CHAPTER 22

ELECTRIC Field
Term 2023-1
 The electric field due to a point charge
According to Coulombs’ law, q1 exerts a force q2. The question is, how
does q1 know the presence of q2. The answer is, due to the electric field that
it produces around it. The field can be represented by electric field lines
that extended away from positive charge and toward negative charge.
The magnitude of the field at a distance r from the charge is given by

𝑞 r
𝐸=𝑘 2
𝑟

The direction of the field at any point must be

tangent to the field line at that point and in the
same direction as shown figures. In other words,
the direction at any point is defined as the
direction of electrostatic force that exerted on a
positive test charge q0 placed at that point
 The electric field at an arbitrary point due to point charges

Consider the five point charges shown in the figure.

What is the net electric field at point p. The answer is

𝐸 = E1 + E2 + E3 + E4

q4 q3
𝐸4 𝐸3
p
𝐸1 𝐸2
q2
q1
 y
Example: Three charges are shown in the
figure. q1 = 2Q, q2 = -2Q, and q3 = -4Q. Each q1
a distance d from the origin. What net E3 q3
electric field is produced at the origin E1
30 30 x
Solution: 𝐸 = 𝐸1 + 𝐸2 + 𝐸3 30
E2
𝑞1 q2
𝐸1 = 𝐸2 = 𝑘 𝑟12
=9× 109 2𝑄
𝑑2
= 18 × 109 𝑑𝑄2

𝑞3 y
𝐸3 = 𝑘 𝑟32
=9× 109 4𝑄
𝑑2
= 36 × 109 𝑑𝑄2
E1 E3
𝐸𝑥 = 𝐸1 cos 30 + 𝐸2 cos 30 + 𝐸3 cos 30 = 6.2 × 1010 𝑑𝑄2
30 30
𝐸𝑦 = −𝐸1 sin 30 − 𝐸2 sin 30 + 𝐸3 sin 30 = 0 x
30
E2
𝐸= 𝐸𝑥2 + 𝐸𝑦2 = 6.2 × 1010 𝑑𝑄2 Direction +𝑖Ƹ
 A point charge in an external electric field
.
If a charge q is placed in an external electric field, q E
the field will exert a force on the charge given by

𝐹Ԧ = 𝑞𝐸
Example: An ink drop of mass 1.3  10-10 kg and charge Q = -1.5  10-13 C enters with a speed of 18
m/s along the x axis in the region between the plates of an ink-jet printer as shown in the figure. A
downward electric field of magnitude 1.4  106 N/C exists between the plates of length L = 1.6 cm.
What is the vertical deflection of the drop at the far end of the plates Neglect the gravitational force
on the drop y .
E
𝐹Ԧ = −𝑄𝐸 = −𝑄 × −𝐸 𝑗Ƹ = 𝑄𝐸 𝐽መ = 𝑚𝑎𝑦 𝑗Ƹ → 𝑎𝑦 = 𝑄𝐸/𝑚 m
x
The vertical and horizontal position of the drop at the far end of the plates are
𝑦 = 12𝑎𝑦 𝑡 2 𝑥 = 𝐿 = v𝑥 t → 𝑡 = 𝐿/v𝑥
𝑄𝐸𝐿2
Substituting for ay and t into y we find 𝑦= 2𝑚v2𝑥
= 0.64 𝑚𝑚
 The electric field due to electric dipole

The electric dipole is two charges of equal magnitude but opposite

signs such d  z, where d is the distance between charges and z is +q z
the distance between the dipole mid point and an arbitrary point on
the axis of the dipole at which we want to determine the electric field
d
The field at a any point on the axis of the dipole is given by
𝑝Ԧ
1
𝐸 = 2𝜋𝜀 𝑝Ԧ
= 2𝑘 𝑧𝑝Ԧ3 P = qd –q
0 𝑧3

Where p is called the electric dipole moment. It has a

direction from the negative to the positive charge

Example: The cloud ground system in the lightning can be modeled as a vertical electric dipole
that has –q at the cloud and +q at the ground. If q=200 C with a separation d = 12 km. What is
the magnitude of the electric field at altitude z1 = 30 km and z2 = 60 km

Solution 𝐸1 = 2𝑘 𝑞𝑑
= 1600 𝑁/𝐶 𝐸2 = 2𝑘 𝑞𝑑 = 200 𝑁/𝐶
𝑧13 𝑧3 2
A dipole in an electric field 
 F
If the dipole is placed in an electric E
field, a force acts on each charge, given

 p  
by −F E
𝐹Ԧ = 𝑞𝐸
The two equal but opposite forces shown in the
figure produce a torque on the dipole, given by
𝜏Ԧ = 𝑝Ԧ × 𝐸 𝜏 = 𝑝𝐸 sin 𝜃 Into the page

