ELECTROSTATICS

LECTURE - 4
Jayant Nagda
Years teaching experience B.Tech IIT Bombay

AIR- 161 (IIT-JEE 2005) 3 Coaching institutes with

Among top 1 % in
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multiple under 15 AIRs
Olympiad Examination
 Two Particle System

q2
❏ Scalar quantity

❏ S.I. unit Joule (J)

q1

❏ Reference at infinity

❏ Dimensions of [U]=?

❏ Determine using [k] and [q]

Works for all combinations of the + ve and -ve charges

Electrostatic Potential Energy for a Two Particle System

Work done against the Electrostatic force between

two charged particles in bringing them together from
infinity to a particular distance.

q2

q1
Electrostatic Potential Energy for a Two Particle System

Work done by an external force in slowly bringing

together two charged particles from infinity to a
particular separation.

r q2

q1
 Two Particle System

q2

q1

Works for all combinations of the + ve and -ve charges:

1. Like Repel 2. Unlike Attract

Positive External Work needs to be done Negative External Work needs to be done
Electrostatic Potential Energy

Work done by an external force in slowly bringing

together a system of charged particles from infinity into a
particular configuration.
Or

Work done against the electrostatic force in bringing

together a system of charged particles from infinity into a
particular configuration.
Or

Negative of the work done by an electrostatic force in

bringing together a system of charged particles from
infinity into a particular configuration.
Electrostatic Potential Energy of System of Particles
Electrostatic Potential Energy of System of Particles

For system of n-charges

Uij: Potential Energy of the pair qi and qj

rij : distance between qi and qj

Summation is having terms.

 Example Determine electrostatic potential energy of the system of 3 charges.

A. B. C. D.

l l

q
q
l
 Example Find electric potential energy of the following 4 particle system.

A. B. C. D. None of these

a
q q

a
a

q q
a
 Electrostatic Potential Energy between a point charge and
Example
extended object:
Electric potential energy of interaction between point
charge q & uniform line of charge (Q, l) will be:

A. B. C. D.

q
Q,l
Electrostatic Potential
Electrostatic Potential (V)

If U is the electrostatic potential energy of interaction of a

system of charge with ‘q0’ at a particular point P, then

at P, Electric potential is given by:

System of charge

P
Scalar Quantity
q0

Units: J/C or Volt (V)

Dimension M1L2T-3A-1
Electrostatic Potential due to a Point Charge

q
Electrostatic Potential due to a Uniform Ring (Q,R)

‘V’ at centre of Ring

Q,R
+
+ +
+

+
+ +

+
Example On axis of Ring at P (distance x from centre)

A. B. C. D.

Q,R

x P
Example A charge Q is uniformly distributed over long rod AB of length L
as shown in the figure. The electric potential at the point O lying
at distance L from the end A is [2013 Main]

A. B. C. D.

O A B
L L
 Example Determine Electric Potential of Spherical Shell (Q,R) at a
point P (r from centre.)
1. Outside the shell (at P1)

Q,R

r P1

P2
 Example Determine Electric Potential of Spherical Shell (Q,R) at a
point P (r from centre.)
2. Inside the shell (at P2)

Q,R

r P1

P2
Self Energy
 Self Energy

Minimum work that needs to be done to assemble a

charged extended object.

Q,R

Uniformly charged spherical shell

Example Determine electrostatic self energy of a uniformly charged solid sphere.

A. B. C. D.

Q,R

Uniformly Charged Solid Sphere

HomeWork Questions
Example Three charges Q, +q and +q are placed at the vertices of a right angle
triangle (isosceles triangle) as shown. The net electrostatic energy of the
configuration is zero, if Q is equal to [2000 IIT-JEE]

A. B. C. D.

+q a +q
Example A charge +q is fixed at each of the points x=x0 , x = 3x0 , x = 5x0……...∞ on
the x-axis and a charge -q is fixed at each of the points x=2x0 , x=4x0 ,
x=6x0 …………,∞. Here, x0 is a positive constant. Take the electric potential
at a point due to a charge Q at a distance r from it to be Q/4πε0r. Then
the potential at the origin due to above system of charges is
[1988 IIT-JEE]

A. Zero B. C. infinite D.
Example A ring of radius R carries a charge +q. A test charge -q0 is released on
its axis at a distance √3R from its centre. How much kinetic energy will
be acquired by the test charge when it reaches the centre of the ring?

A. B. C. D.
Example Determine Electric Potential of Solid Sphere (Q,R) at a
point P (r from centre.)
1. Outside the shell 2. Inside the shell

Q,R

r P1

P2
Example Eight point charge are placed at the corners of a cube of edge a as
shown in figure. Find the work done in assembling this system of
charges.

+q -q

-q +q

-q +q

+q -q
Example Consider a thin spherical shell of radius R with its centre at the
origin , carrying uniform positive surface charge density. The
variation of the magnitude of the electric field |E(r)| and the
electric potential ⋁ (r) with the distance r from the centre, is best
represented by which graph?

A. B.

C. D.
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