PHYS2226:General Physics

PHYS2226

GENERAL PHYSICS

Chapter 7: ELECTRIC FIELD

An electric charge placed at any point in space creates a field about which then exerts
forces on any nearby charges.

7.1 The electric field of point charges

The electric field created by a point charge can be tested by placing a positive test charge,
q0 , in the vicinity of the point charge. In the presence of an E field, these test charges will
experience a force.
By definition, the electric field intensity (or strength) at any point in space due to some charge
distribution is given by the force per unit charge that will be felt by a small test charge placed at
that point.
⃗
F
i.e.⃗
E= ..................................................................................................................................(1)
q0

This is also a definition for force:⃗

F =q 0 ⃗
E ....................................................................................(2)

Note:
 The E field is in the direction of ⃗
F
 The force on a negative charge has direction opposite to that of the E field i.e. the direction
of ⃗
E is the direction of motion of a unit positive charge placed in the field.
 In SI unit, E is measured in NC-1 if force is in N and charge in C
 The magnitude of the test charge may influence the charge distribution on the body and so
cause the E field at any the given point in the presence of such a test charge to be different
from that in its absence.
Thus, the E field is more appropriately defined as a limit: E = limFq0; as q0→0 i.e. for
very small test charge
 The electric field inside a conductor in which no current flows is zero since there’s no
motion of free charges within the conductor.
Consider 2 points charges q1 and q2 in space with position vectors r1 and r2
K q1 q2
By coulomb’s law, the electric force experienced by q2 due to charge q1 is ⃗
F 12= 3
⃗
r 12
q1 r 12

⃗
r1 ⃗
r 12
q2
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0 r⃗2
From the above discussion, this force is an action-at-a–distance force due to the presence of
the E field created by q1 in the vicinity of q2.
Using equation (1) above we have
⃗
F k q1
⃗
E = = 3 r⃗12.............................................................................................................(3)
q2 r 12
Therefore the E field at a point with position vector, r due to a charge q at the origin, O, is given
by
⃗ kq
E(r) = 3 r⃗ y ⃗
E
r
⃗F(M )

q
x
Note
The law of superposition also applies to E fields.
Thus the E field strength ⃗E at a point, M , in space due to a system of point charges is the vector
sum of the E field strengths set up at M by each of the charges individually.
e.g. for 2charges, ⃗
E(M ) =⃗
E1( M ) + ⃗
E2 ( M )....................................................................................................(4)

Examples
1) What is the E field at 0.5m from a charge of 6 x 10-8C?
Solution
By definition, E = F/qo where qo = test charge
The electrostatic force experienced by qo is
K qq0
F=
r²
where q = 6 x 10-8
and K = 9 x 10-9N m² C-2
r= 0.5m
K qq 0 K q 9 x 109 x 6 x 10 ̅ ⁸ −1
E= = = =2160 NC
q0r ² r² (0.5) ²
2) Two equal negative charges, q, are located along the x –axis and separated by a distant of
40cm. Find the E field at a point 10cm above the midpoint of the line joining the 2 charges if
q = - µ5C.
Solution
y
The field at M is: M
⃗
E(M ) =⃗
E AM + ⃗
EBM

10cm
EAM EBM
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A 20cm 20cm B x
q q
0
PHYS2226:General Physics

kq kq
⃗
E AM = 3
r AM ; ⃗
EBM = 3
r BM
r AM r BM

r⃗ AM =0.2⃗i+ 0.1⃗j ; ⃗r BM =−0.2i⃗ +0.1 ⃗j

3 3
|r⃗ AM| =|r⃗ BM| =0.011|r⃗ AM|=0.2236
⃗ 9
E AM =(9 ×10 )¿ ¿

⃗ 9
E BM =(9× 10 )¿ ¿C-1
¿⃗
6
E M =−8.2 ×10 ⃗j N

(2a) What is ⃗
E M if qA =2qB and qB=-5µC ?
(2b) What is ⃗
E M if qA =-qB and qB=-5µC ?

