Electric Force

Objectives
Explain and demonstrate the first law of electrostatics and discuss charging by contact and by
induction.
Apply Coulombs Law to
problems involving electric
forces.
Define the electron, the
coulomb, and the microcoulomb
as units of electric charge.

Electric Charge
When a plastic rod is rubbed against fur, electrons
are removed from the fur and deposited on the rod.
Electrons
move from
fur to the
rubber rod.

negative
positive
++++

-- --

The rod is said to be negatively charged because of an

excess of electrons. The fur is said to be positively
charged because of a deficiency of electrons.

Glass and Silk

When a glass rod is rubbed against silk, electrons are
removed from the glass and deposited on the silk.
glass

silk

Electrons
move from
glass to the
silk cloth.

positive
+ +
negative
+ +

- - - -

The glass is said to be positively charged because of

a deficiency of electrons. The silk is said to be
negatively charged because of a excess of electrons.

The Electroscope
Laboratory
Laboratory devices
devices used
used to
to study
study the
the
existence
existence of
of two
two kinds
kinds of
of electric
electric charge.
charge.

Pith-ball
Electroscope

Gold-leaf
Electroscope

Two Negative Charges

Repel

1. Charge the rubber rod by rubbing against fur.

2. Transfer electrons from rod to each pith ball.

The
The two
two negative
negative charges
charges repel
repel each
each other.
other.

Two Positive Charges

Repel

1. Charge the glass rod by rubbing against silk.

2. Touch balls with rod. Free electrons on the balls
move to fill vacancies on the rod, leaving each of
the balls with a deficiency. (Positively charged.)

The
The two
two positive
positive charges
charges repel
repel each
each other.
other.

The Two Types of Charge

Rubber

glass
Attraction

fur

silk

Note that the negatively charged (green) ball is

attracted to the positively charged (red) ball.
Opposite
Opposite Charges
ChargesAttract!
Attract!

The First Law of

Electrostatics
Like
Like charges
charges repel;
repel; unlike
unlike charges
charges attract.
attract.

Neg
Pos

Neg
Pos

Neg Pos

Charging by Contact
1. Consider an uncharged electroscope .
2. Bring a negatively charged rod into contact with knob.
--- - --- ---

--- --

3. Electrons move down on leaf and shaft, causing them

to separate. When the rod is removed, the scope
remains negatively charged.

Charging Electroscope
Positively by Contact with a
Glass Rod:
Same procedure by using a positively charged
glass rod. Electrons move from the leaf to fill
deficiency on glass, leaving the scope with a net
positive charge when glass is removed.
+++
+
+
++ +
+ +
+

+ +
+
+ +
+

Charging Spheres by
Induction Induction
--- - +
+
++

Uncharged Spheres
--- - +
-+
++
Isolation of Spheres

- - Electrons
- Repelled

Separation of Charge
+
+ +
+

- -

Charged by Induction

Induction for a Single

Sphere Induction
--- - ---+
+
++ ----

Uncharged Sphere
--- - ---+ +
++ -Electrons move
to ground.

Separation of Charge
+
+ +
+
Charged by Induction

The Quantity of Charge

The quantity of charge (q) can be defined in
terms of the number of electrons.
The Coulomb (C) is a better unit.
18
The
Coulomb:
1
C
=
6.25
x
10
The Coulomb: 1 C = 6.25 x 1018 electrons
electrons

Which means that the charge on a single

electron is:
-19
11 electron:
electron: ee- ==-1.6
-1.6 xx 10
10-19 CC

Units of Charge
The coulomb (selected for use with electric
currents) is actually a very large unit for static
electricity.
Thus, we use the metric prefixes.

-6-6
11 C
=
1
x
10
C = 1 x 10 CC

-9-9
11 nC
=
1
x
10
nC = 1 x 10 CC

-12
11 pC
pC ==11 xx 10
10-12 CC

Example 1. If 16 million electrons are

removed from a neutral sphere, what is
the charge on the sphere in coulombs?
1 electron: e- = -1.6 x 1019
C
-19

-1.6
x
10
C
6 q (16 x 10 e )

1e

+ +
+ + +
+ + + +
+ + +
+ +

q = -2.56 x 10-12
C
Since electrons are removed, the charge remaining on
the sphere will be positive.
Final charge on sphere:

qq == +2.56
+2.56 pC
pC

Coulombs Law
The
The force
force of
of attraction
attraction or
or repulsion
repulsion between
between two
two
point
point charges
charges isis directly
directly proportional
proportional to
to the
the product
product
of
of the
the two
two charges
charges and
and inversely
inversely proportional
proportional to
to the
the
square
square of
of the
the distance
distance between
between them.
them.

