Module 4: Electricity

and Magnetism
Content Focus 
Content Focus
Working Scientifically 
Content  
Content  
Atom
• Protons (+), Neutrons ( ), Electrons (-)
• Neutral atoms have the same number
of proton to electrons.
• Atoms gain a net charge when the
loose or gain electrons. They are then
called ions.

Particle Symbol Convention Charge Mass

Electron Negative
Proton Positive
Neutron Neutral
Static Charge
• Electrostatics is the study of electricity which does
not flow.
• Conservation of charge – Charge isn’t created when
two neutral objects are rubbed together; rather,
the objects become charged because negative
charge is transferred from one object to the other.

• Charging by friction – when a rubbed object gains

a negative charge while the other loses an equal
amount of negative charge and hence is left with a
net positive charge.
• Triboelectric scale provides insight on objects and
the charge they are likely to gain following friction.
Static Charge
• Charging by conduction – Consider a negatively charged
rubber rod brought into contact with an insulated neutral
conducting sphere. The excess electrons on the rod repel
electrons on the sphere, creating local positive charges on
the neutral sphere. On contact, some electrons on the rod
are now able to move onto the sphere, neutralizing the
positive charges. When the rod is removed, the sphere is left
with a net negative charge.
• The object being charged in such a process (the sphere) is
always left with a charge having the same sign as the object
doing the charging (the rubber rod).
Static Charge
• Charging by induction – consider a neutral metal sphere.
When the negatively charged rod is brought close to the
sphere, the repulsive force between the electrons in the rod
and those in the sphere causes some electrons to move to
the side of the sphere farthest away from the rod.
• If a grounded conducting wire is then connected to the
sphere some of the electrons leave the sphere and travel to
ground.

Ground is a terminal for the reservoir of an infinite number of electrons.

Static Charge
• If the wire to ground is then removed the conducting
sphere is left with an excess of induced positive charge.

• Charging an object by induction requires no contact with

the object inducing the charge.
• Half of the total charge accounts for the redistributed between
the spheres (4).
• The lower one (most negative) has + 4 charges added, while the
higher one (positive) loses 4 charges.
• 6+4=10
• 2-4=-2
• -6-2=-8
• 2+2=-4
• -10+4=-6
• -2+4=-2
• 9-3=-6
• -3+3=-0
Charge  
• One coulomb (C) = the total charge on 6.242 x
1018 particles.

• Therefore, the charge on the electron

Gang of charges
Static Charge
• In most neutral atoms or molecules,
the center of positive charge
coincides with the center of
negative charge.
• In the presence of a charged object,
however, these centers may
separate slightly, resulting in more
positive charge on one side of the
molecule than on the other. This
effect is known as polarization.
Electric fields
• These lines, introduced by Michael
Faraday and called electric field lines,
are related to the electric field in any
region of space in the following way:
1. The electric field vector E is
tangent to the electric field lines
at each point.
2. The number of lines per unit
area through a surface
perpendicular to the lines is
proportional to the strength of
the electric field in a given
region.
Electric fields
• The rules for drawing electric field lines for any
charge distribution follow directly from the
relationship between electric field lines and electric
field vectors:
1. The lines for a group of point charges must
begin on positive charges and end on negative
charges. In the case of an excess of charge,
some lines will begin or end infinitely far away.
2. The number of lines drawn leaving a positive
charge or ending on a negative charge is
proportional to the magnitude of the charge.
3. No two field lines can cross each other.
• Two equal positive point charges, the
number of lines emerges from each charge
because the charges are equal in magnitude.
• The bulging out of the electric field lines • In this case the number of lines leaving
between the charges reflects the repulsive charge +2q is twice the number
nature of the electric force between like terminating on charge –q. only half of
charges. the lines that leave the positive charge
• Also, the low density of field lines between end at the negative charge.
the charges indicates a weak field in this • The remaining half terminate on
region, unlike the dipole. negative charges that we assume to be
located at infinity
Electric fields
• Metallic plates can be induced to have net
electrical charges.
• The field lines are drawn from positive (red) to
negative (blue).
• The periphery of the plates have the fields bulging
out slightly.
(a) The charge q on the particle is doubled
(b) The sign of the charge q on the particle is changed to the opposite
sign.
(c) The particle is given a push, causing a leftward initial velocity.
(d) The magnitude of the uniform electric field is halved
(e) The direction of the uniform electric field is rotated 90º clockwise
Quantifying electric fields
• The magnitude of
the strength of the
electric field
generated by two V d
oppositely charged
plates is given by

