CHAPTER 22: ELECTRIC FIELDS

Dr Reem M. Altuwirqi
http://www.cco.caltech.edu/~phys1/java/phys1/
EField/EField.html
 What we will learn
• What are electric fields and electric field lines
• The electric field due to:
• Point charge
• Electric dipole
• Line charge (straight & ring)
• Charged disk

•What happens to electric charge and dipoles

when placed in electric fields.
Electric Fields
Electric Field
What makes charges be pushed and pulled without touching?

Temperature field Electric field

scalar field vector field
Electric Field

. 𝐹
𝐸=
𝑞𝑜

Objectives:
1. Calculate E produced by a
given charge distribution
2. Calculate the F that a given
field exert on a charge
placed in it.
Electric Field Lines
Electric field lines help to visualize
E is a vector quantity:
the electric field
1. Direction:
EP
2. Straight for a straight electric
P
line or tangent for a field line
curved line
3. Magnitude:
4. Proportional to the
number of lines per
unit area
 Electric Field Lines

Uniform E Non-uniform E E Electric dipole

E field lines extend away from positive charge (where they
originate) and toward negative charge (where they terminate)
Electric Fields

E due to

Point Electric Line of Charged

charge dipole charge disk

E
+q
d
-q
Electric field due to a point charge
At point P we placed test charge qo

The force exerted on qo by q is:

E 1 𝑞 𝑞𝑜
𝐹=
qoP 4𝜋𝜀𝑜 𝑟 2
r 𝐹 1 𝑞
q 𝐸= =
𝑞𝑜 4𝜋𝜀𝑜 𝑟 2

Magnitude of E is a positive number

Direction of E:
Outward for +q
Inward for -q
Electric field due to a point charge
What if we have more than one point charge?

Superposition principle  vector addition

Electric field due to a point charge
Electric field due to a point charge
Electric field due to a point charge

From the symmetry of Fig. 22-7c, we

realize that the equal y components of our
two vectors cancel and the equal x
components add.

Thus, the net electric field at the origin

is in the positive direction of the x axis and
has the magnitude
 E due to

Point Electric Line of Charged

charge dipole charge disk

E
+q
d
-q

1 𝑞
𝐸=
4𝜋𝜀𝑜 𝑟 2
 Electric field due to an electric dipole
+q/2 +q/2
At point P we placed test charge qo

-q
The E exerted on qo by the dipole:

<<

p : Electric
dipole moment
 E due to

Point Electric Line of Charged

charge dipole charge disk

E
+q
d
-q

1 𝑞 1 𝑞𝑑
𝐸= 𝐸=
4𝜋𝜀𝑜 𝑟 2 2𝜋𝜀𝑜 𝑧 3
 Electric field due to a line of charge

For continuous distribution of charge it

is more convenient to us charge
densities

How to find E due to line of charge?

1. Find dq
2. Find dE
3. Integrate dE to find E

y
x dx dQ =  dx
dE P x

d L
 Electric field due to a line of charge

How to find E due to

line of charge?
1. Find dq
2. Find dE
3. Integrate dE to r  z 2  R2
find E cos  z / r

A C
dq

What happens if z >> R ?

What happens if z =0 ?
Electric field due to a line of charge
 E due to

Point Electric Line of Charged

charge dipole charge disk

E
+q
d
-q

1 𝑞 1 𝑞𝑑 𝑧𝜆(2𝜋𝑅)
𝐸= 𝐸= 𝐸=
4𝜋𝜀𝑜 𝑟 2 2𝜋𝜀𝑜 𝑧 3 4𝜋𝜀𝑜 (𝑧 2 +𝑅2 )3/2
 Electric field due to a charged disk
How to find E due to
line of charge?
1. Find dq
2. Find dE
3. Integrate dE to
find E

𝜎 𝑧
𝐸= (1 − )
2𝜀𝑜 𝑧 2 +𝑅2

What happens if R  ? What happens if z =0 ?

 E due to

Point Electric Line of Charged

charge dipole charge disk

E
+q
d
-q

1 𝑞 1 𝑞𝑑
𝐸= 𝐸=
4𝜋𝜀𝑜 𝑟 2 2𝜋𝜀𝑜 𝑧 3 𝜎 𝑧
𝐸= (1 − )
2𝜀𝑜 𝑧 2 +𝑅2
𝑧𝜆(2𝜋𝑅)
𝐸=
4𝜋𝜀𝑜 (𝑧 2 +𝑅2 )3/2
Charge in an electric field

What happens if we place in an electric field

A point An electric
charge dipole
A point charge in an electric field

+
+
- - - - - - - - - - - - - F
+q +
- E +
F +
+
+ + + + + + + + + + + + +
 +
E +
A point charge in an electric field
A point charge in an electric field

Some applications of electric charge in electric fields

1. Measuring the elementary charge

2. Ink-jet printing
3. Electric breakdown and sparking
4. Pollination and electrostatics
A point charge in an electric field
A point charge in an electric field
A dipole in an electric field

+q • Water molecules have a built-in

d electric dipole moment
• The bonding between the O atom
-q and the two H atoms involve the
sharing of 10 valence electrons
+q/2 +q/2
• The 10 electrons have the tendency
to remain closer to the O atom.
• O side is more (-)
• H side is more (+)
-q
What happens to the dipole when we place it
in an electric field?
 A dipole in an electric field

• E gives a force F on each +q

dipole [F=qE]
d
• The forces are equal in
magnitude and opposite in -q
direction. [E is uniform]
• Fnet = 0 , COM doesn’t move.
• Forces produce torque on the
ends [=rF sin]

Torque tend to rotate p in the

direction of E thus reducing 
• Clockwise rotation (-) max at =90o
 Potential energy of an electric dipole

• Potential energy can be associated with

the orientation of the electric dipole.
• When p is lined up with E, =0 [=pE
Sin].
• External agent is needed to change the
orientation.
[PE=0 at =90o]
• W is the Work done by the field on the
dipole.

Dipole will act as a pendulum

Potential energy of an electric dipole

Umax at p E
=180o

U = 0 at p E
=90o
B
U

Umin at =0o E
18
p
0˚
A
Potential energy of an electric dipole

p
Work done by E on i
the dipole E
Fig. a

𝑊 = −∆𝑈 = −(𝑈𝑓 − 𝑈𝑖 )
𝑊𝑎 = −𝑊 p
Word done by
torque on dipole f
(external agent) E
Fig. b

𝑊𝑎 = ∆𝑈 = (𝑈𝑓 − 𝑈𝑖 )
A dipole in an electric field
A dipole in an electric field
What have we learnt
• What are electric fields and electric field lines
• The electric field due to:
1 𝑞
• Point charge 𝐸 = 4𝜋𝜀𝑜 𝑟 2
• Electric dipole 𝐸 = 1 𝑞𝑑
2𝜋𝜀𝑜 𝑧 3
• Line charge (straight & ring)
• Charged disk

•What happens to electric charge and dipoles

when placed in electric fields.