Lecture 3: Electric Field Due to Continuous Charge Distributions

Prof. Dr. Nehmdoh A. Sabiha

Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Menoufia University.
 STEPS
for calculating
the electric field intensity
due to
the charge distributions
Locate element of charge dq or dQ in a general position.
Find dE due to dq by Coulomb’s law

Substitute with dq and R

 Resolving dE to its components

Carry out integration process:

from to
the first element of the charged body the end point of the charged body
The electric field intensity due to the charge distributions

It should be noted that R2 and aR vary as the integrals in eqs. are evaluated.
Always integrate over the coordinates of the charges.
Write an expression for a position vector at any point in space in the rectangular
coordinate system. Then transform the position vector into a vector in the
cylindrical coordinate system.

(The position vector has no component in the tangential ϕ direction)

Electric Field due to a charged infinite line
The charge is distributed with uniform density along an
infinite, straight line.

Electric field intensity (E) at any point resulting from a

uniform line charge density l.
Electric field at point P
R=r-r' = a - z'az

𝑘𝑑𝑄 𝜌𝒂𝜌 −𝑧′𝑎𝑧

d𝑬 =
𝑅2 𝝆2 +𝑧′2

∞ 𝑘𝜌𝐿 𝜌𝑑𝑧
E= ‫׬‬−∞ 𝜌2 +𝑧′2 3/2 𝑎𝜌

∞
𝑧′ 2𝑘𝜌𝐿
= 𝑘𝜌𝐿 𝜌 𝑎𝜌 = 𝑎𝜌
𝜌2 𝜌2 +𝑧′2 −∞
𝜌
A uniform line charge, infinite in extent with l= 20 nC/m, lies along z
axis. Find E at (6,8,3) m.
Electric Field due to a finite charged line
z
A rod of length l , has a uniform positive charge per unit
length L and a total charge Q. Calculate the electric field
at a point P (E(0,0,0)) that is located along the axis of the
rod and a distance a from one end.
y

X
The electric field at P due to a uniformly charged
rod lying along the y axis: z

𝑑𝑞 𝜌𝐿𝑑𝑦
𝑑𝐸 = 𝑘 2 = 𝑘 2
𝑦 𝑦
𝑙+𝑎
𝑑𝑦 𝑦
𝑬 = 𝑘𝜌𝐿 න
𝑎 𝑦2 𝑑𝑦
𝑙+𝑎 𝑷 y
−1
= 𝑘𝜌𝐿
𝑦 𝑎
𝑄 1 1 X
= 𝑘 −
𝑙 𝑎 𝑙+𝑎
𝑘𝑄
𝑬 =
𝑎(𝑙 + 𝑎)
−𝑘𝑄
𝑬= 𝑎𝑦
𝑎(𝑙 + 𝑎)
 Check your answer

Suppose point P is very far away from the rod. What is the nature of the
electric field at such a point?

Since it is a finite line segment, from far away, it should look like a point
charge. We will check the expression we get to see if it meets this
expectation.

If P is far from the rod (a >>l), then, E  k Q/a2. That is exactly the form
you would expect for a point charge. Therefore, at large values of a/l, the
charge distribution appears to be a point charge of magnitude Q ; the
point P is so far away from the rod we cannot distinguish that it has a size.
 Electric Field due to a ring of charge
A ring has a uniform positive charge density l
with a total charge Q. Find:
a) the electric field at a point on the axis passing
through the center of the ring.
b) the electric field intensity at the center of the
ring.
c) the electric field intensity if z>>>r
a) the electric field at a point on the axis passing through the center of
the ring.

b) the electric field intensity at the center of the ring.

The field is zero at z=0.

c) the electric field intensity if z>>>r

The ring acts like a point charge for locations far away from the ring.
Electric Field due to a charged infinite surface
An infinite sheet of charge in the yz
plane, a general point P on the x axis,
and the differential-width line charge
used as the element in determining the
field at P
For the field is always directed away from the positive charge. This
difficulty in sign is usually overcome by specifying a unit vector aN,
which is normal to the sheet and directed outward, or away from it.
Electric field due to a charged circular disk
z
Find the electric field at a distance z above
the center of a circular thin disk of radius R
and uniform charge density.

X
 The electric field for a surface charge is given by

To solve surface charge problems, we break the surface into symmetrical differential
“stripes” that match the shape of the surface

by symmetry, the horizontal components cancel and the field is entirely in the vertical
direction. The vertical component of the electric field is given by:
 Building Near Powerlines
(Overhead &Underground powerlines )

❑ Definition of Electricity Infrastructure Easement.

❑ Effects of Powerlines on Humans and Plants.

❑ The Minimum Safety Clearance Distance.

Thank you