EQUATION VARIABLES
Quantifying electric fields
• The force experienced by
a charge between two
electric plates is given by.
• Charges are repelled + -

away from respective

plates. Attracted to
opposite charge plates
EQUATION VARIABLES
Quantifying electric fields
1. How much heavier is a proton to an electron?
2. What direction is a positive plates electric field?
3. How would the force experienced by a proton compare to that of electron given that
the distance between the plates is 0.1 m and the plates experience a voltage difference
of 100 V.
4. If the distance between two plates that experiences an voltage of 10 000 Cm is increase
by three times its original distance; by how much would the electric field change?
5. How would the force experience by a charge change if the distance between the plates
is halved?
6. By how much would you change the distance between two plates in order for them to
impart ¼ of the original force that was applied to a charged particle?
7. A proton breaks physics and spontaneously halved its charge. If the electric field
between two plates did not change how would this affect is the force it experiences
8. A proton breaks physics a second time, and spontaneously quadruples its mass. If the
Electric field did not change how would this affect is acceleration.
Quantifying electric fields
• In 1785 Charles Coulomb (1736–1806)
experimentally established the fundamental
law of electric force between two stationary
charged particles.
• Two point charges separated by a distance r
exert a force on each other given by
Coulomb’s law. The force on q1 is equal in
magnitude and opposite in direction to the
force on q2.
• Force has an inverse square relationship
• All charges are said to have an electric fields that
permeate from them (particle, object with multiple
particles on it).
• The electric field is conceptual, it acts as a medium
through which the influence of one charge is
transmitted to another. When a charged object is
placed in an electric field, it experiences a force due
to the interaction between the electric field and the
charge itself.
• Right at is surface of the particle the electric field is
strongest. Because it propagates 3D, its density
decreases by area it traces out in 3d space.
• The electric permittivity (permission) constant makes
the relation between charge and area true, and
further dictates how the field is to behave in a
particular medium (or vacuum).

1 𝐶h𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑒 1 𝑞1
𝐸= =
𝜀0 𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝜀0 4 𝜋 𝑟 2

• Therefore, the electric field generated by a charge

with the purpose to interact with some other charge
can be given by:
𝑞1
𝐸= 2
𝜀0 4 𝜋 𝑟
• The further away from the charge, the weaker the
field strength
Quantifying electric fields
• If some positive charge rested in space, it would theoretically generate a 3D field.
• Its field would permeate the universe to infinity.

𝑞11
𝐸= 2
4 𝜋 𝑟 𝜀0

r
Quantifying electric fields
• If the electric field intercepted some charge, the intercepted charge would experience a
force it would experience a force.
𝑞1 1 • The charge will either be
𝐸= attracted or repelled.
4 𝜋 𝑟 𝜀0
2
• The would both experience the
same amount of force, and be
accelerated towards each other.
Or replled

r
𝐹 𝐸 = 𝐸 𝑞2
Quantifying electric fields
1 𝑞1 𝑞2
𝐹 𝐸=
4 𝜋 𝜀0 𝑟 2

r
 𝑞11
𝐸=
4 𝜋 𝑟 𝜀0
2
𝐹 𝐸 = 𝐸 𝑞2

Area of electric
field sphere Mitigates movement of
electric field in a vacuum
EQUATION VARIABLES

Charge on first particle (C)

Charge on second particle (C)
1. An electric charge of +4.6x10-4 C is 1.5m away from another charge of +
5.3x10-2 C. What is the force between them?

2. How far apart are 2 charges of +6.8x10-5 C and -2.2x10-6 C if they are
attracted by a force of 27 N?

3. Two identical charges experience a force of 800N when they are 0.50m
apart. What is the value of the charges?
A student measured the repulsion between two identically charged spheres, A and B, as a
function of the separation of the spheres. A diagram of the arrangement is shown below. We
usually describe these spheres as point charges because the physical dimensions of the sphere
are very small, that is negligible, compared to the separation of the spheres.
Sphere A is held stationary and the force on sphere B measured.
a) Plot a graph of force, F, against separation, r,
on the grid below. Draw a smooth curve of
best fit.
b) What does the relationship between F and r
look like?
c) Work out how to modify (manipulate) the
separation value, r, so that when you plot
another graph a linear relationship is
obtained.
d) Take the slope of your linearised graph.
e) What is the slope equal to?
 -8

1 1 𝑞1 𝑞2
9 𝐹 𝐸=
𝑘= =8.9877 ×10 4 𝜋 𝜀0 𝑟 2
4 𝜋 𝜀0
 -8

1 1 𝑞1 𝑞2
9 𝐹 𝐸=
𝑘= =8.9877 ×10 4 𝜋 𝜀0 𝑟 2
4 𝜋 𝜀0
Quantifying electric fields
• In this experiment you will aim to quantify the charge induced on a
packing peanut, using Newtons and Coulombs Law.
Quantifying electric fields
• Measuring the angle is annoying and difficult, we can make
approximations.

