Tutorial 2

Concept and exercises of Electrostatics

2024.02.19
 • Coulomb’s law
• Superposition principle
Outlook • Continuous charge distribution
• Field lines
• Electric Flux
• Gauss’s Law
 COULOMB’S LAW
𝑭!" 𝑭"!

q is a scalar Magnitude
(The plus or minus sign indicates positive or negative charge)
# #
𝑭!" 𝑭"!
Magnitude
F is a vector
Direction

If 𝒒𝟏 = 𝒒𝟐 , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coulomb%27s_law

| +𝑞! × +𝑞" |
𝑭!" = 𝑭"! = 𝑘& 1 • #
𝑭!" / 𝑭!" : The electrostatic force experienced by 𝑞!
𝑟" (𝑘! = )
| +𝑞! × −𝑞" | 4𝜋𝜀"
#
#
𝑭!" = 𝑭#"! = 𝑘& • 𝑭"! / 𝑭"! : The electrostatic force experienced by 𝑞"
𝑟"
SUPERPOSITION PRINCIPLE
For multiple charges, coulomb’s law still holds true.

+𝑞#

𝑭#

𝑭$
𝑭& −𝑄 +𝑞$

+𝑞& 𝑭%

+𝑞%
CONTINUOUS CHARGE DISTRIBUTION
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/electric/elepot.html#c1

The total charge (Q)

A charged body with a specific shape.

CONTINUOUS CHARGE DISTRIBUTION
For continuous charge distribution,

1 Q
|𝐅| = % " dq
4πε1 r

|𝐅| 1 1
𝐄 = =% " dq
𝑄 4πε1 r
Example:
What is the electric field at a distance h above a line segment (from -a to b), carrying an electric charge of l coulombs/m.

𝑬 = 𝑬' + 𝑬( = |𝑬' |$ + |𝑬( |$

𝜃
+ +
ℎ 1 𝑑𝑄 1 𝜆𝑑𝑥 𝜆 𝑥 𝑑𝑥
𝑬' = 6 : sin 𝜃 = 6 : sin 𝜃 = 6 %
4𝜋𝜀" r $ 4𝜋𝜀" )* r $ 4𝜋𝜀" )*
(𝑥 $ + $
ℎ )$
+ +
1 𝑑𝑄 1 𝜆𝑑𝑥 𝜆 ℎ 𝑑𝑥
𝑬( = 6 : cos 𝜃 = 6 : cos 𝜃 = 6 %
4𝜋𝜀" r $ 4𝜋𝜀" )* r $ 4𝜋𝜀" )*
(𝑥 $ + $
ℎ )$

𝑥 𝑑𝑥 1 𝑑(𝑥 $ + ℎ$ ) 1 $
#
$ )$ $
#
$ )$
6 % = 26 % = 2 : [−2 : (𝑥 + ℎ ) ] + 𝐶 = −(𝑥 + ℎ ) +𝐶
(𝑥 $ + ℎ$ )$ (𝑥 $ + ℎ$ )$
+
𝜆 𝑥 𝑑𝑥 𝜆 $ $
#
)$ 𝑏 𝜆 1 1
𝑬' = 6 % = 4𝜋𝜀 [−(𝑥 + ℎ ) ] F−𝑎 = 4𝜋𝜀 [− + ]
4𝜋𝜀" )* " " 𝑏 $ + ℎ$ 𝑎 $ + ℎ$
(𝑥 $ + ℎ$ )$
𝑬 = 𝑬' + 𝑬( = |𝑬' |$ + |𝑬( |$
𝜆 𝑥 𝑑𝑥 𝜆 $
#
$ )$ 𝑏 𝜆 1 1
𝑬' = 6 % = [−(𝑥 + ℎ ) ] F = [− + ]
4𝜋𝜀" 4𝜋𝜀" −𝑎 4𝜋𝜀" $
𝑏 +ℎ $ $
𝑎 +ℎ $
(𝑥 $ + ℎ$ )$

ℎ 𝑑𝑥 ℎ 𝑑(ℎ : tan 𝜃) 1 𝑑(tan 𝜃) 1 sec $ 𝜃 𝑑𝜃 1 1

6 % =6 % = 6 % = 6 = 6 cos 𝜃 𝑑𝜃 = sin 𝜃 + C
ℎ ℎ sec % 𝜃 ℎ ℎ
(𝑥 $ + $
ℎ )$ [(ℎ : $ $
tan 𝜃) +ℎ ]$ $
[(tan 𝜃) +1]$

