IMMACULATE CONCEPTION POLYTECHNIC

Sta. Maria, Bulacan, Philippines Inc.

Marian Road, Poblacion, Sta. Maria, Bulacan

MODULE 7 ELECTRIC FIELD

In this module, you will learn :

1. A charge object is surrounded by an electric field where another charge object will
experience an electric force.
2. An electric field produced by an object with an electric charge.
3. Electric patterns due to system with isolated point charges.
4. The relationship between the electric field and the electric force on a test charge.
5. The electric field due to a system of point charges using Coulomb’s law and the
superposition principle.

OBJECTIVES: After going this module, you are expected to :

1. Describe an electric field as a region in which an electric charge experience a force.
2. Draw electric field patterns due to system with isolated point charges.
3. Use in calculations the relationship between the electric field and the electric force on a
test charge
4. Calculate the electric field due to a system of point charges using Coulomb’s law and the
superposition principle.

TIME FRAME : 3 hours

DISCUSSIONS
1. Electric force is a non contact force. An electric charge q can exert a force on
another charged objects even though they are at some distance away.
2. The space surrounding a charged body is called an electric field.
3. An electric field causes any charged particle placed in it to experience an electric
force.
4. Every charge has an electric field associated with.
( Silverio, Angelina; Senior High School General physics 20
 IMMACULATE CONCEPTION POLYTECHNIC
Sta. Maria, Bulacan, Philippines Inc.
Marian Road, Poblacion, Sta. Maria, Bulacan

Michael Faraday, an English scientist, who made important discoveries on

electricity and magnetism, introduced the use of electric lines of force to map out
an electric field lines. Lines of force have the following properties
 IMMACULATE CONCEPTION POLYTECHNIC
Sta. Maria, Bulacan, Philippines Inc.
Marian Road, Poblacion, Sta. Maria, Bulacan

What are electric lines of force? State the properties of lines of force.

 Lines of force start from positively charged particles and end on negatively
charged particles or continue toward infinity.
 The field lines never intersect each other, nor break bas they pass from one
charge to another.
 The field lines are perpendicular to the surface of the charge.
 The magnitude of charge and the number of field lines, are both proportional to
each other.

.
 IMMACULATE CONCEPTION POLYTECHNIC
Sta. Maria, Bulacan, Philippines Inc.
Marian Road, Poblacion, Sta. Maria, Bulacan

Fig 1-a Fig 1-b

Electric field is defined as the electric force per unit charge. The direction

of the field is taken to be the direction of the force it would exert on a
positive test charge. The electric field is radially outward from a positive
charge and radially in toward a negative point charge

Figure 1-c Figure 1-d

Figure 2
 IMMACULATE CONCEPTION POLYTECHNIC
Sta. Maria, Bulacan, Philippines Inc.
Marian Road, Poblacion, Sta. Maria, Bulacan

Figure 1 : Mapping of an electric field using lines of force of different charge

configuration: (a) isolated positive charge ( b) isolated negative charge ( c) one
positive charge and one negative charge; and (d) two positive charges shown
with a neutral point

ELECTRIC FIELD DUE TO A POINT CHARGED

 An Electric field exists in the region o space around a space object or a source of
charged. When another charged objects enters this electric field, it will experience an
electric force. The strength of the electric field at a point due to the source charge is
called electric field intensity.
 In our discussion this electric field intensity is simply called the electric field denoted
as E
 Electric field is defined as the force that a test charge will experience when placed at
that point ( Physicist use a unit charge as the test charge.

│
 IMMACULATE CONCEPTION POLYTECHNIC
Sta. Maria, Bulacan, Philippines Inc.
Marian Road, Poblacion, Sta. Maria, Bulacan

Thus, the magnitude of the electric field due to the point charge is :
│q ₁ q ₂ │
E=k d²

Where E is the electric field ( N/C)

K = 9.0 x109 N.m2/C2

Sample problem :

1. Calculate the magnitude and direction of the electric field 0.45 from a
+7.85 x10-9 C point charge?
Given: q = 7.85 x 10-9C d=r = 0.45 m
Formula
│q │ ⦋│+7.85 x 10 ⁻⁹ │ ⦌
E =k r ² = ⦋ 9 x 109 N.m²/C² ( 0.45m) ²

= 348.89 N/C