Electric Field-I

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h  V  ih
2
P  mv Physics
E  mc2 x 2
t
G  E   / o
 o  h
B  0 c P
o R
  E  B / t h x.P  h
L  rP k
20th Century   B  o j  ooE / t 21st Century
 Electric Force and Field Force
● What? -- Action on a
distance
● How? – Electric Field
● Why? – Field Force
● Where? – in the space
surrounding charges
Fields
● Scalar Fields:
● Temperature – T(r)
● Pressure – P(r)
● Potential energy – U(r)
● Vector Fields:
● Velocity field – v (r )
●Gravitational field – g(r )
● Electric field – E(r)
● Magnetic field – B(r)
 Vector Field Due to Gravity
● When you consider the force
of Earth’s gravity in space, it
points everywhere in the m

direction of the center of the

Earth. But remember that
the strength is: M
→ Mm
F  G 2 r̂
r

● This is an example of an
inverse-square force
(proportional to the inverse
square of the distance).
 Idea of Test Mass
● Notice that the actual
amount of force depends on
the mass, m:
r GMm
F   2 r̂
r
● It is convenient to ask what
is the force per unit mass.
The idea is to imagine
putting a unit test mass near
the Earth, and observe the
effect on it:
F GM
  2 rˆ g(r)rˆ
m r

● g(r) is the “gravitational field.”

Electric Field
● Electric field is said to exist in
the region of space around a
charged object: the source charge.
● Concept of test charge:
● Small and positive
+ +
++
● Does not affect charge +
+
+
+ +
distribution
● Electric field: → F
E
q0
● Existence of an electric field is
a property of its source;
● Presence of test charge is not
necessary for the field to exist;
 Fields and forces
● The concept of a field is used to describe any quantity that has a value for
all points in space.
● Youcan think of the field as the way forces are transmitted between objects.
● Mass creates a gravitational field g t hatexerts forces on other masses.
r
F  mg
● On the Earth’s surface, the gravitational field creates 9.8 N of force on each
kilogram of mass.
● With gravity, the strength of the field is in Newton's per kilogram (N/kg)
because the field describes the amount of force per kilogram of mass.
F  qE
● Charge creates an electric field E that creates forces on other charges.
● The electric field describes the amount of force per coulomb of charge.
● With the electric field, the strength is in Newton's per coulomb (N/C).
Electric Field due to a point charges
● An electric field is said to exist in the region of space around a
charged object.
● The electric field E at a point in space is defined as the electric
force F acting on a positive test charge q0 placed at that point
divided by the magnitude of the test charge:

r F
E
qo E

v kQ
E  2 rˆ
r r
Q
 Two Positive and equal charges
E Ea Eb

Qa Qb
 Superposition
E  E1  E2  E3  E4  E5
q4
E5
P  q3
E3 E2
E4
E1
 q2
q5
 q1 E
Electric field at a point P is vector sum of electric field from all charges.
Typical Electric Field Values
Source E(N/C)
Fluorescent lighting tube 10
Atmosphere (fair weather) 10,0
Balloon rubbed on hair 10,00
Atmosphere (under thundercloud) 10,000
Photocopier 10,0000
Spark in air >3000000
Near electron in hydrogen atom
51011
Electric field lines
Aconvenient way of visualizing electric field patterns is to draw
lines. These lines, called electric field lines, are related to the
electric field in any region of space in the following manner:
● For a positive point charge, the lines are directed radially outward.
● For a negative point charge, the lines are directed radially inward.
● The electric field vector E is tangent to the electric field line at
each point.
● The number of lines per unit area through a surface perpendicular
to the lines is proportional to the magnitude of the electric field in
that region.Thus, E is greater when the field lines are close
together and smaller when they are far apart.
● No two field lines can cross.
The magnitude of the field is The lines must begin on a
greater on surface A than on positive charge and terminate
surface B. E A  EB on a negative charge.
The electric field lines for two positive
point charges.The field is greatest at
point Abecause this is where the field
lines are closest together.The absence of
lines at point C indicates that the electric
field there is zero.
E A  EB  EC

The electric field lines for a point charge

2q and a second point charge -q. Note
that two lines leave 2q for every one that
terminates on -q.
A charge q1=7.0 µC is located at the origin, and a second charge q2=-5.0µ C
is located on the x axis, 0.30 m from the origin as shown in figure. Find the
electric field at the point P, which has coordinates (0,0.40).
A charge q1=7.0 µC is located at the origin, and a second charge q2=-5.0µ C
is located on the x axis, 0.30 m from the origin as shown in figure. Find the
electric field at the point P, which has coordinates (0,0.40).
Magnitude of electric field at P due to q1 is
kq1
E1  2
 3.0 10 5
N /C
(0.4)
E 0 E  3.910 5
1x 1y

E1  3.9 105 ˆj
Magnitude of electric field at P due to q2 is
kq2
E2  2
 1.810 5
N /C
(0.5)
E2 x  E2 cos  1.110 5 cos  3 / 5
 E2 y  E2 sin  1.4 10 5
sin   4 / 5
E2  1.1105 iˆ 1.4 105 ĵ

Net electric field at P is

E  E1  E2
 1.1105 iˆ  2.5105 ˆj
In the configuration given below, Locate the point
at which electric field is zero.

 5q 2q
In the configuration given below, Locate the point at which electric
field is zero.
The electric field is zero nearer to the smaller charge; since the
charges have opposite signs it must be to the right of the +2q charge.
Equating the magnitudes of the two fields,

k 2q k 5q x

( x ) 2 (d  x ) 2  5q 2q
2(d  x ) 2  5 x 2
3 x 2  4 dx  2 d 2  0

x  1.7 d x  0.36 d