The dipole has a potential energy, given by 𝑈 = −𝑃. 𝐸 = −𝑃𝐸 cos 𝜃

If the dipole orientation changes, the work done is W =  U

Where the – or + signs are if the orientation done by

the electric field or the external agent respectively
 Atomic and molecular dipole

In neutral atoms the centers of the positively charged nucleus

and negatively charged electrons are coincide. when the atom is +-
placed in an external electric field, the field apply oppositely
directed forces on the positive sand the negative charge of the
atom. The atom is said to have an induced electric dipole

In the case of some molecules such as the water

molecule (H2O), the centers of the positively charged
nucleus and negatively charged electrons are not
coincide. Thus, the molecule has a permanent electric
dipole that exists without the external field
 Example: A water molecule (H2O) in its vapor state has an
electric dipole moment p= 6.2  10-30 C.m. (a) How far apart
are the molecule’s centers of positive and negative charge

Solution: There are 10 electrons and 10 protons in the molecule.

𝑝 𝑝 6.2 × 10−30
𝑑= = = −19
= 3.9 pm
𝑞 10 𝑒 10 × (1.6 × 10 )

(b) If the water molecule is placed in an external electric field of

1.5  104 N/C. What maximum torque can the field exert on it

𝜏 = 𝑝𝐸 sin 𝜃 = 6.2 × 10−30 1.5 × 104 sin 9 0 = 9.3 × 10−26 𝑁. 𝑚.

(c) How much work must be done by external agent to turn the dipole
180, starting from its fully alignment in the field

𝑊 = Δ𝑈 = 𝑈(180) − 𝑈(0) = −𝑃𝐸 cos 1 80∘ − −𝑃𝐸 cos 0 = 2𝑃𝐸 = 1.9 × 10−25 J
 Charge distribution

Linear charge density

𝑑𝑞 𝑞
𝜆= 𝜆= Units C/m
𝑑𝑙 𝑙 q

+
+
+
+
+

+
+
+
𝑑𝑞 𝑞 Surface charge density
𝜎= 𝜎= Units C/m2
𝑑𝐴 𝐴 + + ++ +
+ + + + + q

Volume charge density

𝑑𝑞 𝑞 + ++ + +
𝜌=
𝑑𝑉
𝜌=
𝑉 Units C/m3 + ++ + q
+ + + ++
+ +
+
 The electric field at a point on the axis of a uniformly charged ring of charge q and radius R.

z
Let ds be a differential element of the ring that has a charge element dq. dE dE
𝑑𝑞 = 𝑘 𝜆ds
𝑑𝐸 = 𝑘 2 where 𝑑𝑞 = 𝜆𝑑𝑠 . y
2
z +𝑅 2
𝑟
The horizontal components of E (dE sin ), cancel. p x
The vertical components of E (dE cos ) are given by
2𝜋𝑅 
𝐸 = න 𝑑𝐸 cos 𝜃 = න 𝑑𝐸𝑐𝑜𝑠 𝜃 r z
0 + +
𝑧 𝑧 + +
wℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 cos 𝜃 = = 2𝑟 1/ 2 ds
z + 𝑅2 ds +
+ R q+
𝑘𝑞𝑧 + +
𝐸= 2 3Τ2
𝑧 + 𝑅2
The electric field at a point on the axis of a disk of charge q and radius R

Divide the disk into concentric rings of charge dq and . dE
radius r. The electric field of the ring at point p is is
p
𝑘(𝑑𝑞)𝑧
𝑑𝐸 = 2 dq = dA =  (2r dr)
𝑧 + 𝑟 2 3Τ2
z
Integrate dE from r = 0 to r = R, we get

𝜎 𝑧
𝐸= 1−
2𝜀0 𝑧 2 + 𝑅2
For infinite nonconducting disk, R→  r
R
𝜎
𝐸= infinite nonconductor sheet
2𝜀0

This is the electric field by an infinite nonconductor sheet of charge on one side
 Example : A nonconducting disk has a radius R = 2.5
cm and  = 5.3 C/m2. Calculate the following
(a)The magnitude of the electric field at a point on the
central axis at a distance z = 12 cm
(b)The magnitude of the field at the center of the disk 12 cm

Solution
𝜎 𝑧 𝑁 2.5 cm
(a) 𝐸= 1− = 6.3 × 103
2𝜀0 𝑧 2 + 𝑅2 𝐶
 = 5.3 C/m2

𝜎 𝑁
(b) 𝐸= = 3 × 105
2𝜀0 𝐶
 R 2𝜋𝑅 circumference of a circle ‫محيط الدائرة‬

𝜋𝑅2 Area of a circle ‫مساحة الدائرة‬

4𝜋𝑅2 Area of a sphere ‫مساحة الكرة‬

R
4 3
𝜋𝑅 Volume of a sphere ‫حجم الكرة‬
3

𝜋𝑅2 ℎ Volume of a cylinder ‫حجم االسطوانة‬

R
2𝜋𝑅ℎ area of the curved surface ‫مساحة الجزء الدائري‬
h