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Lecture Notes
Chapter 12
ELECTRIC FIELDS
Content
Learning Outcomes
Candidates should be able to:
(a) show an understanding of the concept of an electric field as an example of a field of force and
define electric field strength as force per unit positive charge.
(b) represent an electric field by means of field lines.
(c) recall and use Coulomb's law in the form F = Q1Q2/4or2 for the force between two point
charges in free space or air.
(d) recall and use E = Q/4or2 for the field strength of a point charge in free space or air.
(e) calculate the field strength of the uniform field between charged parallel plates in terms of
potential difference and separation.
(f) calculate the forces on charges in uniform electric fields.
(g) describe the effect of a uniform electric field on the motion of charged particles.
(h) define potential at a point in terms of the work done in bringing unit positive charge from infinity
to the point.
(i)
state that the field strength of the field at a point is numerically equal to the potential gradient
at that point.
(j)
use the equation V = Q/4or for the potential in the field of a point charge.
(k) recognise the analogy between certain qualitative and quantitative aspects of electric and
gravitational fields.
9646 H2 PHYSICS
Lecture Notes
Coulombs Law
Q1
Q2
Coulombs law states that the magnitude of the electrostatic force F that a point charge Q1 exerts
on another point charge Q2, is proportional to the product of their charges and inversely
proportional to the square of their separation r2.
Q1 Q2
r2
Q Q
F =k 12 2
r
F
F=
1 Q1 Q2
4 o r 2
where o = 8.85 x 10-12 C2 N-1 m-2 or F m-1 is the permittivity of free space.
Note:
F is an attractive force if Q1 and Q2 are unlike charges, and
Q2
Q1
a repulsive force if Q1 and Q2 are like charges.
F
F
The permittivity of free space o is usually taken to be equal
Q1
to that of air.
Q2
+
The S.I. unit for charge is the Coulomb (C).
F
F
This law is applicable for point charges. For a uniformly charged conductor sphere, the law is
applicable only if the separation of the centres of the spheres is large when compared to their
radii.
qc
Example 1
qA
qB
9646 H2 PHYSICS
Lecture Notes
Electric Field
An electric field is the region where an electrostatic force is felt by a charged body placed in the
region. The field could be set up by a single charged body or by a collection of charged bodies.
F1
q1
+Q
q3
F3
+ q2
F2
Small test charges q1, q2 and q3 experiences electrostatic forces F1, F2 and F3 respectively
when placed in the electric field set up by charge Q.
If the charge of Q is very large, there would be a strong electric field set up around it. Any
test charge placed near Q would then experience a large electrostatic force.
Supposed a very small positive test charge q0 is placed at a particular point in a electric field and it
experiences an electrostatic force F. We define the electric field strength E at that point as follows:
The electric field strength at a point in an electric field is defined as the electrostatic force
per unit positive charge acting on a test charge placed at that point.
E=
F
q0
Note:
The unit of E is N C-1 or V m-1.
E is a vector since F is a vector.
If q is positive, E and F would be in the same direction positive charge moves in direction of
E if released.
If q is negative, E and F would be in the opposite directions negative charge moves opposite
to direction of E if released.
Nanyang Junior College
9646 H2 PHYSICS
Lecture Notes
To visualize the electric field around a charged body, we can draw electric field lines to represent
the direction of force on a small positive test charge placed in the field.
They begin from positive charges and end on negative charges, or at infinity.
No two field lines can cross each other since the direction of E at a point is unique.
The number of lines entering or leaving a charge is proportional to the magnitude of the
charge.
The number of field lines per unit cross sectional area is proportional to E. The stronger the
field, the closer the lines are. In a uniform field, the lines are parallel and equally spaced.
The field lines are perpendicular to the surface of the charge.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
2 plane parallel plates
9646 H2 PHYSICS
Lecture Notes
For a non-linear electric field line, the electric field E is the tangent to the electric field line at
each point.
EQ
EP
Q
P
electric field
line
q0
r
Consider a positive point charge Q in free space. If we placed a positive test charge qo, at a
distance r away from Q, then by Coulombs Law, the electrostatic force that Q exerts on qo is
1 Q qo
.
F=
4 o r 2
Thus the electric field strength of the field set up by Q is given by E =
E=
F
. Therefore,
qo
Q
4 o r 2
The direction of E is the same as that of the force on a positive charge: away from Q if Q is
positive, and toward Q if Q is negative.
q0
r
q0
Note:
E decreases with distance from the point charge according to the inverse square law.
Field due to isolated charge is non-uniform but has spherical symmetry. It has the same
values when viewed at any direction at equal distance from the point charge.
If charge Q is positive, then the field direction will radiate outwards, and if Q is negative, then it
points inwards to the charge.
9646 H2 PHYSICS
Lecture Notes
Example 2
Q1
Q2
For two parallel plates having opposite charge, there is a uniform electric field between the plates.
The electric field strength E at any point within the plates is given by
d
E=
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
V
d
An electron ejected at the negatively charged plate A with negligible kinetic energy (u = 0) will be
accelerated to a final speed v before striking positively charged plate B.
d
A
-
u=0
_
FE = eE
B
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
9646 H2 PHYSICS
Lecture Notes
Since the electric field strength between parallel charged plates is uniform, the electrostatic force
acting on the electron, and hence its acceleration will be constant.
