Material in Electric Field and Electric Intensity

What is it?

When two electrically charged particles in empty space interact, how does each one know the other is
there? What goes on in the space between them to communicate the effect of each one to the other? We can
begin to answer these questions, and at the same time reformulate Coulomb’s law in a very useful way, by
using the concept of electric field.

Electric Field

Whenever you have a source charge q1 placed anywhere in space, it will be surrounded by a region such that
if you will put any other charge q2 at any field point P in this region, charge q2 will be acted upon by an
electric force, F e. We call this region around q1 the electric field of q1. The strength of this field is
operationally defined as the ratio of the electric force F e to the charge q2 placed at that point in the field. The
magnitude of the electric field is

Fe
E= q2

Equation 1

The electric force is a vector quantity and so is the electric field. The direction of the electric field is along the
line connecting the field point P and the source charge q1. The field lines produced by positive charges are
directed radially outward while those of negative charges are directed radially inward.
Note that F e is actually the electric force between the interacting charges q1 and q2. Incorporating to
Equation 1 we will have

q1 q2
E=k r2

Equation 2

Where q is the source charge (source of the electric field) and r is the distance between the source charge and
any field point P surrounding it.
Sample Problems:

1. A positive charge of 10−8 Coulombs (C) experiences a force of 0.25 N when located at a certain point in an
electric field. Find the intensity (magnitude) of the electric field at that point.

Solution:
Using Equation 1 we have

F
E= q

0.25 N
= 10−8 C

= 2.5 X 107 N/C

2. A positive charge, q = +20 C, is on the y-axis at y = +4.00 m.

(a) Determine the direction of the electric field at the origin.

(b) What will be the direction of the electric field at the origin if the charge is -20 C?

Solution:

(a)

The charge is positive so the electric field lines are directed radially outward. At the origin, the field line extends
downward so the direction of the electric field is southward.

(b) If the charge is -20 C, the field lines are directed radially inward towards the charge. So, the electric field line at the
origin will be directed upward (northward).