Engineering

Electromagnetics
Lecture 2:
Coulombs’ Law and Electric Field Intensity
2.1 The Experimental Law of Coulomb
2.2 Electric Field Intensity
2.3 Field Arising from a Continuous Volume Charge Distribution
2.4 Field of a Line Charge
A or A
Experimental Law of Coulomb
→ → →
q2 q1 r2 − r1
F2 = → →
→ →
4πε0 r2 − r1
2
r2 − r1

OBSERVATIONS:
• Intensity of the force exerted is inversely proportional to the
square of separation

• Force exerted on q2 is along the direction of the distance

vector

• If the two charges, q1 and q2 ,have opposite polarity (different

sign of charges), then the direction of force is reversed
Electric Field Intensity
• Consider a charge qi located at Pi ,and a test charge qt situ→ ated→in the
vicinity of qi .The distance of qt with respect to qi is Rit = rt − ri . At
any position Pi , qt experiences a force due to qi
→
→ qt q1 → qt Ft
Ft = 2
ait
4πε 0 Rit
→ →
• The force exerted by qi per unit of Rit = rt − ri
charge
qi
→ Ft q1 →
E1 = = 2
ait
qt 4πε 0 Rit
•The right side of the equation is a vector field called Electric Field
Intensity due to qi
• The unit of electric field is N/C,or V/m
 Electric Field Intensity
For a charge Q at the origin and using the spherical coordinate system,
the electric field E at any given point is given by
Q
E= ar
4πε 0r 2 z

Note: If Q is positive,E “radiates” from the

charge. If Q is negative,E points into the charge.
r
For a charge at rm ,E at r is
Q
E= a
2 m y
4πε0 | r − rm |
rm
am is a unit vector in the direction x Q
of r - rm
Electric Field due to Point Source

Positive Point Source Negative Point Source

Electric Field due to Several
Discrete Charges
In presence of n discrete charges, we
can apply superposition principle in
order to obtain the total electric
field at a point

→ → →
n
qi r − ri
E(r) = ∑ → →2 → →
i=1 4πε0 r − ri r − ri
1 n qi →
= ∑ → →2 ⋅ ai
4πε 0 i=1 r − ri
Electric Field due to Pair of
Charges

Opposite Polarity Same Polarity

 Electric Field Example
EXAMPLE:
A 1uC charge is at the origin and a 2uC charge is at P(0,10,0). What is the
electric field at Q(6,4,5)? If a – 0.5 uC charge is placed at Q, how much
force would it experience?
ROQ = <6,4,5> RPQ = <6,4,5> - <0,10,0> = <6,-6,5>

Q
ROQ R OQ = 62 + 4 2 + 52 = 77 = 8.775
RPQ
P
R PQ = 62 + (−6)2 + 52 = 97 = 9.849
1 uC 2 uC
ROQ
a OQ = = 0.684a x + 0.456a y + 0.570α z
ROQ
Get the distances and R
unit vectors a PQ = PQ = 0.609a x − 0.609a y + 0.508α z
RPQ
 Electric Field Example
Obtain the E-field due to each point charges:

1 × 10 −6
E QO = (0.684ax + 0.456ay + 0.570a z )
4πε0 (77)
= 79.84ax + 53.23ay + 66.53az V/m

2 × 10 −6
E QP = (0.609ax − 0.609ay + 0.508a z )
4πε0 (97)
= 112.91a x − 112.91a y + 94.18az V/m

Apply Superposition Principle:

EQ = EQO + EQP = 192.75a x − 59.68a y +160.71a z V/m
 Electric Field Example
EQ
-0.5 uC
EOQ
EPQ
FQ P

1 uC 2 uC

Multiply charge Q to E-field to get the total force exerted onto point Q:
→
→ ↼ ↼
F
Since E = , then F = QE :
Q
↼
FQ = −0.5 × 10 −6 (192.75a x − 59.68a y + 160.71az )
= −96.38ax + 29.84ay − 80.36az uN
Electric Field Due to a Continuous
Charge Distribution
• DEFINE: Incremental Charge

∆q dq
ρv = lim =
∆v→0 ∆v dv
Volume Charge Differential Volume
Density
• Total Charge Q is expressed as:

qtotal = ∫ dq = ∫ ρv dv
vol vol

Integrate over the volume Triple


of charge distribution Integration!
Electric Field Due to a Continuous
Charge Distribution
•Due to incremental charge→ ∆q ,the
incremental electric field ∆E is:
→ → →
→ ∆q r − r'
∆E
∆E = → →2 → →
4πε0 r − r ' r − r'