- q
F

F
r

+
F

qq
''
qq
FF
22
rr

Calculating Electric Force

The proportionality constant k for Coulombs
law depends on the choice of units for
charge.
22

kqq
''
Fr
kqq
Fr
FF 2 where
kk
where
rr 2
qq
qq''

When the charge q is in coulombs, the distance r is

in meters and the force F is in newtons, :

Fr
m
Fr
N
m
99 N
kk
99 xx 10
10
22
qq
CC
qq''
22

22

Example 2. A 5 C charge is placed 2 mm

from a +3 C charge. Find the force
between the two charges.
-5 C
q

F
r

+3 C
q

2 mm

kqq ' (9 x 10
F 2
r

9 Nm 2
C2

)(5 x 10 C)(3 x 10 C
-6

-6

(2 x 10-3m) 2

4
FF =
= 3.38
3.38 xx 10
104 N;
N;
Attraction
Attraction
Note:
Note: Signs
Signs are
are used
used ONLY
ONLYto
to determine
determine force
force direction.
direction.

Problem-Solving
Strategies
1. Draw a sketch showing all given information
in SI units.
2. Attraction/Repulsion determines the direction
(or sign) of the force.
3. Resultant force is found by considering force
due to each charge independently.
4. For forces in equilibrium: Fx = 0 = Fy = 0.

Example 3. A 6 C charge is placed 4 cm

from a +9 C charge. What is the
resultant force on a 5 C charge located
midway between the first charges?
1 nC = 1 x 10-9 C
1. Draw forces.
2. Find resultant;
right is positive.

F1

-6 C
q1

r1

q3

2 cm

r2

F2 +9 C

q2

2 cm

kq1q3 (9 x 109 )(6 x 10-6 )(5 x 10-6 )

F1 2
;
2
r1
(0.02 m)

F1 = 675 N

kq2 q3 (9 x 109 )(9 x 10-6 )(5 x 10-6 )

F2 2
;
2
r1
(0.02 m)

F2 = 1013 N

Example 3. Note that direction (sign) of

forces are found from attractionrepulsion, not from + or of charge.

+
F1 = 675 N
F2 = 1013 N

F1

-6 C
q1

r1

q3

2 cm

r2

F2 +9 C

q2

2 cm

The resultant force is sum of each independent force:

FR = F1 + F2 = 675 N + 1013
N;

FFRR ==+1690
+1690 N
N

Example 4. Three charges, q1 = +8 C, q2 =

+6 C and q3 = -4 C are arranged as shown
below. Find the resultant force on the 4 C
charge due to the others.
+6 C 3 cm q
3
+
q2
-4 C
4 cm
q1

Draw free-body diagram.

F2

q3
- -4 C

5 cm

53.1

+8 C

53.1o

F1

the directions of forces F1and F2 on q3 based on

attraction/repulsion from q1 and q2.

kq1q3
F1 2 ;
r1

kq2 q3
F2 2
r2

(9 x 109 )(8 x 10-6 )(4 x 10-6 )

F1
(0.05 m) 2
(9 x 109 )(6 x 10-6 )(4 x 10-6 )
F2
(0.03 m) 2

+6 C 3 cm q
3
- -4 C
q2 + F2
4 cm F1
q1

5 cm

53.1o

+8 C

Thus, we need to find resultant of two forces:

oo
FF11 == 115
N,
53.1
115 N, 53.1 w/r
w/r to
to -y
-y

FF22 ==240
240 N,
N, direction
direction -y
-y

find components of each force F1

and F2
F2
240 N F1x

F1x = -(115 N) Cos 53.1o

= - 69.2 N
F1y = -(115 N) Sin 53.1o =
- 92.1 N
Now look at force F2:
F2x = -240 N; F2y = 0

F1y

53.1o

q3
- -4 C

F1= 115 N
Rx =Fx ; Ry = Fy

Rx = 69.2 N 240 N = -309 N

RRxx== -92.1
-92.1 N
N

Ry = -69.2 N 0 = -69.2 N

RRyy== -240
-240 N
N

find resultant R from components Fx

and Fy.
RRxx== -309
-309 N
N

RRyy== -69.2
-69.2 N
N

We now find resultant R,:

RRyy
RR RR RR ;; tan
tan==
RRxx
22
xx

22
yy

Rx = -309 N q3
- -4 C

R
Ry = -69.2 N

R (309 N) 2 (69.2 N) 2 317 N

Thus, the magnitude of
the electric force is:

RR =
= 317
317 N
N

The resultant force is 317 N. We now

need to determine the angle or
direction of this force.
RR RRx2x2 RRy2y2 317
317 N
N

Ry

309 N
tan

R x -69.2 N

-309 N
R
-69.2
-62.9 N
N

The reference angle is: = 77.40 dir. of

-y
the polar angle is: = 1800 + 77.40 = 257.40
0
Resultant
Resultant Force:
Force: RR =
= 317
317 N,
N, =
= 257.4
257.40

Summary of Formulas:
Like
Like Charges
Charges Repel;
Repel; Unlike
Unlike Charges
ChargesAttract.
Attract.

kqq
''
kqq
FF 2
rr 2

N
m
N
m
kk 99 xx 10
10
22
CC
99

-6-6
11 C
=
1
x
10
C = 1 x 10 CC

-12
11 pC
=
1
x
10
pC = 1 x 10-12 CC

22

-9-9
11 nC
=
1
x
10
nC = 1 x 10 CC

--19
11 electron:
e
=
-1.6
x
10
electron: e = -1.6 x 10-19 CC