CHAPTER 1

Electric Field at the point is defined as the force on a test charge divided by the magnitude of the test
⃗E= F
⃗
charge.( q )
Dipole - A pair of equal and opposite point charges separately by a small vector distance ⃗a is called
a dipole.
Line of Force is an imaginary line drawn in such a way that its direction at any point is the same as the
direction of the field at the point.
The electric flux is a measure of the number of electric field lines that penetrate a surface.
Gauss’ Law - The surface integral of normal component of ⃗E over a closed surface is equal to a
constant times the total charge inside the closed surface.

CHAPTER 2
Homogeneity - A medium is homogeneous if its physical characteristics (mass density, molecular
structures, etc.) do not vary from point to point.
Linearity - A medium is linear with respect to an electrostatic field if the flux density is proportional to
the electric field intensity.
Isotropy - An isotropic material is one whose properties are independent of direction.
Dielectric strength -The maximum field intensity that a dielectric can sustain without breakdown is
called its dielectric strength.
CHAPTER 3
Dielectric (or) Insulators: Substances which have very few or no free electrons.
Kirchhoff’s Current Law- It states that, ‘the algebraic sum of the currents at a junction is zero’
Kirchhoff’s Voltage Law- It states that, ‘the algebraic sum emfs around a closed circuit equals the
algebraic sum of the ohmic or IR drops around the circuit’.
Mobility:The mobility is defined as the drift velocity v of the electron (or hole) per unit field E.
Current density: The current density is called the current per unit cross-sectional area.
I
J=
A SI unit is amperes per square meter (A m-2).
Problems
1. A plane slab of dielectric (r = 5 ) is placed normal to a uniform field with flux density D of 1
Cm-2.If the slab occupies a volume of 0.1 m3 and is uniformly polarized, what are (a) the polarization in
the slab and (b) the total dipole moment of the slab?
Solution
ϵ r=5 , D=1 C m−2 , V =0.1 m3
(a)polarization P=?
P=D d−ϵ 0 E
Dd =ϵE=ϵ 0 ϵ r E
Dd 1 12 −2
E= = =0.0226 × 10 V m
ϵ 0 ϵ r 8.85 ×10−12 ×5
P=D d−ϵ 0 E=1− ( 8.85 ×10−12 ×0.0226 ×1012 )=0.8C m−2
 P
(b) p=
v
p=Pv=0.8× 0.1=0.08 Cm

