Physics 150 Electric Forces and Fields

Physics 150
Electric forces and fields
Chapter 16
What forces do we know from our experience and
Physics 140?
Gravitational Force
Frictional Force
Spring Force (Hook’s Law)
Normal Force
Tension force in astring
Aerodynamic Drag Force
……
2
Physics 150, Prof. M. Nikolic
There are ONLY few fundamental forces ofnature
Physics 150, Prof. M. Nikolic 3

FOUR or ONE?
Many scientists think that all four of the fundamental forces

are, the manifestations of a single force which has yet to be
discovered.
Just as electricity, magnetism, and the weak force were unified

into the electroweak interaction, they work to unify all of the
fundamental forces.

Gravitational and electro-magnetic forces: this iswhat
we experience!!!
Frictional force, spring force, normal force, tension force in a

string, aerodynamic force …are results of electromagnetic
force

Electric charge
Electric Charge is an intrinsic characteristic of the fundamental
particles making up objects around us (including us).
The ordinary matter consists of three (only!) particles:
electron (e) proton (p) neutron (n)
mass 9.11×10-31 kg 1.67×10-27 kg 1.67×10-27 kg
charge -1.60×10-19 C 1.60×10-19 C 0.00
How do we know that there is an electriccharge?

There is a force associated with electric charges!
The SI unit of electric charge is the Coulomb[C].

Electric charge
Charges can be positive (+) or negative (-).
Electron has negative electric charge
Proton has positive electric charge
Like (same) charges repel

Unlike (opposite) charges attract
Conservation of charge
The total (net) charge in a closed system is conserved.
We can move charge around, but we can’t create or destroy it
The net charge of a system is the sum of allcharges

– taking care of the positive and negativesings
qnet  q1  q2  q3 …qn
Elementary charge
– the minimum allowed unit of charge in nature
e  1.602 1019 C
The charge of proton is 1 e and the charge of electronis -1 e.
Q1
Conceptual question – Three charges
What is the charge of 10electrons?
A. 10 C.
B. -10 C.
C. 10 e = 16x10-19 C.
D. -10 e = -16x10-19 C.

Types of materials
– two extreme models regarding electricity:
Insulator – a material in which charges do not move freely

through the interior of the sample. Examples: glass, wood,
rubber, plastics, stone, brick, etc
Conductor – a material where free charges can move

through the material. Examples: Ionized gases(plasmas),
metals, ionic solutions if salts inwater
Semi-conductor – a material intermediate between the two

extreme models – GaAs, Ge, Si, are the classic examples.

How to Charge?
12
Charging by friction and contact
Charge is transferred from one material toanother through touching.
Balloon and Wall

Charge balloon by rubbing
- electrons are transferred to the balloon –
balloon becomes negatively charged
The charged balloon will then attractneutral

objects
Combing your hair
13
Charging by Induction
14
Charging by induction - Thunderstorms
The negative charge at the bottom of the cloud induces a

positive charge on the buildings below.
• Opposite charges attract  electrical dischargelightning
15
Polarization
Charges in insulators can Charged rod
only move a short distance.
The charged rod attracts opposite charges in

the wood and repels the samecharges.
• Opposite charges are closer than samecharges
• Attractive force greater than repulsive force
Wooden beam
• Attraction between objects!
Dipoles!
Note thatcharged particles were never transferred between objects.
16
Exercise: Two conducting spheres
Two identical conducting spheres come into contact. One starts with a charge of 4.8
nC. Spheres stay in contact until they stop exchanging charge. Ajer contact, that
sphere has a charge of +8x109 e. How much charge was initially on the second
sphere?
First, convert everything to the same units.
1.6 1019 C 
810 e  810 e
9 9
 12.810 10 C  1.28 nC
 1e 
Ajer contact, each sphere will have 1.28 nC (otherwise

they would keep on exchanging charge) so the total charge
of the system is twice that,2.56 nC.
Charge is conserved  total charge before contact is

equal to total charge ajer contact
Q1 +Q2= 2.56 nC
Charge on the first sphere was Q1 = 4.8 nC
=> Q2 = 2.56 nC – 4.8 nC = -2.24nC
17
Coulomb’s law
The electrostatic force between two charges q1 and q2 separated by
a distance r has the magnitude:
q1 q2
Fk
r2
1
k   8.99 109 N·m2 /C2
40
k is the electromagnetic constant

0 = 8.85 x 10-12 C2/N·m2 is the
permittivity constant
Force is a vector, it has a magnitude and aDIRECTION!

