds an electric charge or group
of charges.
A gravitational force holds a satellite in orbit about a planet, and an
electrical force holds an electron in orbit about a proton.
The force that one electric charge exerts on another is the interaction
between one charge and the electric field of the other.
33 Electric Fields and Potential

33.1 Electric Fields

An electric field has both magnitude and direction. The
magnitude can be measured by its effect on charges
located in the field.
Imagine a small positive “test charge” placed in an
electric field.
• Where the force is greatest on the test charge, the
field is strongest.
• Where the force on the test charge is weak, the
field is small.
33 Electric Fields and Potential

33.1 Electric Fields

The direction of an electric field at any point, by
convention, is the direction of the electrical force on a
small positive test charge.
• If the charge that sets up the field is positive, the
field points away from that charge.
• If the charge that sets up the field is negative, the
field points toward that charge.
33 Electric Fields and Potential

33.1 Electric Fields

How are the magnitude and direction of an

electric field determined?
33 Electric Fields and Potential

33.1 Electric Fields (SUMMARY)

A. Electric Field is defined as the electric force per unit
charge.
B. The direction of the field is taken to be the direction of
the force it would exert on a positive test charge.
C. The electric field is radially outward from a positive
charge and radially in toward a negative point charge.

E = F/q

Where:
E = electric field, N/C or Volt/m
F = Force, N
Q = Charge, C
33 Electric Fields and Potential

33.1 Electric Fields (SUMMARY)

If we know the electric field, we can calculate the force on any
charge:

The direction of the force

depends on the sign of the
charge – in the direction of
the field for a positive
charge, opposite to it for a
negative one.
33 Electric Fields and Potential

An Electric Point Charge

As we have discussed, all charges exert forces on other charges
due to a field around them. Suppose we want to know how
strong the field is at a specific point in space near this charge
the calculate the effects this charge will have on other charges
should they be placed at that point.
Qq FE
FE = k 2 E= → FE = Eq
r q
Qq
Eq = k 2
r
kQ
Epoint charge = 2
r

TEST CHARGE
POINT CHARGE
33 Electric Fields and Potential

33.1 Electric Fields Sample Problem

1. A force of 100N is directed

north on -20uC point charge.
What is the magnitude and
direction of the electric field
at this point?
33 Electric Fields and Potential

33.1 Electric Fields Sample Problem

2. A positive charge pf 50uC

is placed in an electric field of
50000N/C directed in the
upward direction. What mass
should the charge have to
remain suspended in air?
33 Electric Fields and Potential

33.1 Electric Fields Sample Problem

3. What is the strength and

direction of the electric field
3.74cm on the left-hand side
of a 9.1uC negative charge?
33 Electric Fields and Potential

33.1 Electric Fields Sample Problem

An electron and proton

are each placed at rest
in an external field of
520 N/C. Calculate the
speed of each particle
after 48 ns
33 Electric Fields and Potential

An electron and proton are each placed at rest in an external

field of 520 N/C. Calculate the speed of each particle after
48 ns  
 FE FE
E= 520 =
What do we know q 1.6 x10 −19
FE = 8.32 x10-19 N
me=9.11 x 10 kg
-31

mp= 1.67 x10-27 kg FNet = ma FE = FNet

qboth=1.6 x10-19 C
FE = me a → (9.11x10 −31 )a = 9.13x1013 m/s/s

vo = 0 m/s FE = m p a → (1.67 x10 − 27 )a = 4.98 x1010 m/s/s

E = 520 N/C
v = vo + at
ve = ae (48 x10 −9 ) = 4.38 x106 m/s
t = 48 x 10-9 s
v p = a p (48 x10 −9 ) = 2.39 x103 m/s
33 Electric Fields and Potential

33.1 Electric Fields Sample Problem

A -12
-4x10 C charge Q is placed
at the origin. What is the
magnitude and direction of
the electric field produced by
Q if a test charge were placed
at x = -0.2 m ?
33 Electric Fields and Potential

A -4x10-12C charge Q is placed at the origin. What is the

magnitude and direction of the electric field produced
by Q if a test charge were placed at x = -0.2 m ?