Applying Newtons 2nd Law of Motion,
F = me a
FE = me a
a=
FE eE
eV
V
=
(since FE = eE ) =
(since E = )
me me
me d
d
v=
Example 3
Two charged, parallel, flat conducting surfaces are spaced d = 1.00 cm apart and produce a
potential difference V = 625 V between them. An electron is projected from one surface directly
toward the second. Determine the initial speed of the electron if it comes to rest just at the second
surface.
FE
_
FE = eE = me ay
ay =
eE
eV
=
me me d
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The electron path inside the uniform electric field is a parabolic one. In general, if an electron is
projected at an angle to a uniform electric field, the ensuing motion will be along a parabolic path.
Nanyang Junior College
9646 H2 PHYSICS
Lecture Notes
Example 4
An electron is projected horizontally with a speed of 2.0 107 m s-1 into the uniform electric field set
up between the two parallel charged plates spaced 35 cm apart as shown. It is deflected through a
vertical distance of 10 cm in 1.0 10-7 s before emerging from the electric field.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Calculate
(i)
the vertical component of the velocity v, and
(ii) the angle of deflection of the electron from the horizontal direction just before it emerges from
the field.
(iii) The electric field strength E, and
(iv) The potential difference V between the two plates
9646 H2 PHYSICS
Lecture Notes
Electric Potential
The electric potential V at a point in an electric field is defined as the work done per unit
positive charge to bring a test charge from infinity to the point by an external agent.
V is the electric potential energy per unit positive charge at that point in the field.
V=
U
q
Note:
The unit of V is J C1 or V.
V is a scalar. Thus, potential at a point due to two or more charges can be added or subtracted
directly.
Any free positive charge placed in an E field will move from a point of higher to lower potential.
V decreases in the direction of E. The potential at infinite distance from an electric field is
usually taken to be zero, but it is sometimes convenient to choose the earth to be the reference
zero potential.
U = qV U = q V
Absolute values of V and U are meaningful only if we have defined a reference zero.
V=
1 Q
4 o r
r
Note:
If Q is positive, then the electric potential at point A is positive.
If Q is negative, then the electric potential at point A is negative.
Q1
r3
r1
Q3
r2
VA = V1 + V2 + V3 + ..
Q2
9646 H2 PHYSICS
Lecture Notes
Example 5
Find the potential at points A and B, due to two small charges Q1 and Q2, 1.0 m apart in air and
carrying charges +2.0 10-8 C and 2.0 10-8 C respectively.
A
1.0 m
Q1
1.0 m
1.0 m
1.0 m
Q2
PE lost = mgh
A charged particle that is in an electric field experiences an electric force. If it is free to move, it will
accelerate and gain K.E. We say that the system comprising the electric field and the charged
particle together has electric potential energy U.
The amount of potential energy the system has depends on the position of the charged particle in
the field and the strength E of the field.
Suppose q is a very small positive charge and Q is also positive.
When released from rest at point A, q moves towards point B
(which has a lower potential compared to A). In doing so, q loses
electric potential energy and gains kinetic energy.
Loss in electric potential energy U
= UA UB
= qVA qVB
= q(VA VB)
Thus, gain in KE = q V
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9646 H2 PHYSICS
Lecture Notes
Example 6
Solve Example 3 using energy considerations.
Example 7
An alpha particle (which consists of 2 protons and 2 neutrons) moves directly toward a gold
nucleus, which has 79 protons and 118 neutrons. The alpha particle slows and then comes to a
momentary stop, at a centretocentre separation r of 9.23 x 1015 m, before it begins to move
back along its original path. Because the gold nucleus is much more massive than the alpha
particle, we can assume the gold nucleus does not move. Determine the kinetic energy K of the
alpha particle when it was initially far away.
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9646 H2 PHYSICS
Lecture Notes
Equipotential Surfaces
Equipotential surfaces are surfaces on which the potential is the same at all points. The diagrams
below are two examples of equipotential surfaces (dotted lines) and E field lines (bold lines):
E field due to
point charge
Uniform E field
due parallel plates
Note:
No work is done in moving a charge between any two points on an equipotential surface.
Equipotential surfaces are always at right angles to electric field lines.
The surface of a charged conductor of any shape is an equipotential surface.
The spacing between the equipotential surfaces will be closer where the field is stronger.
Example 8
2.0 cm
2.0 cm 2.0 cm
100 V
40 V
-20 V
-80 V
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9646 H2 PHYSICS
Lecture Notes
Electric Field
Origin of forces
Nature of force
Quantitative Law
Coulombs Law:
1 Qq
FE =
4 0 r 2
Field Strength
Field set up by
isolated mass/charge
Potential
Potential due to
isolated mass/charge
Potential due to
multiple mass/charge
net =
g=
GM
r2
E=
GM
(in J kg-1)
r
10
Potential energy of a
2 mass - 2 charge
system
Relation between
field and potential
UG =
g=
1 Q
(in J C-1)
4 0 r
1 Q1
1 Q2
GM1 GM 2 GM3
+
Vnet =
4 0 r1 4 0 r2
r1
r2
r3
+
Q
4 0 r 2
GMm
r
d
dr
1 Q3
+
4 0 r3
UE =
1 Qq
4 0 r
E=
dV
dr
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