ELECTRIC FIELD – a region of space around a charged body, in which

a force ( either attraction or repulsion) is exerted upon a charged body

brought into that region. It is a vector quantity .

Properties of an Electric Field

1.) It has magnitude or intensity, specified by the symbol, E, equal to the force per unit
positive test charge, q, placed on the point, p, in the field produced by a charge, Q.

The electric field intensity at a point, p,

located at a distance, S, from a
charge, Q, is given by :

𝑄𝑞
𝐹𝑃 𝑆2 𝑄
EP = =K =k
𝑞 𝑞 𝑆2

2.) It has direction.

The direction of electric field is the same as the direction of the force on a small positive test
charge placed at the point considered.

UNIT Electric Field, E Charge, Q Distance, S K

MKS N/C Coulomb, C Meter, m 9x109 Nm2/c2
CGS Dyne/statC statCoul, sC cm 1 dyne-cm2/sC2

ELECTRIC FIELD INTENSITY

1.) Near An Isolated Charge Electric Field Intensity at point A :

𝐹 𝑄𝑞 𝑄
B EB EA = 𝑞 = K 𝑞 𝑆 2 = k𝑆 2
+ SB 𝐴

Electric Field Intensity at point B:

SA
𝑄
A
EB = k𝑆 2
EA 𝐵
 2.) Near 2 isolated Charges

Electric Field Intensity :

At point A due to Q1 : (attraction)

𝑄1
EA1 = k directed toward Q1
𝑆𝐴1 2

At point A due to Q2 : (repulsion)

𝑄2
EA2 = k directed away from Q2
𝑆𝐴2 2

SUPERPOSITION PRINCIPLE in Electric Fields : “The net electric field at a point in space
is the vector sum of the electric fields due to each charge.”

The net electric field at each point in space is a superposition of the electric fields due to each
individual charge which can be added using the component method, similar to finding the net
resultant electric force in applying the Coulomb’s Law.

TO solve for the resultant Electric field intensity at point A due to the 2 charges, Q 1 and Q2 :

Rx = ∑ 𝐸𝑋 = –EA1 cos Φ – EA2 cos β

𝑅𝑦
RY = ∑ 𝐸𝑌 = EA1 sin Φ – EA2 sin β R = √𝑅𝑥 2 + 𝑅𝑥 2 , ΦR = tan−1
𝑅𝑥

Note : The sign of the charge is not considered in writing the equation but the sign of the charge
is considered in determining the direction of the force ( attraction or repulsion.)

Ex 1.) Point charges Q1 = + 12 nC and Q2 = -12nC are placed 12 cm apart.. Point A is

between the charges, 4 cm from Q2 and 6 cm from Q1. Point B is 4cm left of Q1 and point C is
10 cm from both Q1 and Q2. Determine the Electric field intensity at points a.) A b.) B and c. )
C..
a..) At point A:
A
E2 E1

