Lecture 2

Electric Charge

Electric Field
 Objectives

To describe the properties of electric
charges

To analyze electrical forces using
Coulombs Law

To define and quantify electric field
 Charge

Amber rubbed with wool
caused it to attract certain
objects

Amber becomes electrically
charged

The term electric charge
came from elektron (greek for
amber)

Charge - basic unit from
which electrical forces comes
from

Charge - basis of electricity

Lookup: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electricity
 Electrical Properties of Materials

Everything is made up of
atoms

When two materials are
rubbed against each other,
electrons jump from one
material to the other

The behavior of the two
materials depend on their
position in the triboelectric
series
 The Triboelectric Series

Materials that Moist human skin

tend to capture Fur
electrons are Most positive Glass
Wool
more negative
Silk

Materials that Neutral Steel
tend to release Amber
electrons are Rubber
more positive Most negative Copper
Polyester
Lookup: http://science.howstuffworks.com/vdg1.htm,
Teflon
http://www.school-for-champions.com/science/static_materials.htm
 When two electrically neutral materials are rubbed
against each other, electrons from one material will
jump from one material from another.
Rubber
Glass

Both are neutral

When rubber and
glass are rubbed,
electrons in the
glass will jump to
the rubber

After the materials are separated, the rubber

became negatively charged while the glass
became positively charged
 Charge
+
positive negative
vitreous resinous

Arbitrary charge designation

Electrically neutral - equal positive and
negative charge

Units - coulomb (C)
Law on Conservation of Charge

Charge can neither be created

nor destroyed,
it is transferred from one body to
another
 Charge

Electron charge :
e = 1.602177 x 10-19 C

Proton - opposite charge of an electron
Consider the following experiment:

Two suspended rubber A rubber ball and a glass

balls rubbed by fur ball both rubbed by fur
repel each other attract each other
 Electrostatic Separator

Electrostatics may
be used to
separate mixture of
plastics.
In the figure, the
rotating drum
separates crushed
polyvynil chloride
(PVC) and
polyethelyne
plastic (PE)
 Coulombs Law

Larger charges attract or

repulse each other stronger than
smaller charges 1

Force depends on the distance F
between the charges r2

Force between two charges is F Q1Q 2
directly proportional to their
magnitudes and inversely
proportional to the square of the
distance between them
 Coulombs Law
kQ1Q 2 F = magnitude of force

F= Q1 and Q2 = charge magnitude

2
r R = separation between the charges

1
k = 8.98755 x 109 Nm2/C2 =
= permitivitty of free space
40
o

Q1 Q2 Q1 Q2

F F F F
r
r
Like charges Unlike charges
 Coulombs Law
q1
Fq3 q1q 2
+ Fq1q3
Fq3 q 2

Fq3 q1
Fq1q 2
Fq1q 2 q3 q3
Fq 2 q1q3 Fq 2 q1
Superposition principle: force
experienced by a single charge is
the vector sum of individual
q2
Fq 2 q3 forces by other charges
 Example
Q1 = +2 nC; Q2 = -3 nC; Q3 = +1 nC

Q1 Distance between Q1 and Q2 = 2m

Distance between Q2 and Q3 = 2m

9 9
( 2 10 )(1 10 )
F13 = 9 10 9
= 4.5nN
Q3 2 2
9 9
F23 Q2 9 (3 10 )(1 10 )
F23 = 9 10 2
= 6.75nN
2
FR
F13
FR = (4.5 10 9 ) 2 + (6.75 10 9 ) 2
= 8.11nN 4.5
= tan 1 = 33.7
6.75
 Electric Field

Charge alters surrounding space such that other

charges are influenced

Electric field something in a region that
exerts force on a charge present within it
Electric Field Intensity

Electric field
represents a region
of electric force in
space - vector field

E symbol for the
electric field
 Electric Field Intensity

Force on a charge in
electric field : F = qe

Direction of force same
as direction of field

E represents the force +
+

per unit positive charge

that an electric field
exert at a point the field
The Cathode Ray Tube

An electron gun at
the back end of
the tube fires
electrons

The electric field
between two pairs
of metal sheets
deflect the
electron beam
 Electric Field Intensity

E = F/q; Units: newtons/coulomb

Take a point charge q1 and consider a point charge q2 a
distance r from q1

kq1q 2
F= 2
r
F kq1
E= = 2
q2 r
 Example

10 nC 1 nC
F F

2m

Q1Q 2 10 10 9 110 9
F=k 2
= 9 109 2
= 22.5 nN
r 2
Example

10 nC

2m

F 22.5 nN N V
E= = = 22.5 = 22.5
Q 1 nC C m
 Electric Lines of Force

Graphically represent
the direction and
magnitude of electric
fields

Direction of a tangent
at a point corresponds
to the direction of the
electric field

Spacing between the
field lines gives a
relative magnitude of
the electric field
 Electric Lines of Force

Isolated point charge, q :

kq
E=
2
r

Spherically radial outward
direction

Positive point charge - would
be pushed outward

Density of field lines - shows
electric field is stronger for
smaller radial distances
 Electric Lines of Force

Field lines diverge

from their source

Field lines never

intersect