• For very small angle changes in the changing value for “y” compared to
“L” is minimal. And the following assumption can be made.
Quantifying electric fields

• Only angles over 10o , does “ vary significantly

resulting in notable differences between “y” and
“L”.
• Angle of approximation.
Quantifying electric fields
• The final equation to be considered for this investigation is provided
below.
• Knowing the mass of the test charge moving packing peanut “m”,
measuring its displacement “x”, measuring the distance between the
charge's “r” and assuming that both charges have the same charge, the
charge can be quantified.
EQUATION VARIABLES

Not syllabus just fun

Charge source stationary packing peanut (C)

Charge test charge moving packing peanut (C)
Quantifying electric fields
• Knowing the mass of the test charge moving packing peanut “m”,
measuring its displacement “x”, measuring the distance between the
charge's “r” and assuming that both charges have the same charge, the
charge can be quantified.

𝑥 𝑞1 𝑞2
𝑚𝑔 =𝑘
𝐿 𝑟
2

𝑥 = 𝑞1 𝑞2( 𝐿𝑘
𝑚𝑔 ) 𝑟
1
2

𝑥= 𝑞 ( 2 𝐿𝑘
𝑚𝑔 ) 1
𝑟
2
 This one is moved closer

Ruler to measure “r”

Just under 0.4 m

Charge source Test charge

Ruler to measure “x”

Projected shadow at 0
Quantifying electric fields
• Complete the table, your final data point should be 1 cm, you should
have approximately 6 data points.
• Create an x vs 1/r2 graph (hand done or spreadsheet)
Mass of peanut with
needle:
Length of string:
𝑥= 𝑞 (
𝐿𝑘 1
𝑚𝑔 𝑟 2
2
)
x (m) r (m2) 1/r (m-2)
𝐿𝑘 2
𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑡=𝑞
𝑚𝑔
Solve for charge

1𝐶 −19
18
=1.602 ×10 C
6.242×1 0 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑙𝑒𝑠
Voltage
• Recal that work is given by;

• Work is also equal to a change in energy

in a system. This may be the change may
be in final kinetic energy from the initial
kinetic energy. Or change in potential
energy
Voltage
• The same happens to a charged object in an
electric field.
• If the object starts at rest and is allowed to
move, it will accelerate. It accelerates because
the force does work on it - it exerts a force
through some distance.

• The work done is equal to the change in the

electric potential energy (UE) of the system.
This is very similar to what you have covered
for the conservation of mechanical energy.
Except of a gravitational field, there is an
electric field.
Voltage
• When a charged object is displaced by some distance “d”
(normally communicated as variable “s”) in the direction of
the field, the work done on the object is given by the equation d
below.
• The electric force is a conservative force, just like the
gravitational force (and all other field forces), so the change in
potential energy appears as a change in kinetic energy.

EQUATION VARIABLES
Voltage
• The work gone into changing a particles position,
must be accounted for through its conservation as
kinetic energy.
• Energy must be conserved!

+ -
Field
Voltage
• The electric potential, V, is defined as the potential energy per unit charge at a point.
• Anything that would increase the force on the charge will increase the voltage experienced
by the charge
Distance between plates

• Electric potential is also referred to as voltage or potential difference.

EQUATION VARIABLES
Voltage

d
1. Explain what are the similarities of the expressions for work done by the gravitational
field and work done by an electric field: W = mgh and W = Eqd

2. How much work is done when a total charge of 6.0 C moves from one end of the
heating element in an electric hot water jug to the other if the potential difference
across the element is 240 V?

3. In the two diagrams about parallel plates excreting an electric field.

a. Identify which is an electron or proton.
b. If the distance between the plates is 1cm and the
electric field is 2x105 N/C. Calculate the force
experienced by the proton.
c. Calculate the force experienced by the electron.
d. What is the work done on the proton?
e. What is the velocity of the electron before it hits the
plate it is moving towards?
1. Two parallel plates are placed 2.5 mm apart vertically and connected to a 200 V power
supply as shown in figure 12.49. A charged oil drop is suspended halfway between the
plates and remains stationary. If the oil drop holds a charge of +5.0 µC, what is the mass
of the oil drop?

2. A uniform electric field points to the left. A small metal

ball charged to -2.0 mC hangs at a 30° angle from a
string of negligible mass attached to the ceiling as
shown. The tension in the string is 0.1 N. What is the
magnitude of the electric field?
Vector???
Equipotential lines
• The best way of representing how
the electric potential varies around a Analogous to contour lines in geography and art. The contour
diagram on the right represents the changing heights of the
charged object is to identify the landscape on the left. Each line joins up points that are at the
same height. Points that are high up represent a high value of
regions where the potential is the gravitational potential and points that are low down represent a
same. low gravitational potential. Contour lines are lines of
equipotential in a gravitational field
• These are called equipotential
surfaces.
• Lines are drawn joining up points that
have the same electric potential. The
situation right shows the
equipotential for an isolated positive
point charge.
Equipotentials for two Equipotentials for two Equipotential lines
point charges (same point charges (equal between charged parallel
charge) and two point and opposite charges). plates.
masses.
• Electric field lines are orthogonal (900) to the equipotential lines. 𝑉
𝐸=
𝑑
 1/2r

A B C