𝑄1 12 𝑥 10−9
E1 = k = 9x109 = 3 x104 N/C due East (attraction)
𝑆1𝐴2 0.062

𝑄2 12 𝑥 10−9
E2 = k = 9x109 = 6.75 x 104 N/C due East (repulsion)
𝑆2𝐴2 0.04 2

Rx = ∑ 𝐸𝑥 = E1 + E2 = 3 x104 + 6.75 x 104 = 9.75 x 104 N/C due East

RY = ∑ 𝐸𝑌 = 0

RA = √𝑅𝑥 2 + 𝑅𝑌 2 = = 9.75 x 104 N/C due East

b.) At point B :
E1 B E2

𝑄1 12 𝑥 10−9
E1 = k = 9x10 9
= 6.75 x104 N/C due West (repulsion)
𝑆1𝐵2 0.042

𝑄2 12 𝑥 10−9
E2 = k = 9x109 = 0.551 x 104 N/C due East (attraction)
𝑆2𝐵 0.142

Rx = ∑ 𝐸𝑥 = E2 – E1 = 0.551 x 104 - 6.75 x 104 = – 6.199 x 104 N/C

RY = ∑ 𝐸𝑌 = 0

RB = √𝑅𝑥 2 + 𝑅𝑌 2 = 6.199 x 104 N/C due West

E1
c.) At point C
5
θ = β= cos −1 = 60o
C θ 10

E2
𝑄1 12 𝑥 10−9
E1 = k = 9x109 = 1.08 x104 N/C (repulsion), 60o N of E
𝑆1𝐶2 0.12

𝑄2 12 𝑥 10−9
E2 = k = 9x109 = 1.08 x 104 N/C (attraction) , 60o S of E
𝑆2𝐶 0.12

Rx = ∑ 𝐸𝑥 = E1 cos θ + E2 cos β = 2(10,800)cos 60o = 10,800 N/C due E

RY = ∑ 𝐸𝑌 = E1 sin θ – E2 sin β = 0

RC = √𝑅𝑥 2 + 𝑅𝑌 2 = 10,800 N/C due E

ELECTRIC FORCE ACTING ON A CHARGE , q, IN AN ELECTRIC FIELD At point P

F is in the same direction as the resultant electric field intensity, EP, if

FP = q EP the charge, q. is positive.
F is in the opposite direction as EP, if the charge, q, is negative

LINE OF FORCE – an Imaginary line drawn in such a way that its direction at any point is the
same as the direction of the field at that point. It was introduced by Michael Faraday as an aid in
visualizing electric and magnetic fields.

LINES OF FORCE can be used to indicate the magnitude and direction of the field
The no. of lines of force per unit area crossing a surface at right angle to the direction of the field
is at every point proportional to the electric intensity. ( N/AN ∝ 𝐸)

𝑁 𝑁 𝑄
= εo E or N = εo E A N D = εo E = =
𝐴𝑁 𝐴𝑁 𝐴𝑁

where : N = no. of lines of force crossing the area, AN, unit: lines = coulomb

εo = proportionality constant = permittivity of free space = 8.85 x 10 -12 C2 /Nm2

E = the electric field intensity
AN = the area perpendicular to the direction of electric field
D = flux density or line density, or Surface Charge density, in lines/m2 or coulomb/m2

MAPPING OF AN ELECTRIC FIELD WITH THE AID OF LINES OF FORCE.

ELECTRIC FIELD OF AN ISOLATED CHARGE.

ELECTRIC FIELD LINES OF A POSITIVE ELECTRIC FIELD LINES OF A NEGATIVE

POINT CHARGE POINT CHARGE

ELECTRIC FIELD BETWEEN

A.) POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE CHARGES B.) 2 POSITIVE CHARGES

IN A.), Lines of force are closely spaced in a region where the intensity is large..
IN B.) , Lines of force are widely separated in a region where the intensity is small..
Ex 2.)How many lines of force are passing through a rectangle , 5 cm by 10 cm placed normal
to the field at point C in problem 1.
Given : EC = 10,800 N/C due East ( in problem # 1)
A = 0.05m x 0.10m = 5x10-3 m2
N = εoE AN = 8.85 x 10-12 c2/Nm2 (10,800 N/C) (5x10-3 m2 ) =4.779x10-10 coul or lines

Ex 3.) A charge A of 400 μC is 12m from a charge B of –100 μC. What is the strength of the
field at a point C that is 5m from B and 13 m from A? b.) How many electric lines of force pass
through a rectangle, 2cm by 0.5cm, normal to the field at c?

( ANS. 3.02 x 10-11 coul )

Ex 4.) The intensity of the field at a distance of 2 m from the surface of a spherical conducting
sphere of radius, r = 3m, is 3.6 x 104 N/C Determine the charge density at the surface of the
sphere.
SOLUTION : The number of lines of force crossing the spherical surface of radius, r = 2m +3m
Is equal to the charge, Q, enclosed by that surface.
Q = N = εoE AN = 8.85 x 10-12 c2/Nm2 ( 3.6 x 104 N/C ) 4π (3m +2m )2 = 100.09 X 10-6 C

𝑄 100.09 𝑥10−6
D= = =8.85 x10-7 C/m2
𝐴 4𝜋(3)2