Chapter 1:

Electric Charge, Forces and Fields

Important Terms:

Electric Charge = It is a fundamental property of matter. It is a fundamentally associated

with atomic particles, the electron and the proton.

Law of Charges or Charge-Force Law = “Like charges repel each other, and unlike
charges attract each other”

Coulomb = The SI unit of charge, which was named after the French physicist, Charles
A. Coulomb.

Net Charge = It has an excess of either positive or negative charges.

Conservation of Charge = The net charge of an isolated system remains constant.

Conductors = They are groups of substances that have the ability to transmit electric
charge. Valence electrons are loosely bound.

Insulators = They are poor electrical conductors.

Semiconductors = They are materials whose ability to transmit charge is much less than
that of metals but much greater than that of insulators.

Electroscope = A device that can be used to demonstrate the characteristics of electric

charge.

Electrostatic Charging = A process by which an insulator or an insulated conductor

receives a net charge.

Charging by Friction = The transfer of charge is due to the contact between the materials
and depends on the nature of the materials.

Charging by Contact or by Conduction = Refers to the flow of charge during the short
period of time the electrons are in motion.

Charging by Induction = Provide a path by which electrons can escape.

Polarization = Separation of charge.

Coulomb’s Law = Electric force is directly proportional to the product between two
charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between the charges.

Electric Field = A force per unit charge.

Electric Lines of Force = The convenient way of graphically representing the electric
field pattern in space through.

Electric Dipole = It consist of two separate electric charges

Gaussian Surface = Consider a single positive electric charge in an imaginary closed

surface surrounding it.

Gauss’s Law = The net number of electric field lines passing through an imaginary
closed surface is proportional to the amount of net charge enclosed within that surface.

Particles and electric charge

Particles Electric Mass(kg)

charge(C)
Electron(-) -1.602x10-19 9.109x10-31
Proton(+) +1.602x10-19 1.672x10-27
Neutron 0 1.674x10-27

Important Equations

Quantization of Electric Charge

Q = ne

Where: Q= charge(C or coulomb)

n = integral charge (coulomb / electron or C/e)
e= electron charge (e or electron)

Coulomb’s Law
k q1 q2
Fe= 2
r

Where: k = proportionality constant, 9.00 x 109Nm2/C2

Fe = Electric Force, N
q = charge, C
r = distance between the charges, m

Electric Field
F on q
E= o

qo

Where: E = electric field, F/C

F = force, N
qo = charge, C
Electric Field Due to a Point Charge q
kq
E=
r2

Where: E = electric field, F/C

k = proportionality constant, 9.00 x 109Nm2/C2
q = charge, C
r = distance between the charges, m

Electric Field Between Two Closely Spaced Parallel Plates

4 πkQ
E=
A

Where: E = electric field, F/C

k = proportionality constant, 9.00 x 109Nm2/C2
Q = charge, C
A = area, m2

Example 1: If you shuffle across a carpeted floor on a dry day and acquire a net charge of
-2.0uC, will you have a deficiency or excess of electrons? How many missing or extra
electrons will you have?

Given: Required:
-6
Q = -2.0 µC = -2.0 ×10 C (a) whether you have lost or gained
e = -1.602 ×10-19 C electrons
(b) number of missing or excess
electron
Solution:
(a) Since the sign of your net charge is negative and electrons carry a negative
charge, you have acquired an excess of electron.

Q −2.0 ×10−6 C 13
(b) n= = =1 . 25× 10 electron
e −1.602 ×10 C/electron
−19

Example 2: Two-point charges of -1.0x10-6 C and +2.0x10-6 C are separated by a distance

of 0.30m. What is the electrostatic force on each particle?

q1 = -1.0 µC q2 = +2.0µC

Given: Required:

q1 = -1.0x10-6 C F12 and F21

q2 = +2.0x10-6 C F3
 r = 0.30 m

m2

a . F12=F 21=Fe=
k q1q2
=
( 9.00 x 109 N.
C2 )
( 1.0x10 -6 C ) (2.0x10 -6 C)
=0 .20 N
r2 (0.3m)2

(b) A configuration of three charges is shown below. What is the electrostatic force on q3?

(0,0.30m) q1 = +2.5µC

q3 = +3.0 µC
(0.40, 0)

(0,-0.30m) q2 = +2.5µC

m2

F =F =Fe=
kq q
=
( 9.00 x 10 N.
1 3 C )
9
( 2.50 x10 -6 C) (3.0x10 -6 C)
2
=0 . 27 N
13 23 2
r (0.5m)2

Force Fx Fy
0.27 N 4 −3
( 0.27 N )=0.22 N ( 0.27 N ) =−0.16 N
5 5
0.27 N 4 3
( 0.27 N )=0.22 N ( 0.27 N )=+ 0.16 N
5 5
∑Fx= 0.44 N ∑Fy= 0 N

2 2 2 2
R= √ F x + F = √ 0.44 + 0 =0.44N
y
x .44
tanθ = = =undefined
y 0

F3 = 0.44 N ,due E

Example 3: What is the magnitude of the repulsive electrostatic force between two
protons in a nucleus? Take the distance between the centers of nuclear protons to be
3.0x10-15 m. If these protons were released from rest, how would the magnitude of their
initial acceleration compare to that of the acceleration due to the gravity of the earth’s
surface?