+
𝜆 ℎ 𝑑𝑥 𝜆 1 𝑥 𝑏 𝜆 1 𝑏 1 𝑎
𝑬( = 6 % = : : F = :[ : + : ]
4𝜋𝜀" )* 4𝜋𝜀" ℎ 𝑥 $ + ℎ$ −𝑎 4𝜋𝜀" ℎ 𝑏 $ + ℎ$ ℎ 𝑎$ + ℎ$
(𝑥 $ + $
ℎ )$

𝜆 𝑏 $ + ℎ$ 1 𝑎$ + ℎ$ 1 2𝑎𝑏 − 2ℎ$ 1
𝑬 = |𝑬' |$ + |𝑬( |$ = : + +
4𝜋𝜀" ℎ$ 𝑏 $ + ℎ$ ℎ$ 𝑎$ + ℎ$ ℎ$ 𝑏 $ + ℎ$ : 𝑎$ + ℎ$

When a = b, 𝑬' = 0

𝜆 2𝑏 1
𝑬 = 𝑬( = : :
4𝜋𝜀" ℎ 𝑏 $ + ℎ$
 FIELD LINES ELECTRIC FLUX

The amount of electric field penetrating a surface.

An attempt to give a visual indication of field intensity E.

Direction of field: tangential to the field lines, with an arrow

head indicating the direction.

Magnitude of field: longer line, thicker line, colour scheme

etc. No simple solution. However, if lines are drawn
uniformly taking into account symmetry, then the magnitude
of the electric field is indicated by the density of the field
lines.
GAUSS’S LAW
𝜓= O 𝑫 : 𝑑𝒔 = Charge Q enclosed
,-./*0!

𝑫 = 𝜀𝑬

𝜓= O 𝜀𝑬 : 𝑑𝒔 = Charge Q enclosed
,-./*0!

The total of the electric flux density out of a closed surface is

equal to the charge enclosed.
APPLICATION OF GAUSS’S LAW
 X!
𝑟 Y 4 Z
𝑄 = % 𝜌W 𝑟 𝑑𝑉 = % 𝜌1( ) 𝑑( 𝜋𝑟 )
1 𝑅! 3
X! X!
𝑟 Y 4𝜋𝜌1
=% 𝜌1( ) 9 4𝜋𝑟 " 9 𝑑𝑟 = Y % 𝑟 [ 9 𝑑𝑟
1 𝑅! 𝑅! 1

4𝜋𝜌1 1 \ 𝑅! 4𝜋𝜌1 Z
= Y 9 9𝑟 ; = 𝑅!
𝑅! 7 0 7
 4𝜋𝜌+ -
What is the electric field 𝐸 for 0 < 𝑟 < 𝑅. ? 𝑄= 𝑅,
7

When 0 < 𝑟 < 𝑅",

4𝜋𝜌1 Z
> 𝜀1𝑬_!𝑑𝒔 = 𝜀1𝐸_! 9 4𝜋𝑟 " = 𝑅!
7
]^_W`ab

𝜌1𝑅!Z
𝐸_! =
7𝜀1𝑟 "
According to Gauss’s law, when 𝑟 > 𝑅"

Ψ= > 𝜀𝑬𝑑𝒔 = 𝑄bcade]bf = 0

]^_W`ab Flux flow Ψ = Flux density × Area = Charge Q enclosed
when 0 < 𝑟 < 𝑅"
4𝜋𝜌1 Z
Ψ! = > 𝜀1𝐸_!𝑑𝑆X! = 𝑅!
7
]^_W`ab
when 𝑟 = 𝑅" 4𝜋𝜌+ -
4𝜋𝜌1 Z
𝑄= 𝑅,
Ψ" = Ψ − Ψ! = − 𝑅! = > 𝜀1𝐸_"𝑑𝑆X" = > 𝜎 𝑑𝑆X" 7
7
𝜌1𝑅!Z ]^_W`ab ]^_W`ab 𝜌+ 𝑅,-
𝜎 = −𝜀1𝐸_! = − 𝐸/, =
7𝑅"" 7𝜀+ 𝑟 .
 4𝜋𝜌1 Z
𝑄X" = > 𝜎 𝑑𝐴 = 𝜎 9 4𝜋𝑅"" =− 𝑅!
7
]^_W`ab

So, the total charge of sphere 2(𝑅" ) in the surface equals to that
of sphere 1(𝑅! ). And their charge is opposite.
Thanks