ELECTRIC FORCE AND ELECTRIC FIELD IB COURSE COMPANION, CH 5, PP.

169-179
3. State Coulombs law.
Students should be aware of the law in the forms F = kq 1q2/r2 and F = q1q2 / 4or2
The form of Coulombs Law is very similar to the form of Newtons Law of Gravitation with one very important distinction.
With the law of gravity we had to insert a negative sign to indicate that the force between masses is an attraction. We do not
need to do this for electricity. If two point charges are similar, the form of the law predicts a positive force (a repulsion). If
the two point charges are opposite, the form of the law predicts a negative force (an attraction).
The nature of the force constant k depends on the material through which the force acts. For free space it has one value (9.0 x
109 Nm2 C-2) and for other materials it has different values. The constant k = 1 / 4o. The number is called the electric
permittivity. The value of o (permittivity of free space) is 8.85 x 10 -12 C2N-1 m-2.
4. Define electric field. (Students should understand the meaning of test charge.)
Electric field is the concept used to describe the area of influence around an electric charge. It allows us to eliminate the
concept of action-at-a-distance.
To determine the electric field strength at a location in space, we place a test charge, q o, at that location and measure the
electric force exerted upon it. By definition, the electric field strength at that location is E = F /
qo.
Because we are dividing out the value of the test charge, electric field is called the force per unit charge.
Electric fields point in the direction of the net force at that location in space.
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL ENERGY AND ELECTRIC POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE IB COURSE COMPANION, CH 10, PP. 391-425
21. Define the electric potential energy difference between two points in an electric field. (Calculations are to be confined to
uniform electric fields.)
Uniform electric fields are hard to create because the term uniform refers
both
B
to magnitude and direction a uniform electric field has a constant value
and
always points in the same direction. A way to create a uniform field is place
d two
E
large metal plates with opposite charge a small distance apart. In the region
between the center of the two plates you will find a uniform electric field.
Suppose a proton is moved from a point near the negative plate (A) to a
point
A
near the positive plate (B a total distance of d). The work done to move
the
charge is the force exerted on the charge x the distance moved. Work = qEd. This work represents the increase in potential
energy of the proton as it is moved near the positive plate.
22. Determine the change in potential energy or change in kinetic energy when a charge moves between two points at different
potentials.
For a positive charge, distance from the negative plate is similar to distance from the earth for a mass. The greater the
distance, the more potential energy it will have.
As the positive charge moves (falls) towards the negative plate it is losing potential energy and gaining kinetic energy
again, just like a mass in a gravitational field.
23. Define the electronvolt. (Students should be able to relate the electronvolt to the joule.)
Because the quantity of charge carried by an electron or proton is so small, it is often convenient to work with a different unit
of energy. The electronvolt is a unit of energy.
1 electronvolt (1 eV) is the amount of energy an electron gains when it moves through a potential difference of 1 Volt. 1 eV =
1.6 x 10-19 J.
24. Define electric potential difference.
It is often convenient to describe a situation in terms that would make it less specific to a particular problem. For example, we
defined electric field to be able to discuss the force on any charge at some location rather than the force on a specific charge
at some location.
Similarly, it is useful to define a quantity that describes the difference in energy between two places for any charge, rather
than for a specific charge. So, like we did with electric field (E = F / q o) we will define the quantity electric potential
difference (or just potential difference) as V = (PE) / qo.
The unit of electric potential is the Volt. Looking at our definition, we can write 1 Volt = 1 JC -1
Since we know that (PE) = Work done, we could also write that V = W / qo.
Then to find the work done to move a charge, qo, through a potential difference of V we can use W = qoV.
Finally, if we take V = W / qo and substitute for W (= qEd) we get V = qoEd / qo = Ed. This is true whenever we have a
uniform field.
25. Define electric potential. (Students should understand the scalar nature of potential and that the potential at infinity is taken as
zero.)
In the last section we found out how to calculate the difference in electric potential in a uniform electric field. If we move
away from a uniform field situation, the math gets a little more involved. Just like we did with gravity, we will make some
arguments about the nature of electric potential and state the answer rather than trying to derive it mathematically.
Because of the form of the force between isolated point charges (Coulombs Law) we can see that the force never becomes
zero, no matter how far apart we get the two charges. However, we also see that if we get them really far apart the force
becomes very small (so that if we get them infinitely far apart there would be no force). If there is no force, then the energy of
the charges will not change. So it seems logical to make the PE = 0 when they are infinitely far apart.

26.

27.

28.

29.

30.

So, if two charges start out together and one, q o is moved a distance r away, then the force between them is F = q qo / 4or2.
To find the work done to move them that far apart, we would multiply F * d = Fr = q q o / 4or. Finally, to find V we divide
by qo to get: V = q /4or
This quantity describes the electric potential at a distance r from the charge q.
Since this quantity is associated with energy, it has no direction. If the charge q is positive, the electric potential is positive. If
the charge q is negative, then the electric potential is negative.
Determine the electric potential due to various charge configurations. (This includes single point charge, collections of point
charges and the potential outside a charged sphere. Students will not be expected to derive the equation V = q / 4or)
Determine the electric potential due to each separate point charge. Then simply add them (they are not vectors).
State and apply the formula relating electric field strength to potential gradient. (It is sufficient that students know that E = V/x).
Suppose a positive charge is moved a small distance, x, through a potential difference V. The work done to move the
charge is given by W = Fx = qEx. But, the work is also given by W = qV. So, qEx = qV, Rearranging slight gives: E
= V / x.
This result does not tell us the direction of E. To find that, we must think about how a charge moves in relation to potential.
Things move, on their own, to decrease their potential energy. So, if we move in a direction so that V is positive (Vfinal is
greater than Viniital) we know the electric field has to point the opposite way. Similarly, if we move so that V is negative
(Vinitial is greater than Vfinal) then the electric field points the way we went. So we will define a positive electric field direction
as the direction in which V decreases. This means that we need to modify our result as follows: E = - V / x
Describe the similarities and differences between gravitational fields and electrical fields.
Gravity
Electricity
Acts on mass (+ only)
Acts on charge (+ or -)
F = -GmM/r2 (attracts only)
F = kqQ/r2 (attracts or repels)
Infinite range
Infinite range
2
g = -GM/r
E = kQ/r2
V = -GM/r
V = kQ/r
Work done is independent of path
Work done is independent of path
Work done = m V
Work done = q V
PE = -GmM/r
PE = kqQ/r
Relative strength = 1
Relative strength = 1042
Describe and sketch patterns of equipotential surfaces. (This should include patterns due to isolated point objects (masses or
charges), two point objects and uniform field situations.)
Just as we can draw diagrams to map out the field pattern in all of space, we can draw diagrams showing how potential
behaves.
The idea is to connect all points around an object that have the same potential. This surface is called an equipotential surface.
The interesting thing about an equipotential surface is that no work is required to move an object around on such a surface
(because V = 0).
Explain the relation of equipotential surfaces to field lines.
One can argue that for any static situation, the field lines must be perpendicular to the surface as follows: static means that
there is no motion. If there is a component of the field parallel to the surface, then this field would accelerate masses or
charges. Since the objects dont move, there can be no component of the field parallel to the sirface.
Since the surface is an equipotential surface (by definition) it therefore follows that fields are perpendicular to equipotential
surfaces.