Chapter 21

Electric Charge and Electric Field

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 Learning Goals for Chapter 21
Looking forward at …
• The distinction between electric force and electric field.

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 Electric field
• To introduce the concept of electric field, first consider the mutual
repulsion of two positively charged bodies A and B.
• What is the direction of force on a point charge by A on B

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 Electric Field
• Next consider body A on its own. Charge particle A creates E field in
the space around it
• We can say that body A somehow modifies the properties of the
space at point P.

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 Electric field
• We can measure the electric field produced by A with a test
charge𝑞 𝑜.

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 Electric force produced by an electric field
Force and electric fields are vector and has direction
The force on the test charge is:
⃗
𝐹 𝑜= ⃗𝐸 ∙ 𝑞𝑜 ⃗𝐹 𝑔= ⃗
𝑔.𝑚
Field force ⃗
𝐹𝑜
⃗
𝐸 0=
𝑞𝑜

Electric Field Test Charge

|𝑞| Magnitude of E
𝐸 0=𝑘
𝑟2
 The electric field of a point charge
This is the general formula for a charge creating a field at point p.
The field decreases by distance square

⃗ 𝑞
^
𝐸 0=𝑘 2 𝑟
𝑟
 The electric field of a point charge
• Using a unit vector that points away from the origin, we can
write a vector equation that gives both the magnitude and the
direction of the electric field:

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 Electric field of a point charge
• A point charge q produces an electric field at all points in space.
• The field strength decreases with increasing distance.
• The field produced by a negative point charge points toward the
charge.

© 2016 Pearson Education, Ltd.

 Electric field of a point charge
• A point charge q produces an electric field at all points in space.
• The field strength decreases with increasing distance.
• The field produced by negative point charge points toward the charge.

© 2016 Pearson Education, Ltd.

Electric Field Line due to a
 Electric Field inside Conductor
The electric field immediately above the surface of a conductor is directed
normal to that surface. ... Now, the Gaussian surface encloses no charge,
since all of the charge lies on the shell, so it follows from Gauss' law, and
symmetry, that the electric field inside the shell is zero.
 Example
• Ex: What is the magnitude of the electric field at a field point of 2.0m
from a point charge

⃗ 1 𝑞
𝐸 0= 𝑟^
4 𝜋 𝜀𝑜 𝑟 2

=
 Example
• A point charge q = 10nC is located at the origin ( 0,0).
a. Find the electric field at P
b. Then find electric field vector at the field point x= 2.2m, y= -3,1m

3.80m
r

P
 Example Cont.
b. Then find electric field vector at the field point x= 2.2m, y= -3,1m

−1 𝑦 − 1 −3.1
𝜃=tan =tan
𝑥 2.2
𝜃=54.63 °
𝐸 𝑥 =𝐸 ∗ cos 54.63=3.59
r
𝐸 𝑦 =𝐸 ∗ sin 54.63=−5.06
P
 Example
Two charges are given along the x- axis and charges are separated by 2.50cm.
Find the electric field at S,Q, P.
1.25cm 1.2cm

S P1
Q
1.25cm

Electric field at P1 due to Q and -Q

Electric field at S due to Q and -Q

⃗ 1 +𝑄 1 −𝑄
𝐸 𝑆= ^
𝑥 + 𝑥^
4 𝜋 𝜀𝑜 𝑥 2
4 𝜋 𝜀𝑜 𝑥2

−3 −3
98.75 ∙ 10 ^ 9 6.5 ∙ 10
^
¿ − 9 ∙10 2
𝑥 + 9 ∙10 2
𝑥
0.0125 0.0375
11
⃗ 10 𝑁 ^
𝐸 𝑆 =− 4.624 ∙ 𝑥
𝐶