APPLIED PHYSICS

Dr. Saif Ur Rehman

Assistant Prof. CIIT Lahore
saifrehman@ciitlahore.edu.pk

Feb. 08, 2018

Course Contents
Electrostatics and
Coulomb’s Law
 Electric Charge
Electric charge is the physical property of matter that
causes it to experience a force when placed in an
electromagnetic field. There are two types of electric
charges: positive and negative. Positively charged
substances are repelled from other positively charged
substances, but attracted to negatively charged
substances; negatively charged substances are repelled
from negative and attracted to positive. An object is
negatively charged if it has an excess of electrons, and is
otherwise positively charged or uncharged. The SI derived
unit of electric charge is the coulomb (C).
 System of Units
We will use the SI system – SI  International System of Units

Fundamental Quantities
Length meter [m]
Mass kilogram [kg]
Time second [s]

Other Units
Current ampere [A]

Derived Quantities
Force newton 1 N = 1 kg m
/ s2
Energy joule 1J=1Nm
Charge coulomb 1 C = 1 A s
Electric Potential volt 1V=1J/C
Resistance ohm 1=1V/A
 The Nature of Electric Charge
Discovery of charge
The Greeks first noticed electric charged by
rubbing amber with fur, then picking up bits of
matter. The Greek word for amber is elektron.
Benjamin Franklin arbitrarily called the two
kinds of charge positive and negative. In most
cases, only the negative charge is mobile.
Properties of charge
Like charges repel, and unlike charges
attract.
Charge is conserved, meaning it cannot be
created or destroyed, only transferred from one
location to another.
In all atoms, electrons (qe) have negative
charge and protons (qp) have positive charge.
Charge is quantized, meaning it comes in
discrete amounts (like money).
total charge = integer x fundamental unit of charge
 Electric Charges: the basis of electricity is
charge.

• The charge on an atom

is determined by the
subatomic particles
that make it up.

Proton- has a positive charge and is located in the nucleus.

Neutron- has no charge (is neutral) and is also located in the
nucleus as it fills in the spaces between the protons.
Electron- has a negative charge and is located outside of the
nucleus in an electron cloud around the atom.
 Subatomic Particle Sizes
• A proton and neutron have about the same
mass- 1.67 x 10-27 kg
• An electron has a much smaller mass-
9.11 x 10-31 kg

To put this into perspective it’s like

comparing the sizes of a penny and
large bowling ball. The proton is
obviously the bowling ball and the
electron is represented by the penny.
 Insulators and Conductors
Insulators
In insulators, electrons are bound in
“orbit” to the nucleus in each atom.
When charge is placed on an insulator,
it stays in one region and does not
distribute.
Wood, plastic, glass, air, and
cloth are good insulators.
CHARGED INSULATOR
Conductors
In conductors electrons can move
from atom to atom, thus electricity
can “flow”.
When charge is placed on a conductor,
it redistributes to the outer surface.
Metals (copper, gold, and
aluminum) are good conductors.
CHARGED CONDUCTOR
 Charging by Friction
POSITIVE
Rabbit's fur When insulators are rubbed together,
Glass one gives up electrons and becomes
Mica positively charged, while the other
Nylon gains electrons and becomes
Wool negatively charged.
Cat's fur Materials have different affinities for
Silk electrons. A triboelectric series rates
Paper this relative affinity.
Cotton
Wood
A material will give up electrons to
Lucite
another material below it on a
Wax
triboelectric series.
Amber Common examples of charging by
Polystyrene friction:
Polyethylene
• small shocks from a doorknob after walking
Rubber on carpet with rubber-soled shoes
ballon
• plastic foodwrap that sticks to a container
Sulfur
Celluloid • sweater pulled over your head that sparks
Hard Rubber • laundry from the dryer that clings
Vinylite • balloon rubbed with hair sticks that to a wall
Saran Wrap
NEGATIVE
 Charging by Conduction
When a charged conductor makes contact with a
neutral conductor there is a transfer of charge.
CHARGING NEGATIVELY CHARGING POSITIVELY

Electrons are transferred Electrons are transferred

from the rod to the ball, from the ball to the rod,
leaving them both negatively leaving them both positively
charged. charged.
Remember, only electrons are free to move in solids.
Notice that the original charged object loses some
charge.
 Charging by Induction
Induction uses the influence of one charged object to
“coerce” charge flow.

Step 1. A charged rod is Step 2. The conductor is

brought near an isolated
conductor. The influence of the
charge object polarizes the
conductor but does not yet
charge it.
grounded to the Earth,
allowing charge to flow out
between it and the Earth.
 Charging by Induction (cont.)

Step 3. The ground is Step 4. The rod is

removed while the charge removed and the
rod is still nearby the conductor is now charge
conductor. (opposite of rod).
An object charged by induction has the opposite sign
of the influencing body.
Notice that the original charged object does not lose
charge.
 Electric Charge

Summary of things we know:

– There is a property of matter called electric

charge. (In the SI system its units are Coulombs.)
– Charges can be negative (like electrons) or
positive (like protons).
– In matter, the positive charges are stuck in place in
the nuclei. Matter is negatively charged when
extra electrons are added, and positively charged
when electrons are removed.
– Like charges repel, unlike charges attract.
– Charges travel in conductors, not in insulators
– Force of attraction or repulsion ~ 1 / r2
 Recommended Text Books
 Fundamentals of Physics, by David Halliday, Resnick and
Walker/Walker.
 University Physics by Freedman and Young (10th and
higher editions).
 H.D. Young and R.G. Freedman, Physics for Scientists and
Engineers.
 B. Grob, Basic Electronics, 8th edition, McGraw-Hill
(1997).
 A text book of Electrical Technology by B.L. Theraja, 23rd
Edition.

Best of Luck