3) The field between 2 large parallel horizontal plates 1cm apart when a potential difference of
100V is applied to them is very nearly uniform and with magnitude 2 x 10⁴NC-1. If the E field is
directed upwards,
a) Calculate the force on an electron placed in this field. What is the direction of the force?
b) How does the force in (a) compare with the weight of the electron?

Solution
E = 2x 10⁴ NC-1 ; e = -1.6 x 10-19 C ; me = 9.1x 10̅-31kg
a) The electrical force , FE = eE = (1.6 x10-19)(2 x 10⁴)
=-3.2 x 10-15 N
e

Because ⃗
F E is negative, it is opposite in direction to ⃗
E . This is true since the charge is negative
( see above)

b) The gravitational force between the electron and the earth is the electron’s weight.
Fg= mg = 9.1 x 10-31x 9.81 = 8.94 x 10-30N
Now FE /Fg = 3.58 x 1014 i.e. Fg ‹‹ FE
⇒The electrostatic force is much stronger than the gravitational force

7.2 Electric Field Lines

A field line is an imaginary line drawn in space so that at every point it is tangent to the
direction of the electric field (or
⃗ magnetic field) vector at that point.
E

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⃗
E
E
⃗
E E Field line
Field lines provide a graphical representation of electric fields.
NB:
 Field lines begin and end on charges (i.e. they do not begin or terminate in space near
charges)
 The E field lines at any point in space has only 1 direction i.e. E field lines do not cross.
 The number of lines per unit cross-sectional area perpendicular to the E – field is
proportional to the magnitude of E.
 A uniform filed is represented by straight parallel lines.

7.3 Gauss’s law

This law expresses the relationship between electric charge and the electric field. It is
therefore equivalent to Coulomb’s law but is sometimes more convenient to use (especially when
charge distribution presents some symmetry).
Consider a positive point charge q in space. Field lines emanate from it in all directions

Imagine that the charge is surrounded by a spherical surface (S) of radius r so that the charge is
in the centre .the surface area of this imaginary surface is 4πr2 and the number of field line per
unit surface area is N/4πr2
where N is the total number of lines bearing q. This is a measure of the magnitude of the E field at
this r from the centre.
Now consider an irregular surface area surrounding, q .

Consider a small surface area, ΔS about a point M on

S at a distant of r from q.

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N is the outward normal ΔS and so ΔS = n ΔS is called the

surface element at M
Ѳ is the angle between the normal n and the E field.
By definition, the electric flux (Δ⍉) through ΔS is Δ⍉E = E.ΔS =E.ΔS Cos Ѳ ...............................(5)
The electric flux through the entire irregular surface is found by dividing the surface into small
elements ⧍S, calculating EΔS and summing the results
i.e. ⍉E =Є E. ΔS = ∮sEdS ..................................................................................................................(6)
the electric flux through any given surface is normal to the number of field lines cutting through
the surface.
The SI unit of electric flux is the Nm²C or the Volt-meter (Vm). The electric flux through
the spherical surface above is:
⍉E=∮E dS =∮E dSCosѲ = ∫EdS = E.S
Where Ѳ = O i.e. field lines (E) are along the normal (n) to the spherical surface.
S = sur. area of sphere, 4 ΠƐo r²
Kq 1 q
∴ ⍉E = . 4 Π r² = 4 Π r²
r² 4 ΠƐo r ²
⤇⍉E= q/Ɛo .......................................................................................................................................... (7)
Equation (7) is a special case of Gauss’s Law applying to a point charge q. The surface S in (5) is
chosen such that the charge is completely enclosed, is called a GAUSSIAN SURFACE. In
general Gaussian’s law state:
The Electric flux through a closed surface called the Gaussian Surface equals the total
charge Ɛ q inside the surface divided by the permittivity of free space Ɛo .
i.e. ⍉E=∮E.dS = 1/EoЄq ....................................................................................................................(8)