−12
kQ 9 ( 4 x10 )
E = 2 = 8.99 x10 2
r .2 0.2 m
E

Emag = 0.899 N/C -Q

E
E
Edir = Towards Q to the right E
Remember, our equations will only give us MAGNITUDE. And the
electric field LEAVES POSITIVE and ENTERS NEGATIVE.
33 Electric Fields and Potential

33.2 Electric Field Lines

You can use electric field lines (also called lines of

force) to represent an electric field. Where the lines
are farther apart, the field is weaker.
33 Electric Fields and Potential

33.2 Electric Field Lines

Since an electric field has both magnitude and direction, it is a
vector quantity and can be represented by vectors.
• A negatively charged particle is surrounded by vectors
that point toward the particle.
• For a positively charged particle, the vectors point away.
• Magnitude of the field is indicated by the vector length.
The electric field is greater where the vectors are longer.
33 Electric Fields and Potential

33.2 Electric Field Lines

You can use electric field lines to represent an electric field.
• Where the lines are farther apart, the field is weaker.
• For an isolated charge, the lines extend to infinity.
• For two or more opposite charges, the lines emanate
from a positive charge and terminate on a
negative charge.
33 Electric Fields and Potential

33.2 Electric Field Lines

a. In a vector representation of
an electric field, the length of
the vectors indicates the
magnitude of the field.
33 Electric Fields and Potential

33.2 Electric Field Lines

a. In a vector representation of
an electric field, the length of
the vectors indicates the
magnitude of the field.
b. In a lines-of-force
representation, the distance
between field lines indicates
magnitudes.
33 Electric Fields and Potential

33.2 Electric Field Lines

a. The field lines around a single positive charge extend to infinity.
33 Electric Fields and Potential

33.2 Electric Field Lines

a. The field lines around a single positive charge extend to infinity.
b. For a pair of equal but opposite charges, the field lines emanate
from the positive charge and terminate on the negative charge.
33 Electric Fields and Potential

33.2 Electric Field Lines

a. The field lines around a single positive charge extend to infinity.
b. For a pair of equal but opposite charges, the field lines emanate
from the positive charge and terminate on the negative charge.
c. Field lines are evenly spaced between two oppositely charged
capacitor plates.
33 Electric Fields and Potential

33.2 Electric Field Lines

You can demonstrate electric field patterns
by suspending fine thread in an oil bath with
charged conductors. The photos show
patterns for
a. equal and opposite charges;
33 Electric Fields and Potential

33.2 Electric Field Lines

You can demonstrate electric field patterns
by suspending fine thread in an oil bath with
charged conductors. The photos show
patterns for
a. equal and opposite charges;
b. equal like charges;
33 Electric Fields and Potential

33.2 Electric Field Lines

You can demonstrate electric field patterns
by suspending fine thread in an oil bath with
charged conductors. The photos show
patterns for
a. equal and opposite charges;
b. equal like charges;
c. oppositely charged plates;
33 Electric Fields and Potential

33.2 Electric Field Lines

You can demonstrate electric field patterns
by suspending fine thread in an oil bath with
charged conductors. The photos show
patterns for
a. equal and opposite charges;
b. equal like charges;
c. oppositely charged plates;
d. oppositely charged cylinder and plate.
33 Electric Fields and Potential

33.2 Electric Field Lines

Bits of thread suspended in an oil bath surrounding charged
conductors line up end-to-end with the field lines.
Oppositely charged parallel plates produce nearly parallel field
lines between the plates. Except near the ends, the field
between the plates has a constant strength.
There is no electric field inside a charged cylinder. The
conductor shields the space from the field outside.
33 Electric Fields and Potential

33.2 Electric Field Lines

think!
A beam of electrons is produced at one end of a glass tube and lights up a
phosphor screen at the other end. If the beam passes through the electric
field of a pair of oppositely charged plates, it is deflected upward as shown.
If the charges on the plates are reversed, in what direction will the beam
deflect?
33 Electric Fields and Potential

33.2 Electric Field Lines

think!
A beam of electrons is produced at one end of a glass tube and lights up a
phosphor screen at the other end. If the beam passes through the electric
field of a pair of oppositely charged plates, it is deflected upward as shown.
If the charges on the plates are reversed, in what direction will the beam
deflect?

