Electricity & Magnetism – Lecture 2

Electric field and its intensity

 According to Coulombs Law
Point charge Positive unit the closer the test charge the
test charge F
stronger the force
+
q'

The field can be determined by the effects on the test charge

in different locations
Electric field

Field Intensity= E
The electric field intensity at a point is the force experienced by a unit positive charge placed at
that point. Electric Field Intensity is a vector quantity.

F F(on q')
+ E=
q'
q'
q
qq '
k kq
E= r 2
E= 2
q' r
Electric field

+
+
+

-
Test Charge

+
+

Field Lines

Field Lines represent the intensity and direction of the

Electric Field
Relation between electric Field and lines of force

1. The closer together the lines of force, the

stronger the electric field.

2. The directions of the electric field is tangent to

the lines of force.

3. The electric field lines start at positive charges

and end on negative charges.

4. The number of lines leaving or entering a charge

is proportional to the magnitude of the charge.
Direction of Electric Field

The electric field direction is always directed away

from positive source charges and towards negative
source charges.

Electric Field Intensity

The greater the number of electric field lines.

The greater the field intensity.

The density of electric field lines around these three objects reveals that the quantity of
charge on C is greater than that on B which is greater than that on A.
Unlike Charges
like Charges
Electric Field lines
Electric Field Intensity in vector form
Let a test charge q0 placed at a distance r from a point charge.
F
According to coulomb’s law r
+
q0
 

⃗ = ̂ q


⃗ 
= = ̂
 

If charge distribution is not discrete but
If n number of points charges  ,  , ……..  are placed continuous, then the charge must be divided into
near the test charge q0 then the net force on  is infinitesimal elements of charge dq
 

⃗ =
 +
 +
 + ⋯ … … . +
 = ̂


  
= + +……+ 
    =  
 =  +  +  + ⋯ … … . +
We will use the symbol
λ = line charge density
We will use the symbol
σ = surface charge density
We will use the symbol
ρ = volume charge density
Electric field intensity due to uniformly charged wire dEy
dE
line charge density = λ θ

 = O dEx P

Calculate E at P. θ

1  r R
 =
4#$ %

1 O
 =
dq
4#$   + 
o x dx
& = ' sin + , =  cos +

Due to symmetry, the horizontal components of the electric field intensity will cancel
each other.
Electric field intensity due to uniformly charged wire
, =  cos +

Total field due to the infinite wire is

0 0 0
E = /10 , = /10  cos + = 2 /  cos +

0  O& = 789+ 789+ =


Let
E =2 / cos +

 3&   = 456  + d+ 456  + =1+789 +
0 &
 3& 
/ cos +
O =
E =

 
 3& 

/
:;<  = d=
/ cos +
O
E =
 
 :;<  = d= O
E=


/ ?@A=d=
/
O
r
E =
 
Electric field intensity due to charged circular ring
So,
=

1 O(2#8) 1 E
If x >> a
= =
4#$  4#$ 
Electric field intensity due to charged disk

F
= (1 '
V
)
 F  3G 
Electric field intensity due to an electric dipole

Electric dipole
Two equal and opposite charges separated by a very small distance together constitute a dipole.

Dipole moment H defined as the simple product of magnitude of either charge and the distance of
separation between the two charges.

I⃗ = (28⃗)
2a
Why?
Dipole moment H always points from -q to +q. Its SI unit is coulomb metre (Cm).