Direction of the electric force is always along the line connecting the two charges.
18
Q2
Conceptual question – Coulomb’s law
Two uniformly charged spheres are firmly fastened to and electrically insulated from
frictionless pucks on an air table. The charge on sphere 2 is three times the chargeon
sphere 1. Which force diagram correctly shows the magnitude and direction of the
electrostatic forces:
1. + 2. +
A. 1 + +++
+ + + +++
+ +
+ ++++ + ++++
B. 2
C. 3 1 2 1 2
D. 4
3. 4.
++ +++
+ + +
+ +++
+ +
+ ++++ + ++++
1 2 1 2
According tothe Newton’s 3rd Law: Forces of action and reaction have the same magnitude
and opposite direction → Solution is 4.
19
q1 q2
Fk
Exercise: Two charges r2
What is the magnitude and direction of the total electrostatic force on the -1.0 nC
charge ?
Magnitude of the Coulombforce
− q1 q2
− F k 2
r
11091.3109
F-1nC  8.9910
9
0.12 2
F  811.6 109 N  811.6 nN
-1nC
What about the force on the -1.3nC charge?

By the Newton’s third law the force on – 1.3 nC charge has to be equal in magnitude and
opposite in direction to theforce on -1.0 nC charge.
F-1.3nC = 811.6 nN to the right.
20
Adding forces
– The principle od superposition –
What happens if there are more than 2 charges?
Find the Coulomb force on a single charge due to all othercharges and
then ADD all the forces  SUPERPOSITION
Bare in mind the theelectric (Coulomb) forces are vectors

 Add x and y components of the vectorsseparately
Fnet,1x  F12 x  F13x  F14 x ...

Fnet,1y  F12 y  F13y F14 y ...
Magnitude of the netforce:
Fnet,1  Fnet,1x
2
 Fnet,1y
2
21
Vector addition and subtraction using
components
Vectors can also be expressed as the sum of vectors parallel to thex,
y, and z axes (components of the vector).
Components of a vector A are expressed as: Ax, Ay, andAz
• Vector position (r) is exception – its components are x, y,z
Right angle triangle

y
opposite A
sin    y
hypotenuse A
A
Ay adjacent  Ax
cos 
hypotenuse A
 sin opposite Ay
tan   
Ax x cos adjacent Ax
22
Vector addition and subtraction using
components
Right angle triangle
y
Magnitude of the vector:
!
A
Ay A  A  Ax2  Ay2
 Angle that defines the direction of the vector:

Ay 1 Ay
tan     tan
Ax x
Ax Ax
Components of a vector have magnitude, units, and an algebraic sign. Thesign
indicates the direction of the vector component.
23
Adding forces
– How to find x and y components–
q1q2
F12  k 2 F12 x  F12 cos
r12 F12 y  F12sin
r12 is the distance from the charge where we’re looking for the force to the charge
that’s the source of theforce
x12
x12  x2  x1 cos 
r12  x122  y122 r12
y12  y2 y1
y12
sin 
r12 24
F  k q1q2 2
Exercise: Three charges r
A +1.0 nC charge is located at the origin. A +3 nC charge is located at the point (4m,
3m). A-1.0 nC charge is located at the point (0m, 3m). What is the net force on the 3
nC charge?
First, lets determine F12force q1q2
y
F32
F12
(from charge q1 on q2): F12  k
r122
q3 = -1 nC q2 = +3 nC
(0m,3m) (4m, 3m) We know: x1 = 0 m and y1 = 0 m We can find: x12 = x2 - x1 = 4 m
x2 = 4 m and y2 = 3 m y12 = y2 - y1 = 3 m
x
q1= +1 nC
(0,0) r12  x12
2
 y12
2
r12  32  42  25 m  5m
Notation is veryimportant! qq (1109 )(3109 )