Given: Required:
r= 3.0×1015 m (a) Fe = ?
q1= q2= +1.602 ×10-19C (b) a/g = ?
mp= 1.67× 10-27 kg
Solution:
m2

a . Fe=
kq q1 2
=
( 9.00 x 10 N.
C )
9
( 1.602 x 10
2
-19
C ) ( 1.602 x 10 -19 C )
=25.664 N
2 2
r ( 3.0×10-15 m )
b.
F e 25.664 N 28 2
a= = -27
=1.535× 10 m/ s
m p 1.672×10 kg

a 1.535 ×10 28 m/s 2 27

= 2
=1. 565 ×10
g 9.81 m/s

Example 4: Compare the magnitudes of the electric and gravitational forces between a
proton and an electron. Express your answer as a ratio of electric force to gravitational
force.

Given: Required:

Fe
qe = -1.602×10-19C (ratio of forces)=?
Fg
qp = +1.602×10-19C
me = 9.11 × 10-31 kg
mp = 1.67 × 10-27kg

Solution:
k qe q p G me m p
Fe= 2 Fg=
r r2

m2 (
Fe k q e q p
= =
( 9.00 x 10 9 N .
C 2 )
1.602 x 10−19 C ) ( 1.602 x 10−19 C )
=2 .27 × 1039
Fg G me m p m ( 2

( 6.67 x 10−11 N .
kg2 )
9.11 × 10−31 kg ) ( 1.67 ×10−27 kg )

Example 5: Two-point charges are placed on the x- axis as shown. Find the location on
the axis where the electric field is zero.
q1 = +1.5 µC q2 = +2.0µC
x(m)
0 0.6
Given: Required:

d = 0.60m x = ? (location of zero E)

q1 = +1.50×10-6C
q2 = +2.0×10-6C
Solution:
q 1 q2
=
x2 (0.6-x) 2
1.5 2
2
= 2
x (0.6−x)

(0.6−x)2
√ x 2
=
2
1.5 √
0.6−x
=1.15
x

0.6−x=1.15 x
0.6=2.15 x
0.6
x= =0.28 m
2.15

Example 6: What is the electric field at the origin for a 3- charge configuration?
3.5m -1.0uC

Given: q1 = -1.0×10-6C
q2 = +2.0×10-6C
q3 = -1.5×10-6C
r1= 3.50 m
4.0m -1.5uC

r2= 5.00 m
r3= 4.00 m

Required: E=?
-5.0m 2uC

m2
E1 =
kq 1
=
( 9.0×10 N.
9
C ) -6
(-1.0×10 C)
=7.35× 102 N /C
2 2
r 1 (3.50 m)
m2
E 2=
kq 2
=
( 9.0 ×10 9 N .
C )
(+2.0 ×10−6 C)
=7.20× 102 N /C
r 22 2
(5.0 m)
m2
E3 =
kq3
=
( 9.0 × 10 N .
9
C ) −6
(−1.5 × 10 C)
=8.44 ×10 2 N /C
r 23 2
(4.0 m)

E x=E 1+ E 2=7.35 ×102 N /C+7.20 × 102 N /C=1.46 ×103 N /C

E y=E 3=8.44 ×10 2 N /C
E=√(1.46 ×103 N /C)+( 8.44 ×102 N / C ¿ )=1.69 ×10 3 N /C ¿

Example 7: Show that the electric field far from a dipole, on its perpendicular bisector
(the x axis) is given by kqd/x3.

Given: Required:
q1 = + q E=?
q2 = - q

Solution:

kq
∗( x )
kqd x 2 kqx
E= 3 = = 3
x (x ) x
x ≈d

kqd 1
E= ∝ 3
x3 x

Example 8: The electric field required to ionize air is about 1.0x10 4N/C when the field
reaches this value, the least bound electron begin leaving their molecules, eventually
creating lightning. Assume that this value of field E exist between a negatively charged
lower cloud surface and the positively charged ground. If we take the storm clouds to
squares 10 miles on each side, estimate the total negative charge on the lower cloud
surface.

Given: Required:
4
E = 1.0×10 N/C Q=?
d = 10 mi ≈1.6× 104 m

Solution:
N
Q=
EA
=
( 1.0×10 ) (1.6× 10 m)
C
4

=23 C
4 2

4πk m2
4π(9.0× 109 N. )
C2
Name:
Course/Year/Section:
Assignment No.:

1. What is the electrostatic force on q1 and q2?

(0,0.30m) q1 = +2.5µC

q3 = +3.0 µC
(0.40, 0)

(0,-0.30m) q2 = +2.5µC

Force Fx Fy

2. Two charges are attracted by a force of 25 N when separated by 10cm. What is the force
between the charges when the distance between them is 50 cm?