•r = position vector of point in

question
• r ' = position vector where dq is
located
•To get the field, we can apply
superposition to all ∆q
 Electric Field Due to a Continuous
Charge Distribution
• Summing n discrete charges:
→ →→ → → →
∆q r − r' n
∆qi r − ri '
∆E = → →2 r→− r→' → E (r )= ∑ → →2 → →
r − ri '
4πε0 r − r ' i=1 4πε0 r − ri '

• If ∆v is shrunk so that it will approach zero (N will approach infinity),

the summation becomes an integral:
→ → →
n
ρv ∆v r − ri '
E (r ) = lim ∑ → →2 → →
∆v→0
i=1 4πε0 r − ri ' r − ri '
→ →
ρv r − ri '
=∫ → →2 → → dv
vol 4πε0 r − ri '
r − ri '
Example
•Find the electric field intensity at an arbitrary point 𝑃𝑃 0, 0, 𝑧𝑧0 on the z-
axis due to a circular ring of charge on the xy-plane centered at the
origin with charge density 𝜌𝜌𝐿𝐿 coulombs per meter. The radius of the ring
is 𝜌𝜌0 meters.
 Example
• Define points 𝑃𝑃 and 𝑄𝑄.
• Distance vector:
𝑟𝑟Ԧ𝑃𝑃 − 𝑟𝑟Ԧ𝑄𝑄 = 𝑥𝑥0 − 𝑥𝑥 𝑎𝑎𝑥𝑥 + 𝑦𝑦0 − 𝑦𝑦 𝑎𝑎𝑦𝑦 + 𝑧𝑧0 − 𝑧𝑧 𝑎𝑎𝑧𝑧
𝑟𝑟Ԧ𝑃𝑃 − 𝑟𝑟Ԧ𝑄𝑄 = −𝑥𝑥𝑎𝑎𝑥𝑥 − 𝑦𝑦𝑎𝑎𝑦𝑦 + 𝑧𝑧0 a 𝑧𝑧
𝑟𝑟Ԧ𝑃𝑃 − 𝑟𝑟Ԧ𝑄𝑄 = 𝑥𝑥 2 + 𝑦𝑦2 + 𝑧𝑧02

• Electric field due to an

infinitesimal charge:
1 𝑑𝑑𝑄𝑄
𝑑𝑑𝐸𝐸 =
4𝜋𝜋𝜖𝜖 0 𝑟𝑟Ԧ − 𝑟𝑟Ԧ 3
𝑃𝑃 𝑄𝑄

1 𝜌𝜌𝐿𝐿𝑑𝑑𝑙𝑙
𝑑𝑑𝐸𝐸 = 3
4𝜋𝜋𝜖𝜖0
 Example
1 𝜌𝜌𝐿𝐿𝑑𝑑𝑙𝑙
𝑑𝑑𝐸𝐸 = −𝑥𝑥𝑎𝑎𝑥𝑥 − 𝑦𝑦𝑎𝑎𝑦𝑦 + 𝑧𝑧 0𝑎𝑎𝑧𝑧
4𝜋𝜋𝜖𝜖0 𝑥𝑥 2 + 𝑦𝑦2 + 𝑧𝑧02 3/2

• Differential length is part of a circle,therefore, expressions are easier to manipulate

in cylindrical form with bounds 𝜌𝜌 = 𝜌𝜌0 ,𝑧𝑧 = 0,and 0 ≤ 𝜙𝜙 ≤ 2𝜋𝜋:
1 𝜌𝜌𝐿𝐿𝜌𝜌0𝑑𝑑𝜙𝜙
𝑑𝑑𝐸𝐸 = 2 2 −𝜌𝜌0 cos 𝜙𝜙 𝑎𝑎𝑥𝑥 − 𝜌𝜌0 sin 𝜙𝜙 𝑎𝑎𝑦𝑦 + 𝑧𝑧0 𝑎𝑎𝑧𝑧
4𝜋𝜋𝜖𝜖0 𝜌𝜌0 + 𝑧𝑧0 3/2

• Separate the differential electric field into its th2ree components:

