Chapter 21 Electric Field and

Coulombs Law (again)

Electric fields and forces (sec. 21.4)
Electric field calculations (sec. 21.5)
Vector addition (quick review)
C 2012 J. Becker
Learning Goals - we will learn:
How to use Coulombs Law (and vector
addition) to calculate the force between
electric charges.
How to calculate the electric field caused
by discrete electric charges.
How to calculate the electric field caused
by a continuous distribution of electric
charge.

Coulombs Law
Coulombs Law lets us calculate the FORCE
between two ELECTRIC CHARGES.
Coulombs Law
Coulombs Law lets us calculate the force
between MANY charges. We calculate
the forces one at a time and ADD them
AS VECTORS.
(This is called superposition.)
THE FORCE ON q
3
CAUSED BY q
1
AND q
2
.
Figure 21.14
SYMMETRY!
Recall GRAVITATIONAL FIELD near Earth:
F = G m
1
m
2
/r
2
= m
1
(G m
2
/r
2
) = m
1
g
where the vector g = 9.8 m/s
2
in the downward
direction, and F = m g.
ELECTRIC FIELD is obtained in a similar way:
F = k q
1
q
2
/r
2
= q
1
(k q
2
/r
2
) = q
1
(E) where is
vector E is the electric field caused by q
2
.
The direction of the E field is determined by
the direction of the F, or the E field lines are
directed
away from positive q
2
and toward -q
2
.
The F on a charge q in an E field is
F = q E and |E| = (k q
2
/r
2
)
Fig. 21.15 A charged body
creates an electric field.
Coulomb force of repulsion
between two charged bodies at
A and B, (having charges Q and q
o

respectively) has magnitude:
F = k |Q q
o
|/r
2
= q
o
[ k Q/r
2
]
where we have factored out
the small charge q
o
.
We can write the force in
terms of an electric field E:

Therefore we can write for
F = q
o
E
the electric field
E = [ k Q / r
2
]
Calculate E
1
, E
2
, and E
TOTAL

at point C:
q

= 12 nC
See Fig. 21.23: Electric field at
C set up by charges q
1
and q
1

(an electric dipole)
At C E
1
= 6.4 (10)
3
N/C
E
2
= 6.4 (10)
3
N/C
E
T
= 4.9 (10)
3
N/C
in the +x-direction
A
C
See
Lab #2
Need TABLE of ALL
vector component
VALUES.
E
1

E
2

E
T

Fig. 21.24 Consider symmetry! E
y
= 0
Xo
dq
o
dE
x
= dE cos a =[k dq /(xo
2
+a
2)
] [xo/(xo
2
+ a
2
)
1/2
]
E
x
= k xo dq /[xo
2
+ a
2
]
3/2
where xo and a stay
constant as we add all the dqs ( dq = Q)
in the integration: E
x
= k xo Q/[xo
2
+a
2
]
3/2
|dE| = k dq / r
2

cos a = xo / r
dE
x
= E
x
Fig. 21.25 Electric field at P caused by a line
of charge uniformly distributed along y-axis.
Consider symmetry! E
y
= 0
Xo
y
|dE| = k dq / r
2
dq
|dE| = k dq / r
2
and r = (xo
2
+ y
2
)
1/2

cos a = xo/ r and cos a = dE
x
/ dE
dE
x
= dE cos a
E
x
= dE
x
= dE cos a
E
x
= [k dq /r
2
] [xo / r]
E
x
= [k dq /(xo
2
+y
2
)] [xo /(xo
2
+ y
2
)
1/2
]
Linear charge density = l
l = charge / length = Q / 2a = dq / dy
dq = l dy
E
x
= [k dq /(xo
2
+y
2
)] [xo /(xo
2
+ y
2
)
1/2
]
E
x
= [k l dy /(xo
2
+y
2
)] [xo /(xo
2
+ y
2
)
1/2
]
E
x
= k l xo [dy /(xo
2
+y
2
)] [1 /(xo
2
+ y
2
)
1/2
]

E
x
= k l xo [dy /(xo
2
+y
2
)
3/2
]

Tabulated integral: (Integration variable z)
dz / (c
2
+z
2
)
3/2
= z / c
2
(c
2
+z
2
)
1/2


dy / (c
2
+y
2
)
3/2
= y / c
2
(c
2
+y
2
)
1/2

dy / (Xo
2
+y
2
)
3/2
= y / Xo
2
(Xo
2
+y
2
)
1/2


E
x
= k l xo
-a
[dy /(xo
2
+y
2
)
3/2
]

E
x
= k(Q/2a)

Xo [y /Xo
2
(Xo
2
+y
2
)
1/2
]
-a
a
E
x
= k (Q /2a)

Xo [(a (-a)) / Xo
2
(Xo
2
+a
2
)
1/2
]
E
x
= k (Q /2a)

Xo [2a / Xo
2
(Xo
2
+a
2
)
1/2
]

E
x
= k (Q / Xo)

[1 / (Xo
2
+a
2
)
1/2
]
a
Fig. 21.47 Calculate the electric field at the
proton caused by the distributed charge +Q.
Tabulated integral:
dz / (c-z)
2
= 1 / (c-z)
b
l is uniform (= constant)
+Q
Fig. 21.48 Calculate the electric field at -q
caused by +Q, and then the force on q: F=qE
Tabulated integrals:
dz / (z
2
+ a
2
)
3/2
= z / a
2
(z
2
+ a
2
)


for calculation of Ex
z dz / (z
2
+ a
2
)
3/2
= -1 / (z
2
+ a
2
)


for calculation of Ey
l is uniform (= constant)
An ELECTRIC DIPOLE consists of a
+q and q separated by a distance d.
ELECTRIC DIPOLE MOMENT is p = q d

ELECTRIC DIPOLE in E experiences a torque:
= p x E

ELECTRIC DIPOLE in E has potential energy:
U = - p E

Fig. 21.32 Net force on an ELECTRIC DIPOLE
is zero, but torque ( ) is into the page.
= r x F
= p x E
ELECTRIC DIPOLE
MOMENT is
p = qd
see
www.physics.sjsu.edu/Becker/physics51
Review
Vectors are quantities that
have both magnitude and
direction.
An example of a vector
quantity is velocity. A
velocity has both magnitude
(speed) and direction, say
60 miles per hour in a
DIRECTION due west.
(A scalar quantity is
different; it has only
magnitude mass, time,
temperature, etc.)

A vector may
be decomposed
into its x- and
y-components
as shown:
2 2 2
cos
sin
x
y
x y
A A
A A
A A A

Note: The dot product of two
vectors is a scalar quantity.
cos
x x y y z z
A B AB A B A B A B
The scalar (or dot) product of two
vectors is defined as
sin A B AB
The vector (or cross) product of
two vectors is a vector where the
direction of the vector product is
given by the right-hand rule.
The MAGNITUDE of the vector
product is given by:
Right-hand
rule for
DIRECTION
of vector
cross product.
PROFESSIONAL FORMAT