Chapter 1

Electric charges and field

Electrostatics
Branch of physics which deals with the study of
forces , fields and potentials arising from static
charges.

Video link- start from 9min https://youtu.be/x1-SibwIPM4

Electric Charge

Electric charge is the physical property of matter by virtue of which it

can exert electric force on another objects.

When insulating surfaces are rubbed against each other, a static charge is developed which
gets discharged after getting in contact with a conductor.

Only one of the two charges(or polarity) gets developed on rubbing – either positive or
negative. An object becomes positively charged when it loses the loosely bound electrons to
another object while rubbing. The other object gains electrons and becomes negatively
charged.

When like charges are brought near, they repel each other. Unlike charges attract each other.
The charges get neutralized when the two bodies are brought in contact.
Q 1. How many electrons would have to be removed from a
copper penny to leave it with a charge of 1.0×10−7C ?
Methods of charging

1. By Friction: When two bodies rub together both positive and negative charges in equal
amounts appear simultaneously due to transfer of electrons. When a glass rod is rubbed
with a silk cloth, the electrons are transferred from glass rod to silk. The glass rod becomes
positively charged and the silk rod becomes negatively charged.

2. By conduction: When two conductors are brought in contact, the

charges will spread over both the conductors. For example, when a
negatively charged plastic rod is brought in contact with a neutral pith
ball some of the electrons of the rod are transferred to the pith ball and
the pith ball also becomes negatively charged.
By induction: When a charged body is brought near an uncharged body, one
side of the neutral body becomes oppositely charged while the other side
has the same charge. For example, when a positively charged glass rod is
brought near a paper the paper gets attracted, this is because of the rod
attracts the electrons of paper towards it so that the edge of the paper near
the rod becomes negatively charged and the other end becomes positively
charged due to deficiency of electrons.
Q2
Coulomb’s Law
Coulomb’s law states that Force exerted between two stationary point charges:
The force acting between nearby electrically charged bodies depends on mainly three factors.

1. Charge of the bodies Q1 and Q2 coulombs that is the product of charges of the bodies.
2. Distance between the center of the charges i.e. d meters. The force is inversely proportional
to the square of the distance d.
3. The medium in which the bodies are placed.
Permittivity of a medium
Is a measure of the ability of a material to resist the formation of
electric field within it.
Relative permittivity is also called as dielectric constant.
Note: more on dielctrics will be done in the second chapter.
Force in a medium is 1/ times th eforce in vacuum

For metals is infinity

 Q 3. The force between two stationary charges is 900N in air. If
this charge system is kept in a medium with εr = 10 . What is
the new force?
Q 4. The force between two charges in air is 900N . In
water it is 10N. What is the dielectric constant of water?
Ans

3. Fm = 1/ εr x F o=( 1/10 ) 900= 90N

4. εr =F0/Fm= 900/10= 90
Coulomb’s law in vector form
Eg 1.6
Eg 1.7
Ex 1.1
Ex 1.2
Ex 1.3
Ex 1.6
Extra Q