F12  k 2 8.9910
1 2 9
 1.08109 N
r12 25
Now, let’s find x and ycomponents:
F12 x  F12 cos

x12 4m
F12 x  F12  1.08109 N  0.86109 N
r 12 5m
F12 y  F12 sin F12 y  F12

y12
 1.08109 N
3m
 0.65109 N
r12 5m 25
F  k q1q2 2
nC charge?
Now, we repeat the whole processfor  k q3 q2
y F12
the F32force (from charge q3 on q2):
F32
F32 r322
q3 = -1 nC q2 = +3 nC We can find: x32 = x2 – x3 = 4 m – 0 m = 4 m
(0m,3m) (4m, 3m) y32 = y2 – y3 = 3 m – 3 m = 0 m
r32  x32
2
 y32
2
 42  0  4m
x
q1 = +1 nC
(0,0) qq (1109 )(3109 )
F32  k 2 8.99 10
32 9
 1.68109 N
r32 16
Notation is veryimportant!
Now, let’s find x and ycomponents:
F32 x  F32 cos

x32 4m
F32 x  F32  1.68109 N  1.68109 N
r 32 4m
F32 y  F32 sin F32 y  F32

y32
 1.68109 N
0m
0
r32 4m 26
F  k q1q2 2
nC charge?
Xcomponent of the netforce:
y F12
F32 F2 x  F12 x  F32 x
q3 = -1 nC q2= +3 nC  0.86 109 N  (1.68109 N)  0.82 109 N

(0m,3m) (4m, 3m)
Ycomponent of the net force:
x
F2 y  F12 y  F32 y
q1 = +1 nC
(0,0)  0.65109 N  0  0.65109 N
Notation is veryimportant! Magnitude of the netforce:
F2  F22x  F22y  1.05109 N
Direction of the netforce:

F2 y
  tan1  38.40 Since F2x <0 (west) and F2y<0(north)
F2x → θ=38.40 north of west
27
Electric vs. Gravitational force
Gm p me
Gravitational force Fgrav 
r2
Always attractive!
kq p qe
Electric force Felec  2
r
Can be either attractive or repulsive!
The force of gravity is 2.27x1039 times smaller than electric force, butsince objects
are mainly neutral we feel gravity force and not the electric force.
28
The electric field
Recall the Earth’s !
gravitational field:
Fg  mg
" Fe
Similarly, we can
introduce electricfield:
Fe  qE E
q SI unit:[N/C]
Every charged object produces an electric field around itself!
If you place another charged object in the electric field, they will interact with
Coulomb force.
29
Electric field direction
- Represented withthe electric field lines -
1. Electric fields extend away from positive charge and toward negativecharge.
2. No field lines cross.
3. Arrows show direction of E-field.
4. Density of lines shows magnitude of E-field.
Electric field lines represent the direction of a force acting on an imagined positive
charge placed within the environment
30
" Fe
Exercise: Charge in the electric field E
q
A 20-g mass possesses a charge of 30 C. It is placed in a horizontal electric field and
experiences a horizontal acceleration with a magnitude of 60m/s2.
a) What is the strength ofthe electric field?
What’s given How do we find electric force?

Fnet,x   Fx  ma x
" Fe
m = 20 g E Fnet,y   Fy  ma y
q = 30 C q By using Newton’s 2ndlaw!
a = 60 m/s2 Directions matter!
Fnet , x  Fe max Note, that if electric field had vertical component, you should
include gravitational force.
F ma 20 103 kg  60 m/s2 N
E  e x E  40,000
q q 30106 C C
b) If particle was at rest when placed in the electric field, what is its speed ajer
accelerating for 30 cm?
We need to use equations of motion fromChapter 3, Physics 140.
m2 m
   2ax (x f  xi )
2
fx
2
ix   0  2  60 m/s  0.3 m  36 2
2
fx
2
 fx  6
s s 31
Application: A point charge in an electric field
The essential features of an ink-jet printer

By using Newton’s 2nd law:
Fnet,x   Fx  ma x
Fnet,y   Fy  ma y
Fe
Fnet  Fe  W may
qE  mg  may
W  mg
Then ...motion with constant
acceleration (see Chapter 3,
Physics 140)
In most cases gravitational force is much smaller than electric force and can beneglected.
qE  ma
32
Electric field of a point charge
Coulomb (electric) force: Fe  k qQ2
r
Fe Q
Electric field of a point charge: Ee   k 2
q r
The total (net) electric field at any point is the

vector sum of the electric fields from all the point
charges around it – superpositionprinciple.
E  E1  E 2 …
33
Conceptual question – Field and force on a Q3
proton
Imagine an electric field E at location A due to charged particles nearby. First place a
proton with charge +e at location A and then replace it with an alpha particle with
charge +2e. How does the electric field Eand force Fon the particle at location A
change?
A. Both Eand Fdouble

