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AP PHYSICS E&M Electrostatics: Protons positive charge Electrons negative charge Neutrons no charge Coulomb unit of charge; one

rge; one proton has a charge of 1.6x10-19 coulombs Electrically neutral objects have (about) the same number of protons and electrons Like charges repel Opposite charges attract Induced charge occurs when an electrically neutral object becomes polarized (when negative charges pile up in one part of the object and positive charges pile up in another part of the object)

The electrostatic force between two point charges is F = ke (Coulombs Law) Electric field a property of a region of space that affects charged objects in that region of space; a charged particle in an electric field will experience an electric force (E is measured in N/C) Force felt by a charged particle in an electric field is F = qE ex: an electron, a proton, and a neutron are each placed in a uniform electric field of magnitude 60 N/C, directed to the right; what is the force exerted on each particle?

The field is uniform, so no matter where a particle is within the electric field, it always experiences an electric field of exactly 60 N/C o Starting with the electron: F = qE F = (-1.6x10-19 C)(60 N/C) F = 9.6x10-18 N to the LEFT o Now the proton: F = (+1.6x10-19 C)(60 N/C) F = 9.6x10-18 N to the RIGHT o And the neutron: F = (0 C)(60 N/C) = 0 N Electric potential potential energy provided by an electric field per unit charge (scalar, units are volts; 1 V = 1J/C) The zero of electric potential is called ground PE = qV (equation for electric potential energy)

Electric field and electric potential are not the same thing ex: three points are found in a uniform electric field; at which point will a positron have the greatest electric potential energy?

o Electric field lines point in the direction that a positive charge will want to travel o Positron will want to go from left to right o Just as an object in Earths gravitational field has greater potential energy when its higher off the ground, our positron will have the greatest electrical potential energy when its farthest from where it wants to go (answer is A) Ex: a positron is given an initial velocity of 6x106 m/s to the right; it travels into a uniform electric field directed to the left; as the positron enters the field, its electric potential is zero; what will be the electric potential at the point where the positron has a speed of 1x106m/s?

Really just a conservation of energy problem: KEi + PEi = KEf + PEf (1/2)mvi2 + qVi = (1/2)mvf2 + qVf (1/2)(9.1x10-31kg)(6x106m/s)2 + (1.6x10-19C)(0) = (1/2)(9.1x10-31kg)(6x106m/s)2 + (1.6x10-19C)(Vf) If we solve for Vf, we get 100 V Equipotential lines lines that illustrate every point at which a charged particle would experience a given potential Moving charges from one equipotential line to another takes energy, and thus, work ex: A and B are separated by a distance of 30 cm; how much work must be done by an external force to move a proton from A to B?

o o o o

Potential energy at A is (1.6x10-19 C)(50 V) = 8.0x10-18J Potential energy at B is (1.6x10-19 C)(60 V) = 9.6x10-18J The difference between the two is 1.6x10-18J, so it takes that much work to move the proton there The distance is actually irrelevant here

Parallel Plates situation: o If you take two metal plates, charge one positive and one negative, and then put them parallel to each other, you create a uniform electric field in the middle

o The electric field between the plates has a magnitude of E = V/d (this only works for parallel plates) V is the voltage difference between the plates D is the distance between the plates o Charged parallel plates can be used to make a capacitor (a charge-storing device) this type is called a parallel plate capacitor o The capacitor is charged by connecting a battery; when the battery is disconnected, space between the plates keeps the charges from jumping from one plate to another; to discharge, you connect a wire between the two plates

o The amount of charge that each plate can hold is Q = CV Q is the charge on each plate C is the capacitance V is the voltage across the plates (change in electric potential) o Capacitance is determined primarily by the size of the plates and the distance between them, as well as the material that fills the space between the plates; units of capacitance are farads (F); 1 C/V = 1F o To calculate capacitance on a parallel plate capacitor, use C = o The permittivity of free space constant has a value of 8.84x10-12 C/V m Point charge situations: o The value of the electric field at some distance away from a point charge E = kQ / r2 Q is the charge of your point charge K is called the Coulombs law constant (k=9x109Nm2/C2) R is the distance away from the point charge The field produced by a positive charge points away from the charge

The field produced by a negative charge points toward the charge

o The electric potential at some distance away from a point charge is V = kQ/r o The force that one point charge exerts on another point charge is F = (kQ1Q2)/r2 (Coulombs law) o Sometimes, k is written as (1/4 0) Example: two point charges are located on the x-axis; A has a charge of -3C and B has a charge of +5C; a third point charge is located on the y-axis; it has a charge of +2C

o What is the electric field at point P o What is the force exerted on an electron at point P o What is the electric potential at point P Take it one step at a time: o Electric Field: First find the electric field at point P due to charge A Then find the electric field at point P due to charge B Add the two vectors together Remember to get r (distance between A and P, B and P) E(due to A) = (9x109)(-3) / (root 53)2 = 5.1x108 N/C, pointing toward the negative charge E(due to B) = (9x109)(+5) / (root 53)2 = 8.5x108 N/C, pointing away from the positive charge

F=qE F = (1.6x10-19C)(5.0x108 N/C) = 8.0x10-11 N The direction of this force must be opposite the E field because the electron carries a negative charge; therefore, the direction is 42 degrees below the positive x-axis o Potential: V(due to A) = (9x109)(-3) / (root 53) = -3.7x109 V V(due to B) = (9x109)(+5) / (root 53) = 6.2x109 V Potential at P is just the sum = 2.5x109 V Electric flux the amount of electric field that penetrates a certain area

o Force:

Answer: E = 5.0x108 directed 42 degrees above the negative x-axis

Flux only exists if the electric field lines penetrate straight through a surface; if an electric field exists parallel to a surface, there is zero flux through that surface Gausss Law the net electric flux through a closed surface is equal to the charge enclosed divided by

Knowing when to use Gausss law: o Identify the symmetry of the problem o Draw a closed surface (a Gaussian surface) o The net electric flux is just E times the area of the Gaussian surface o NEVER EVER try to evaluate the aforementioned integral to use Gausss law! Example: consider a metal sphere of radius R that carries a surface charge density of x; what is the magnitude of the electric field as a function of the distance from the center of the sphere? o Two possibilities: The function describing the electric field will be a smooth, continuous function The function inside the sphere will be different from outside the sphere o We assume that the function is different and we consider the problem in two parts: inside the sphere and outside the sphere o Inside the sphere, draw a Gaussian sphere of any radius; no charge is enclosed, because in a conductor, all the charges repel each other until all charge resides on the outer edge By Gausss law, since the enclosed charge is zero, the term EA has to be zero The electric field inside the conducting sphere must be zero everywhere ELECTRIC FIELD INSIDE A CONDUCTOR IS ALWAYS ZERO o Outside the sphere, draw a Gaussian sphere of radius r; this sphere, always encloses the full charge of the conductor o X represents the charge per area of the conductor, and the area of the conductor is 4(pi)R2 The charge on the conductor is x4(pi)R2 o The Gaussian surface of radius r has area 4(pi)r2 Plug into Gausss law E4r2 = x4R2 / Canceling out gives E = xR2 / r2 E= 0, when 0 less than or equal to r is less than R xR2 / r2, when R is less than or equal to r

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