2. A flat slab of sulfur (r = 4) is placed normal to a uniform field. If the polarization –surface
charge density sp on the slab surfaces is 0.5 Cm -2, what are (a) polarization in the slab, (b) flux density
in the slab, (c) flux density outside the slab (in air), (d) field intensity in the slab, and (e) field intensity
outside the slab (in air)?
Solution
ρ sp=0.5 C m−2 , ϵ r=4
(a)P=?, (b)D?, (c)D0=?, (d)E=? (e)Eair=?
(a)P= ρsp =0.5 C m−2
(b)D=ϵE
D0=ϵ 0 E
D ϵE
= =ϵ =4
D0 ϵ 0 E r
D=4 D 0
D=D 0+ P
D=D 0+ ρsp
4 D 0=D 0 + ρ sp
3 D0=ρ sp
ρ sp 0.5 −2
D 0= = =0.167 C m
3 3
D=4 D 0 =4 × 0.167=0.667C m−2
(c)D0=0.167 C m−2
(d)D=ϵE
D 0.667 0.667
E= = =
ϵ ϵ 0 ϵ r 8.85 ×10−12 × 4
¿ 1.88 ×1010 N C−1
(e) D0=ϵ 0 E
D 0.167
E= = =75.85 ×109 V m−1
ϵ 0 8.85 ×10−12
3. The left half of a horizontal parallel-plate capacitor is filled with a dielectric of permittivity 
while the right half is aired-filled. The plate separation is 10mm, and there is 100 V potential differences
between the plates. Find E, D, and P in both halves. ( = 3 0)
Solution
 = 3 0, d=10mm=10-2m
V=100V
E=?, D=? and P=?
Left-half dielectric
V 100
E= = −2 =10 4 V m−1
d 10
D=ϵE=3 ε 0 E=3× 8.85 ×10−12 ×104 =26.55 ×10−8 C m −2
 P=D−ϵ 0 E=26.55× 10−8 −8.85 ×10−12 × 104
¿ 17.7 ×10−8 C m−2
Right-half (air)
V 100
E= = −2 =10 4 V m−1
d 10
D=ε 0 E=8.85 × 10−12 ×10 4
¿ 8 . 85 ×10−8 C m−2
P=D−ϵ 0 E=8.85 ×10−8 −8.85 ×10−12 ×104 =0 C m−2
4. A horizontal parallel-plate capacitor has a 10-mm plate separation and a 100-V potential difference.
There is a dielectric of permittivity  and thickness 5mm on the lower plate. The space above is air-
filled. (a) Find E, D, and P in the airspace and in the dielectric.(b) Find V as a function of the distance
between the plates. ( = 3 0)
Solution
 = 3 0, d=10mm=10×10-3m
V=100V, L(v=AL)=5mm=5×10-3m
A=0.5×0.5=0.025m2 , E=?, D=? and P=?
(a)V =Ed
V 100
E= = −2 =10 4 V m−1
d 10
D0=ϵ 0 E=8.85 × 10−12 ×10 4=8.85× 10−8 C m−2
In the air space
A Q
C=k ϵ 0 =
d V
Q V
=k ϵ 0
A d
V
Psp=k ϵ 0
d
For air space k=1
V 100
P=P sp =k ϵ 0 =8.85 ×10−12 × =1.75 ×10−7 C m−2
d 5× 10 −3

In the dielectric
V V
P=P sp =ϵ =3 ϵ 0 =3 ×1.75 × 10−7=5.25 ×10−7 C m−2
d d
D d =D 0 + Psp
¿ 8.85 ×10−8+ 5.25× 10−7=61.35× 10−8 C m−2

5. A parallel-plate capacitor is 1m square and has a plate separation of 1mm.The space between the plates
is filled with a dielectric (r = 25). If 1kV potential difference is applied to the plates, find the force in
newtons squeezing the plates together.
Solution
A=1m2, d=1mm=1×10-3m
ϵ r=25 , V =1 KV
F=?
 ϵ 0 ϵ r A 8.85 ×10−12 ×25 ×1
C= =
d 1×10−3
¿ 221.25 ×10−9 C
1 1 2
W = ×C V 2= × 221.25× 10−9 × ( 103 ) = 110.635 ×10−3 J
2 2
W 110.635 × 10−3
F= = =110.625 N
d 103
Problems

9. A copper bar 20 by 80 mm in cross-section by 2m in length has 50mV applied between its ends.
Find the following quantities and give units in each case: (i) resistance of the bar (ii) conductance
of the bar (iii) current (iv) current density (v) electric field (vi)power loss in the bar (vii) power
∘
loss per unit volume (ix) energy loss per hour (x) drift velocity of electrons. Take T = 20 C
and r = 2G Cm-3.
Solution
A=20 mm× 80 mm=1.6× 10−3 m2
l=2 m ,V =50 mV =50 ×10−3 V
ρ=2GC m−3=2 ×10 9 C m−3
σ =5.7 ×107 ℧ m−1
l 2
(i) R= =
σA 5.7 × 10 ×1.6 ×10−3
7

¿ 2.193 ×10−5 Ω
1 1
(ii)G= = =45.6 ×103 Ω
R 2.193× 10−5

V 50 ×10−3 3
(iii) I = = =2.28 ×10 A
R 2.193 ×10−5
I 2.28 ×103
(iv) J= =
A 1.6 ×10−3
V 50 ×10−3 −3 −1
(v)E= = =25 × 10 V m
d 2
(vi) P=VI =50 ×10−3 × 2.28 ×103=114 W
P 114
(vii) = =35.625× 103 W m−3
V 1.6 ×10 × 2
−3