B. Edoubles, F is unchanged
C. Eis unchanged, Fdoubles
D. Edoubles, Fquadruples
Electric field is the property of the nearby charged particles and unless their charge or their
distance to location A is changed, electric field stays thesame.
Electric force depends on the electric field and the new charge at location A→ if you double
the charge, electric force doublestoo.
34
Exercise: Electric field
Find the electric field at the point P.
y This problem represents a special case, everything is
in x direction. Ycomponents of electric fields and
distances are equal to 0 and can beneglected.
E2 p E1p
First, lets determine electric field q1
q1 = +1 μc q2= -2 μc P(3,1)
x E1p  k
E1pfrom chargeq1: r1p2
(0,0) (2,0)
We can find: x1p = xp - x1 = 3 m – 0 m = 3 m

y1p = yp - y1 = 0 m – 0 m = 0 (as expected)
r1p = x1p = 3 m
q Nm2 1106 C 3N For practice, you can prove that this is

E1 px  E1 p  k 2 8.99 10
1 9
110
r1p C2 9 m2 C true and that E1py=0 using cosθ andsinθ.
Now, lets determine electric field q2 x2p = xp – x2 = 3 m – 2 m = 1 m

E2pfrom charge q2 at point P:
E 2p  k y2p = yp – y2 = 0 m – 0 m = 0 (as expected)
r2 2p
r2p = x2p = 1 m
35
Exercise: Electric field
Find the electric field at the point P.
y
E2 p E1p
q2 = -2 μc x
q1= +1 μc P(3,1)
(0,0) (2,0)
q Nm2 (2 106 C) 3N

E2 px  E2 p  k 2 8.99 10
2 9
 1610
r2 p C2 1m2 C
For practice, you can prove that this is true and thatE2py=0 using cosθ and sinθ.
Xcomponent of the net electric field at point P(can be positive or negative):

N N N
Epx  E1px  E2 px  1103 16 103 15103
C C C
Magnitude of the net electric field at pointP(always positive):
N
E p  E 2px  15103
C
Direction: to the l e j or negative x or west. 36
More Electric Field Patterns
Electric field of adipole
http://phet.colorado.edu/sims/charges-and-fields/charges-and-
fields_en.html
37
Electric field of aconductor
Charges in conductors can move freely.
Therefore, the electric field inside a conductor is zero. (Since the
charges will keep moving around trying toget away from each other as much
as possible until the electric field iszero.)
charges spread out on the surfaces of conductors

conductors can shield you from electricfields
Charges concentrate at the points of conductors (like they’re all trying to escape
the surface at thoselocations)
38
Electric Shielding
That means that I can place any charge inside any
conductor in electrostatic equilibrium and that
charge willnot be influenced by any force at all.
This is the principle behind a “FaradayCage”.
During a thunderstorm – stay

in your car!!! 39
Flux of an Electric Field
The electric flux through a surface is proportional tothe net number
of electric field lines passing through thatsurface.
  EAcos SI units: [N·m2/C]

 is the angle between the electric field and the line perpendicular to the surface.
Flux = Φ = EA Flux = Φ = 0 40
Gauss’s Law
Gauss' law relates the net flux  of an electric field through a closed
surface to the net charge qenc that is enclosed by that surface.
qenc qenc
 EA cos 
0 0
Example: What is the electric flux through the dashedGaussian surface?
qenc q1  q2
 