1 𝜌𝜌𝐿𝐿 𝜌𝜌0 cos 𝜙𝜙 𝑑𝑑𝜙𝜙
𝑑𝑑𝐸𝐸𝑥𝑥 = −
4𝜋𝜋𝜖𝜖0 𝜌𝜌02 + 𝑧𝑧02 3/2
1 𝜌𝜌𝐿𝐿 𝜌𝜌02 sin 𝜙𝜙 𝑑𝑑𝜙𝜙
𝑑𝑑𝐸𝐸𝑦𝑦 = −
4𝜋𝜋𝜖𝜖0 𝜌𝜌02 + 𝑧𝑧02 3/2
1 𝜌𝜌𝐿𝐿𝜌𝜌0𝑧𝑧0𝑑𝑑𝜙𝜙
𝑑𝑑𝐸𝐸𝑧𝑧 = −
4𝜋𝜋𝜖𝜖0 𝜌𝜌02 + 𝑧𝑧02 3/2
 Example 𝑎𝑎𝑥𝑥 − 𝑎𝑎z + a

1 𝜌𝜌𝐿𝐿𝑑𝑑𝑙𝑙
𝑑𝑑𝐸𝐸 = −𝑥𝑥𝑎𝑎𝑥𝑥 − 𝑦𝑦𝑎𝑎𝑦𝑦 + 𝑧𝑧0 a 𝑧𝑧
4𝜋𝜋𝜖𝜖0 𝑥𝑥 2 + 𝑦𝑦2 + 𝑧𝑧02 3/2

• Differential length is part of a circle,therefore, expressions are easier to manipulate

in cylindrical form with bounds 𝜌𝜌 = 𝜌𝜌0 ,𝑧𝑧 = 0,and 0 ≤ 𝜙𝜙 ≤ 2𝜋𝜋:
1 𝜌𝜌𝐿𝐿𝜌𝜌0𝑑𝑑𝜙𝜙
𝑑𝑑𝐸𝐸 = 2 2 −𝜌𝜌0 cos 𝜙𝜙 𝑎𝑎𝑥𝑥 − 𝜌𝜌0 sin 𝜙𝜙 𝑎𝑎𝑦𝑦 + 𝑧𝑧0 𝑎𝑎𝑧𝑧
4𝜋𝜋𝜖𝜖0 𝜌𝜌0 + 𝑧𝑧0 3/2

• Separate the differential electric field into its th2ree components:

1 𝜌𝜌𝐿𝐿 𝜌𝜌0 cos 𝜙𝜙 𝑑𝑑𝜙𝜙
𝑑𝑑𝐸𝐸𝑥𝑥 = −
4𝜋𝜋𝜖𝜖0 𝜌𝜌02 + 𝑧𝑧02 3/2
1 𝜌𝜌𝐿𝐿 𝜌𝜌02 sin 𝜙𝜙 𝑑𝑑𝜙𝜙
𝑑𝑑𝐸𝐸𝑦𝑦 = −
4𝜋𝜋𝜖𝜖0 𝜌𝜌02 + 𝑧𝑧02 3/2
1 𝜌𝜌𝐿𝐿𝜌𝜌0𝑧𝑧0𝑑𝑑𝜙𝜙
𝑑𝑑𝐸𝐸𝑧𝑧 = −
4𝜋𝜋𝜖𝜖0 𝜌𝜌02 + 𝑧𝑧02 3/2
Example
• Integrate: 2𝜋𝜋
1 𝜌𝜌𝐿𝐿𝜌𝜌02
𝐸𝐸𝑥𝑥 = − 3 නcos 𝜙𝜙 𝑑𝑑𝜙𝜙 = 0
4𝜋𝜋𝜖𝜖0
𝜌𝜌02 + 𝑧𝑧02 2 0
2𝜋𝜋
1 2
𝜌𝜌𝐿𝐿 𝜌𝜌0
𝐸𝐸𝑦𝑦 = − 3 න sin 𝜙𝜙 𝑑𝑑𝜙𝜙 = 0
4𝜋𝜋𝜖𝜖0 2
𝜌𝜌0 + 𝑧𝑧02 2 0
2𝜋𝜋
1 𝜌𝜌𝐿𝐿𝜌𝜌0𝑧𝑧0 𝜌𝜌𝐿𝐿𝜌𝜌0𝑧𝑧0
𝐸𝐸𝑧𝑧 = − න 𝑑𝑑𝜙𝜙 = 2𝜖𝜖 𝜌𝜌2 + 𝑧𝑧 2 3/2
4𝜋𝜋𝜖𝜖0 𝜌𝜌02 + 𝑧𝑧02 3/2 0
0 0
0
• Summarize:
𝜌𝜌𝐿𝐿𝜌𝜌0𝑧𝑧0
𝐸𝐸 = 2𝜖𝜖 𝜌𝜌2 + 𝑧𝑧 2 3/2 𝑎𝑎𝑧𝑧
0
0 0