RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN E AND V— MAXWELL'S EQUATION

 As shown in the previous section, the potential

difference between points A and B is independent
of the pat h taken. Hence,

 This shows that the line integral of E along a closed

path as shown in Figure 4.19 must be zero.
 Physically, this implies that no net work is done in
moving a charge along a closed path in an
electrostatic field.
 Applying Stokes's theorem to eq. (4.73) gives
 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN E AND V— MAXWELL'S EQUATION
 Any vector field that satisfies eq. (4.73) or (4.74) is
said to be conservative, or irrotational, Thus an
electrostatic field is a conservative field.
 Equation (4.73) or (4.74) is referred to as
Maxwell's equation (the second Maxwell's
equation to be derived) for static electric fields.
 Equation (4.73) is the integral form,
 and eq. (4.74) is the differential form; they both
depict the conservative nature of an electrostatic
field.
 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN E AND V— MAXWELL'S EQUATION

 the electric field intensity is the gradient of V. The

negative sign shows that the direction of E is
opposite to the direction in which V increases
 AN ELECTRIC DIPOLE AND FLUX LINES
 An electric dipole is formed when two point
charges of equal magnitude but opposite sign are
separated by a small distance.
 Consider the dipole shown in Figure 4.20. The
potential at point P(r, 𝜃, ∅) is given by

 where 𝑟1 and 𝑟2 are the distances between P and +Q

and P and -Q, respectively
 If r >> d, 𝑟2- 𝑟1 = d cos 𝜃, 𝑟2 𝑟1 = 𝑟 2 , and eq. (4.77)
becomes

Since d cos 𝜃 = d • 𝑎𝑟 , where d = d𝑎𝑧 , if we define

 as the dipole moment, eq. (4.78) may be written as

 AN ELECTRIC DIPOLE AND FLUX LINES
 if we define

 as the dipole moment, eq. (4.78) may be written as

 Note that the dipole moment p is directed from — Q

to +Q. If the dipole center is not at the origin but at
r', eq. (4.80) becomes

 The electric field due to the dipole with center at

the origin, shown in Figure 4.20, can be obtained
readily from eqs. (4.76) and (4.78) as
 AN ELECTRIC DIPOLE AND FLUX LINES
 Notice that a point charge is a monopole and its
electric field varies inversely as 𝑟 2 while its potential
field varies inversely as 𝑟 [see eqs. (4.61) and
(4.63)].
 From eqs. (4.80) and (4.82), we notice that the
electric field due to a dipole varies inversely as 𝑟 3
while its potential varies inversely as 𝑟 2
 The electric fields due to successive higher-order
multipoles (such as a quadrupole consisting of two
dipoles or an octupole consisting of two quadrupoles)
vary inversely as 𝑟 4 , 𝑟 5, 𝑟 6,. . .
 while their corresponding potentials vary inversely
as 𝑟 3 , 𝑟 4, 𝑟 5 , . . . .
 AN ELECTRIC DIPOLE AND FLUX LINES
 An electric flux line is an imaginary
path or line drawn in such a way
that its direction at any point is the
direction of the electric field at that
point.
 In other words, they are the lines to
which the electric field density D is
tangential at every point.
 any surface on which the potential is
the same throughout is known as an
equipotential surface.
 the lines of force or flux lines (or the
direction of E) are always normal to
equipotential surfaces
 Note from these examples that the
direction of E is everywhere normal to
the equipotential lines
 ENERGY DENSITY IN ELECTROSTATIC FIELDS
 To determine the energy present in an assembly of
charges, we must first determine the amount of
work necessary to assemble them
 Suppose we wish to position three point charges 𝑄1,
𝑄2 , and 𝑄3 in an initially empty space shown shaded
in Figure 4.22.
 No work is required to transfer 𝑄1 from infinity to
P1 because the space is initially charge free and
there is no electric field [from eq. (4.59), W = 0].

 The work done in transferring 𝑄2 from infinity to P2

is equal to the product of 𝑄2 and the potential 𝑉21
at P2 due to 𝑄1.
 Similarly, the work done in positioning 𝑄3 at P3 is
equal to 𝑄3(𝑉32 + 𝑉31 ), where 𝑉32 and 𝑉31 are the
potentials at P3 due to 𝑄2 and 𝑄1 respectively.

 ENERGY DENSITY IN ELECTROSTATIC FIELDS
 Hence the total work done in positioning the three
charges is