0 0
Only the charges that are inside theclosed

Gaussian surface contribute to flux.
41
Exercise: Gauss’s Law
A point charge, q, causes an electric flux of  = -750 Nm2/C to pass througha spherical
Gaussian surface of radius r = 10.0 cm centered on the charge.
a) What is the value of q?
qenc
 qenc  q   0
r 0
Nm 2 C2
q  750 8.8510 12
 6.64109 C
q C Nm 2
+q1
b) What will happen to flux ifwe add charge q1 = + 5 nC somewhere inside the sphere?
qenc q q1  6.6410 9 C  510 9 C Nm 2
Total flux would change:      185.3
0 0 8.8510 12 C 2 / Nm 2 C
c) What is the electric field anywhere on the spherical surface due to two charges if
the area of a sphere is A=4πr2? Assume that =0 →cos=1.
qenc  185.3 Nm 2 / C
EA cos    E E  1475
N
0 4r 2 4 3.14 (0.1m)2 C
42
Review
Coulomb’s law Electric field:
Fk
q1 q2 Fe  qE
r2
! F
k 
1
 8.99 109 N·m2 /C2 Ee  e
40 q
Electric field of a point charge: Superposition principle:
Fe Q Fnet,1x  F12 x  F13x  F14 x ...

Ee   k 2
q r Fnet,1y  F12 y  F13y F14 y ...
E  E1  E 2 … 43
Review
Flux of an Electric Field Gauss' law
  EAcos 0  qenc

Some equations from Phys 140 that you may need in thiscourse:
 f   i  at 1 2
K  mv
2
 2f   i2  2a(x f  xi )
W  K  Fd
1 2
x f  xi  vit at
2
44

Physics 150 Electric Forces and Fields

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Physics 150 Electric Forces and Fields

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Physics 150

Electric forces and ﬁelds

Physics 150, Prof. M. Nikolic 3

Many scientists think that all four of the fundamental forces

Just as electricity, magnetism, and the weak force were uniﬁed

Physics 150, Prof. M. Nikolic 4

Frictional force, spring force, normal force, tension force in a

Physics 150, Prof. M. Nikolic 5

The ordinary matter consists of three (only!) particles:

electron (e) proton (p) neutron (n)

mass 9.11×10-31 kg 1.67×10-27 kg 1.67×10-27 kg

charge -1.60×10-19 C 1.60×10-19 C 0.00

How do we know that there is an electriccharge?

The SI unit of electric charge is the Coulomb[C].

Like (same) charges repel

We can move charge around, but we can’t create or destroy it

The net charge of a system is the sum of allcharges

Physics 150, Prof. M. Nikolic 9

Insulator – a material in which charges do not move freely

Conductor – a material where free charges can move

Semi-conductor – a material intermediate between the two

Physics 150, Prof. M. Nikolic 10

Balloon and Wall

The charged balloon will then attractneutral

Combing your hair

The negative charge at the bottom of the cloud induces a

The charged rod attracts opposite charges in

Ajer contact, each sphere will have 1.28 nC (otherwise

Charge is conserved  total charge before contact is

k is the electromagnetic constant

Force is a vector, it has a magnitude and aDIRECTION!

Magnitude of the Coulombforce

What about the force on the -1.3nC charge?

Bare in mind the theelectric (Coulomb) forces are vectors

Fnet,1x  F12 x  F13x  F14 x ...

Magnitude of the netforce:

Right angle triangle

 Angle that deﬁnes the direction of the vector:

Notation is veryimportant! qq (1109 )(3109 )

F12 x  F12 cos

F12 y  F12 sin F12 y  F12

Now, let’s ﬁnd x and ycomponents:

F32 x  F32 cos

F32 y  F32 sin F32 y  F32

q3 = -1 nC q2= +3 nC  0.86 109 N  (1.68109 N)  0.82 109 N

Notation is veryimportant! Magnitude of the netforce:

F2  F22x  F22y  1.05109 N

Direction of the netforce:

Every charged object produces an electric ﬁeld around itself!

What’s given How do we ﬁnd electric force?

The essential features of an ink-jet printer

The total (net) electric ﬁeld at any point is the

A. Both Eand Fdouble

We can ﬁnd: x1p = xp - x1 = 3 m – 0 m = 3 m

q Nm2 1106 C 3N For practice, you can prove that this is

Now, lets determine electric ﬁeld q2 x2p = xp – x2 = 3 m – 2 m = 1 m

q Nm2 (2 106 C) 3N

Xcomponent of the net electric ﬁeld at point P(can be positive or negative):

charges spread out on the surfaces of conductors

This is the principle behind a “FaradayCage”.

During a thunderstorm – stay

  EAcos SI units: [N·m2/C]