Electromagnetic Field

Coulombs Law
Coulomb's law states that the force between two point charges
and
is:
1. Directly proportional to the product the charges
and
.
2. Inversely proportional to the square of the distance (R )
between them.
R
;

Coulombs law in vector

form
By coulombs
law
In vector form

1;

- Unit vector in the direction

of force

.
;
2
.
3
Eqn. 2 and Eqn. 3 in Eqn.
1

From the
diagram

Force due to N number of charges

If there are there charges Q1, Q2, Q3 , with position vector r1,r2,r3,..rN
respectively as
shown in the bellow figure.
The total force on Q due to all the charge is equal to the vector sum of the force
on Q
due to each charges.
By coulombs law the force acting on
due to

Force on Q due to the charges Q1 ,Q2 ,

and Q3

Similarly if there are N no. of charges

electric field due to al the charges :

Electric Field Intensity

By coulombs law , the force (F) on the charge Q due to
the charge
:
r

The force acting on the unit positive

charge:
The Electric field (E) at a point is defined as , the force acting on the unit
positive charge at that point
Therefore the electric field (E) at a point P due to the
charge
:

Electric Field due to N number

of charge
If there are there charges Q1 ,Q2 ,Q3 with position vector r1,r2,r3
respectively as shown in the bellow figure
By superposition principle, The total electric field (E) at point P, due
to all the charges is equal to , the vector sum of the electric field at the
point P due to individual charges.
The electric field (E) at a point P due to the
charge
:

The electric filed due to all the three

charges:

Similarly The electric filed due to N no. of

charges:

Point charges 1 mC and - 2 mC are located at (3, 2, - 1 )m and

(1, 1,4)m, respectively in free space. Calculate the force on
a 10-nC charge located at (0,3,1)m.
The force on Q due to N number of
charges
For free space
(3,2,1)
=
1mc

= -2 mc
(-1,1,4)

= 10
nc
(0,3,1)

Derivation for Electric Field due to charges distributed

uniformly on an infinite line

Consider a line from a point A to B with uniform charge density

as
shown in figure
The line is lies in the z axis
Consider a small length dz of the line.
Let the charge present in the small length (dz) of line is

1
Electric field at a point P due to small length (dz) of line,
- the vector connecting the small length dz and the point
P
- the unit vector in the direction

Eqn. 2 in
Eqn. 1

2
B
(0,0,z
)

Electric field due to the

line ,from A to B, at
point P ,
....3

Changing the integration with respect to angle

From the
figure

From the
figure

.6

.5

.4

.
A
.B

Eqn.A / Eqn.B
(0,0,Z1
)
.7

D.wt.r to z

.8
Eqn.4,Eqn.5,Eqn.6,Eqn.7 and Eqn.8 in
Eqn.1

(0,0,Z
)

9
For infinite line

Substitute the above values in Eqn.9

A uniform line charge of 16 nC/m is located along the line

defined by
y = 2, z = 5. If
Find E at P(1, 2, 3)

-Line charge density in

C/M
(x,-Perpendicular distance between line
2,5)
charge and point in Meter

-Unit vector in Meter

5 P(1,2,3
)

Given the potential field

and a point P(-4,3,6)
find the following values at a point P:
1.Potential(V),2.Electric field(E), 3.Flux density(D).
1.Potential ( ):

2.Electric field(

):

We know
that

3.Flux density(D).

Given a field
between A(-7,2,1) and B(4,1.2)

v/m find potential difference

We know
that

The line integral from point A to B can be split into three paths
as bellow
Path.1: (4,1,2) to (-7,1,2) x alone varies
Path.2: (-7,1,2) to (-7,2,2)- y alone varies
Path.3: (-7,2,2) to (-7,2,1)- z alone varies