(viii)W =I 2 RT ( T =1hr =3600 s )

 2
¿ ( 2.28 ×103 ) ×2.193 ×10−5 × 3600=410× 103 J
σE 5.7 × 107 ×25 ×10−3 7 −1
(ix) v= = 9
=712.5 ×10 m s
ρ 2× 10
10. A silver wire 1 mm diameter transfers a charge of 90C in 1 hr and15 min. Silver contains
5.8×1028 free electrons per m3. (i) What is the current in the wire? (ii) What is the drift velocity
of the electrons in the wire?
Solution
d=1mm=10−3 m ,r =0.5 ×10−3 m
2
A=π r 2 =3.142× ( 0.5 ×10−3 )
¿ 0.7856 ×10−6 m2
q=90 C
t=75 min=60× 75 s
ni =5.8× 1028 m−3
q 90
(i) I = = =0.02 A
t 60 ×75
(ii)I =nqvA
I 0.02
v= = =4.88 × 10−27 ms−1
nqA 5.8 ×10 × 90 ×0.7856 × 10
28 −6

11. A copper wire has a square cross section, 2.0 mm on a side. It is 4 m long and carries a current of
10A. The density of free electrons is 8×10 28 m-3. (i) What is the current density in the wire? (ii)
What is the electric field? (iii) How much time is required for an electron to travel the length of
the wire?
Solution
l=2.0 mm=2 ×10−3 m
A=l 2=4 × 10−6 m 2
I =10 A
ρ=8 ×1028 Cm−3
I 10
(i) J= = =0. 25 ×107 A m−2
A 4 ×10−6

(ii) E=J . ρ=0 .25 × 107 × 8 ×1028

¿ 2 .0 × 1035 V m−1
ρlA 8 ×10 28 ×2 ×10−3 × 4 × 10−6 −29
(iii)t= = =12.8 ×10 s
I 10
12. A certain electrical conductor has a square cross section, 2.0 mm on a side, and is 12 m long. The
resistance between its ends is 0.072 Ω. (i) What is the resistivity of the material? (ii) If the
electric field magnitude in the conductor is 0.12 Vm-1, what is the total current? (iii) If the
material has 8.0×1028 free electron per cubic meter, find the average drift velocity under
conditions of part (ii).
Solution
2
A=( 2.0 ×10−3 ) m 2 , E=0.12 V m −1
l=12 m , R=0.072Ω
 RA 0.072× ( 2.0 ×10−3 ) 2
(i) ρ= = =24 ×10−3 Ω m
l 12
−3 2
EA 0.12 × ( 2.0 × 10 )
(ii)I =JA=σEA= = =2× 10−5 A
ρ 24 ×10 −3

(iii)n=8.0 ×1028 m−3

I 2 ×10−5 1 10 −1
v= 28
= =0.039 ×10 m s
nqA 8.0 ×10 ×1.6 ×10 × 4 ×10
−19 −6
25.6× 10 −8

13. The current in a wire varies with time according to the relation i = 4A + (2As -2) t2. (i)
How many coulombs pass a cross section of the wire in the time interval between t = 5s and t =
10s? (ii) What constant current would transport the sample charge in the same time interval?
Solution
i = 4A + (2As-2) t2
t=5s and t=10s
(i)Q=? (ii) I=?
∆Q
(i) I = ∆ Q=I ∆ t
∆t
10 10
2t3
5
( 2
Q=∫ 4+ 2t dt= 4 t+
) ( ) 3 5
3 3
2 ×10 2 ×5
¿ ( 4 × 10+ )−( 4 × 5+
3 )
=270 C
3
∆ Q 270
(ii) I = = =54 4
∆t 5