Answer:
When the charge on the plates is reversed, the electric field will be in the
opposite direction, so the electron beam will be deflected upward.
33 Electric Fields and Potential

33.2 Electric Field Lines

How can you represent an electric field?

33 Electric Fields and Potential

Electric Flux
Electric flux is a measure of the electric field perpendicular
to a surface:
33 Electric Fields and Potential

Electric Flux
33 Electric Fields and Potential

Electric Flux General Case

 In the more general case,
flux on a small area
element
E = Ei Ai cos θi = Ei  Ai

 In general, this becomes

 E = lim  Ei  Ai
Ai →0

E = 
surface
E  dA

 The units of electric flux is

N.m2/C2
33 Electric Fields and Potential

Electric Flux
The electric flux through a surface is defined
to be the inner product of the electric field and
the surface vector:
FE = E ·DA
For a closed surface, it is
33 Electric Fields and Potential

Minimum Flux
• If the surface is placed perpendicular to the electric
field, then the maximum electric lines of force will pass
through the surface.
• Consequently, maximum electric flux will pass through
the surface.
33 Electric Fields and Potential

Zero Flux
• If the surface is parallel to the electric field, then no
electric lines of force will pass through the surface.
• Consequently, no electric flux will pass through the
surface.
33 Electric Fields and Potential

Example Problem

An electric field of 500 V/m

makes an angle of 30.00 with
the surface vector, which has a
magnitude of 0.500 m2. Find
the electric flux that passes
through the surface.
33 Electric Fields and Potential

Example Problem
An electric field of 500 V/m makes an angle of 30.00 with
the surface vector, which has a magnitude of 0.500 m2.
Find the electric flux that passes through the surface.
33 Electric Fields and Potential

Gauss’s Law
Gauss’s law states that the electric flux through a
closed surface is proportional to the charge
enclosed by the surface:
33 Electric Fields and Potential
33 Electric Fields and Potential

Electric field produced

by a point charge  E . dA = Q / 0
 E . dA = E  dA = E A
E
A = 4  r2

E E A = E 4  r2 = Q /0
Q
1 Qq
E=
4 0 r 2
k = 1 / 4  0
0 = permittivity
0 = 8.85x10-12 C2/Nm2 Coulomb’s Law !
33 Electric Fields and Potential

Is Gauss’s Law more fundamental than

Coulomb’s Law?

• No! Here we derived Coulomb’s law for a point

charge from Gauss’s law.
• One can instead derive Gauss’s law for a general
(even very nasty) charge distribution from Coulomb’s
law. The two laws are equivalent.
• Gauss’s law gives us an easy way to solve a few very
symmetric problems in electrostatics.
• It also gives us great insight into the electric fields in
and on conductors and within voids inside metals.
33 Electric Fields and Potential

Gauss’s Law

The total flux within … is proportional to

a closed surface … the enclosed charge.

Qenc losed
 =  E • dA =
0
Gauss’s Law is always true, but is only useful for
certain very simple problems with great symmetry.
33 Electric Fields and Potential

GAUSS LAW – SPECIAL SYMMETRIES

SPHERICAL CYLINDRICAL PLANAR

(point or sphere) (line or cylinder) (plane or sheet)

Depends only on Depends only on Depends only on

CHARGE radial distance perpendicular perpendicular
DENSITY from central point distance from line distance from plane

GAUSSIAN Sphere centered Cylinder centered Pillbox or cylinder

SURFACE at point of at axis of with axis
symmetry symmetry perpendicular to plane
E constant at E constant at E constant at end
surface curved surface surfaces and E ║ A
ELECTRIC E ║A - cos  = 1 and E ║ A E ┴ A at curved
FIELD E E ┴ A at end surface
surface cos  = 0
cos  = 0
FLUX 
33 Electric Fields and Potential

Spherical geometry

E Planar geometry

Cylindrical geometry
33 Electric Fields and Potential

Gauss’s law can be used to find the electric field in systems

with simple configurations.
33 Electric Fields and Potential

Example Problem

What is the electric flux

through a sphere of
radius 4m that contains a
(a) +50uC and (b) -50uC
charge at its center?