LECTURE 3

Electric Field Calculations

1
Objectives
Evaluate the electric field at a Evaluate the electric field at a
point in space due to discrete point in space due to continuous
charge distributions charge distributions
 P

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 The electric field…
• points away
from positive
charges
+ - (originates from
positive charges)
• points towards
negative charges
(terminates at
negative charges)

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 Q q1

qn q2
q3

P
qo
(Superposition of forces)

(Superposition of E-fields)

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 Components:

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 P

q3 q1 q2
- + -

a a

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 1 – Identify the direction of the electric field due to
each charge in the system (Remember: electric
fields point away from (+) and towards (-) )

q3 q1 q2
- + -

a a

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 P

q3 q1 q2
- + -

a a

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 P

a
q3 q1 q2

a a
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CHARGE DISTRIBUTIONS
Point charge Charge distribution
q Q
r
P
P
At point P,

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CHARGE DISTRIBUTIONS
Two types of Charge Distribution
+ +
– + + + + + + + + + + + +
+
Continuous Charge
– Distribution
Discrete Charge
Distribution

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 Q q1

qn q2
q3

P
qo

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CONTINUOUS CHARGE DISTRIBUTIONS
Notation for charge distributions Examples:
• line charge distribution (1-D)
λ (Greek letter lambda) : linear charge density
(charge per unit length. measured in C/m)

• surface charge distribution (2-D)

σ (Greek letter sigma) : surface charge density
(charge per unit area: measured in C/m2)

• volume charge distribution (3-D)

ρ (Greek letter rho) : volume charge density
(charge per unit volume: measured in C/m3)

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CONTINUOUS CHARGE DISTRIBUTIONS
Charge densities

dq’

dx

dq’
dq’

dA dV

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EXAMPLE: Field of a charged rod

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SOLUTION: Field of a charged rod

Treat the infinitesimal

infinitesimal section as a point source!
section of rod with
length dx
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SOLUTION: Field of a charged rod

where

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SOLUTION: Field of a charged rod

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Follow-up: Field of a charged rod

We retrieve the electric

field formula for a point
charge!

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Electric Field of a Charged Rod
Positive charge Q is
distributed uniformly along
the y-axis between y = -a and
y = +a. Find the electric field
at point P on the x-axis
located at the symmetry axis
of the rod at a distance x
from the origin.

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Solution: Field of a Charged Rod

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Solution: Field of a Charged Rod

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Solution: Field of a Charged Rod

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Solution: Field of a Charged Rod

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Solution: Field of a Charged Rod

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Solution: Field of a Charged Rod

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Electric Field of an Infinite Line Charge
If the charge distribution has a +λ At point P (to the right of the line charge):
Magnitude:
y

Direction: +x-direction
x
P At point R (to the left of the line charge):
R
x Magnitude:

+λ Direction: -x-direction

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Electric Field of an Infinite Line Charge
If the charge distribution has a -λ At point P (to the right of the line charge):
Magnitude:
y

Direction: -x-direction
x
P At point R (to the left of the line charge):
R
x Magnitude:

-λ Direction: +x-direction

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Electric Field of a Ring Charge

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Solution: Electric Field of a Ring Charge

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Electric Field of a Disk Charge

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Solution: Electric Field of a Disk Charge

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Follow-up: Electric Field of a Disk
Charge

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 Electric Field of an Infinite Plane
Sheet of Charge
Side-view of the infinite sheet with At point P (to the right of the sheet):
surface charge density of +σ Magnitude:
y

Direction: +x-direction
x
P At point R (to the left of the sheet):

R
x Magnitude:

+σ
Direction: -x-direction

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EXAMPLE: Electric Field of an Infinite Plane
Sheet of Charge

Sheet 1

d
Sheet 2

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Solution: Electric Field of an Infinite Plane
Sheet of Charge

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Another Example: Electric Field of an
Infinite Plane Sheet of Charge
An infinite line of charge with linear charge density λ was placed a
distance d on top of an infinite sheet with surface charge density σ
as shown. What is the net electric field at point P at a distance of
2d from the line?

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TRY THIS
1. Two point charges and a point P lie at the
vertices of an equilateral triangle as shown. Charge #1
Both point charges have the same –q
magnitude q but opposite signs. There is
nothing at point P.
The net electric field that Charges #1 and #2 P
produce at point P is in:
a) the +x-direction. d) the –y-direction. y +q
b) the –x-direction. e) none of the above Charge #2
c) the +y-direction. x

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TRY THIS
2. Two point charges and a point P lie at the
vertices of an equilateral triangle as shown. Charge #1
Both point charges have the same negative –q
charge (–q). There is nothing at point P.
The net electric field that Charges #1 and #2 P
produce at point P is in:
a) the +x-direction. d) the –y-direction.
b) the –x-direction. e) none of the above y –q
c) the +y-direction. Charge #2
x

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TRY THIS
3. Positive charge is uniformly distributed
around a semicircle. The electric field that
this charge produces at the center of
curvature P is in:
a) the +x-direction. d) the –y-direction.
b) the –x-direction. e) none of the above
c) the +y-direction.

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TRY THIS - ANSWERS
1. C: Electric fields point towards negative 2. A: Electric fields point towards negative
charges (charge #1) while electric fields point charges (charges #1 and #2).
away from positive charges (charge #2).
Charge #1 Charge #1
–q –q

Enet
E1
E2 E1 P
P Enet
E2

y y –q
+q
Charge #2 Charge #2

x x

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TRY THIS - ANSWERS
3. D: Electric fields point away from positive charges.
Thus, at each point in the semicircle, the electric field is
pointing away. (Field due to sample A is shown)
Evaluating the integrals, we’ll see that the components
along the x-axis cancel. A

Note that:
where
EAx = -EAcos(θ)x̂ θ
where
EAy = -EAsin(θ)ŷ
EA

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QUIZ 3
Consider three charged infinite
planes that are parallel to each
other as shown in the figure. The L L
rightmost plane has uniform charge
density +σ while the two have
uniform charge density –σ. Calculate I II III IV
the net electric field at each of the
four regions (I to IV). (1.5 pts each) –σ –σ +σ

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