CHAPTER 2 : COULOMB’S LAW

(i) Type of electrostatic charges

(ii) Electric Field Intensity
(iii) Coulomb s Law

Motivation:
To familiarize the students with the type of
sources for electrostatic field
To understand the concept of electric field
intensity and its method of calculation
 Objective

By the end of this lecture, students must be able to:

1) Calculate total charge i.e. electric field source, for

the given charge structure.

2) Apply Coulomb s Law in calculating electric field

intensity due to point charge

3) Calculate electric force induced by point charge

 Electrostatic charges

• Smallest magnitude of charge,

q = 1.602 ×10-19 (Coulomb)
• Charge can be positive or negative
• In electromagnetic problems: electric charges can be
of type:
(i) Point charge
(ii) Line charge
(iii) Surface charge
(iv) Volume charge
 Point charge
•Simplest electric charge
•Normally labeled as Q. Unit of Coulomb (C)

Line charge
• Accumulated point charges along a thin line
• Accumulated point charges ! line charge
density, l (C/m)
dl B
dQ = ρl dl
l (C/m)

A Total charge along AB ???

 Surface charge

• Accumulated point charges on a surface

•Accumulated point charges ! surface
charge density, s (C/m2)

ds

s (C/ dQ = ρ s ds
m2)
Area A

Total charge on the surface ???

 Volume charge

• Accumulated point charges in a volume

•Accumulated point charges ! volume
charge density, v (C/m2)

dv
v (C/ dQ = ρv dv
m2) Volume V

Total charge in the volume ???

 Example 1:

Calculate the total charge, Q contained in the

cylindrical tube of charge oriented along the z-
−1
ρ
axis. The line charge density is l = 2z Cm
where z = 10 cm
 Example 2:
The circular of disk of electric charge is
characterized by the surface charge of
ρs = 2x10 2 r Cm−2
With r =3cm as the radius of the circular disk, find
the total charge present on the disk surface
 Electric (Electrostatic) Field Intensity

Electro+ static

Electric field Static sources

• Field generated by the static charges

mentioned in the last lecture.
• Symbol of E. Unit of volt/meter, (V/m).
• The first law to calculate the E is Coulomb s
Law.
 Coulomb s Law

• The law was developed by French physicist,

Charles Augustin de Coulomb in 1780s.

The magnitude of electrostatic force between

two point electric charges is directly proportional
to the product of the magnitudes of each charge
and inversely proportional to the square of the
distance between the charges

Q1Q2
F∝ 2
r
 Coulomb s Law

r̂21 r̂12
F1 F2
Q1 Q2

Q1Q2 (Newton)
e.g. F2 = k 2
r̂12
r
1
Coulomb s experiments: Constant, k =
4πε o
o : Permittivity in free space/Dielectric constant of
vacuum.
≈ 8.854 × 10-12 Farad/meter (F/m)
Force in Coulomb s law :
• Force is mutual ! the two charges experiences the same
force, but in opposite direction.
• Coulomb s law is linear, if charge = n times larger, the
force = n times larger too.
• The force on a charge is the summation of all forces acting
on it

Ftotal = ∑ F
n
 Coulomb s Law

F = QE
Hence, Field at A;
r
r̂ Q1 V/m
Q1 A
E1 = 2
r̂
E1 4πε o r

Field at B;
r̂
Q2 V/m
B Q2 E2 = 2
r̂
E2 4πε o r
 Coulomb s Law for Point Charge

Electric field intensity incur by any point charge, Q

Q
E = 2
r̂
4πε o R
r̂
B Q
E
R

Unit of voltage/meter (V/m)

 Example: Force in CL
Point charges, Q1=1 mC and Q2=-2 mC are placed at
(3,2,-1) and (-1,-1,4) respectively. Calculate the
electric force on a 10 nC charge located at (0,3,1) and
the electric field intensity at that point.
 Example: Force in CL
Point charges, Q1=1 mC and Q2=-2 mC are placed at
(3,2,-1) and (-1,-1,4) respectively. Calculate the
electric force on a 10 nC charge located at (0,3,1) and
the electric field intensity at that point.

Example 2 (Skitek)

Find the force, F 2 in vacuum, on a point charge

Q2=10-6 C due to a point charge Q1=2x10-5 C when Q2
is at the rectangular point P2(2,4,5) and Q1 is at the
rectangular point P1(0,1,2)
 Example: Problem D2.2 (Hayt)

A charge of -0.3µC is located at A(25,-30,15) (in cm)

and a second charge of 0.5µC is at B(-10,8,12) cm.
Find electric field intensity at (a) origin, (b)
P(15,20,50) cm.
 Next Lecture

Please have a preliminary observation on the

following topics:
(i) Electric field intensity of continuous
charge distribution.