Note:
*⍉e = 0 if the net charge inside the closed surface id zero (i.e. field lines do not accumulate in
space, they start and end on charges).
*Charges outside the closed surface have no contribution to the flux
7.4 Application of Gauss’s law
*Gauss’s law can be used to calculate the E field due to a charge distribution especially where this
distribution is such that by symmetry considerations the E field and Ѳ can have constant values on
the Gaussian surface.
*This law can also be used to determine the quantity of charge in a given region if the E field due
to this charge is known.
1) Find the force on a point charge q1 at a distance r from the charge q (Coulomb’s law)
using Gauss’s law

Solution
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The is spherically symmetric .consider a spherical Gaussian surface of radius r enclosing the
charge q

According to Gaussian law, the flux through S is

Σq
⍉E=∮E.ds =
Єo
q
= ∮Eds= ∮E.ds = 4πr²E =
Єo
1 q
⤇E= is field created at r by q
4 ΠЄo r ²
1 q
E= n
4 ΠЄo r ²

The force, f, on a point charge q’ due to E is

1 q
F = q’E = n , and this is Coulomb’s law
4 ΠЄo r ²
2) Calculate the F field created, by a conductivity sphere of radius R, at a distance r from the
sphere if it carries a charge of Q. Sketch the variation of E with r.

Solution
Because the sphere is conducting, all the charge if carries is spread on its surface i.e. there is
no charge inside the conductor the E field is zero as there is no flow of charge. The E – field
created by the sphere is therefore radial i.e. if has spherical symmetry. We shall consider 2
regions:
- Inside, and
- Outside the sphere

Inside the sphere ( r< R)

Consider a Gaussian surface as shown(S). It encloses no charges and so
E = O everywhere for r < R
(All charge is at the surface).

Outside the sphere ( r> R)

Consider Gaussian surface as from (S).
This surface completely encloses the total
charge Q on the sphere.By Gauss’s law, flux through S is:
E=∮E.ds = E=∮E dsCosθ= E=∮E.ds = E.S = E. Π 4r²
Eq Q
= E= =E=
Єo Єo
Q 1 Q 1 Q
Therefore4 Π r² E = ⤇ E = (E= n)
Ɛo 4 ΠЄo r ² 4 ΠЄo r ²

We conclude that inside the sphere there’s no field and outside of it there is a field which is just as
it would be if all the charge were concentrated at the centre

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Sketch of E with r E

a) For r< R, E = 0
1 Q
b) For r = R, E =
4 ΠЄo R ²
1 1 Q
c) For r > R, E n)
4 ΠЄo 4 ΠЄo r ²
O r

3) A spherical non – conducting shell; radius R, carries a uniform charge of Q. what is the
E field at a point M distance r from the centre of the sphere
a) If M is inside the shell
b) If M is outside the shell
c) Sketch the graph of E versus r
Solution
The charge Q is uniformly distributed in the entire volume of the shell i.e. the charge density ρ is
Q 3Q
given by ρ = = 3 = Constant
Vol. 4Π R
The system has spherical symmetry

a) Inside shell (r < R)

Consider Gaussian surface S, as shown. By Gauss’s law,

q
ΦE=∮E.ds = E.S = 4πr²E=
ε0
The total chare enclosed by S is: Vol. charge density, x vol. enclosed by S
3Q 4
i.e. Σq = . πr 3 = Q r3 /R3
4 Πr 3 3
Q 3 3
So that E.S =Σq/εo⤇ E. 4 Π r² = r /R
ε0
Q r
⤇ E= ( E < r inside sphere)
4 ΠЄo R 3

b) Outside shell ( r > R)g

Consider Gaussian (spherical surface S’ radius r as shown). The flux through S’ is by Gauss law:
Eq
ΦE=∮E.ds = E.S = E.4 Π r²
Єo
But Σq = Q since all charge is enclosed by S’
Q
So, E = 4 Π r² =
Єo
Q 1 1
E= (E’ < outside sphere)
4 ΠЄo r ² r²

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c) Sketch of E versus r

 Inside spherical shell E varies directly with r,

Q
E = Cr(where C = 3)
4 ΠЄo R
Q 1
 At r = R, E = E’(R)= =A=RC
4 ΠЄo R ²
 Outside shell E is inversely proportional to r²
Q 1
E’ =
4 ΠЄo R ²
So E versus r is

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