1

An electric field is a vector field because it is

responsible for conveying the information for a
force, which involves both magnitude and
direction. This field consists of a distribution of
electric field vectors 𝐸, one for each point
in the space around a charged object.

We define the electric field 𝐸 at a point

as the electric force 𝐹Ԧ experienced by
a test charge 𝑞0 at the point, divided by
the charge 𝑞0 .That is, the electric field
at a certain point is equal to the
electric force per unit charge
experienced by a charge at that point:

𝐹Ԧ
𝐸=
𝑞0
The SI unit for the electric field is the
Newton per Coulomb (N/C).
 The field produced by a positive point The field produced by a negative point
charge points away from the charge charge points toward the charge

Note: Electric field lines extend away from positive charge (where they
originate) and toward negative charge (where they terminate).
Field lines for a positive point charge
and a nearby negative point charge Field lines for two equal positive
that are equal in magnitude. point charges.

Note: Electric field lines help us visualize the direction and magnitude of electric
fields. The electric field vector at any point is tangent to the field line through that
point. The density of field lines in that region is proportional to the magnitude of
the electric field there. Thus, closer field lines represent a stronger field.
 If we place a small test charge +𝑞0 at the
+𝒒𝟎
field point P At a distance r from the point
+𝒒 𝑟 𝑬
charge 𝑞, the magnitude 𝐹 of the force is 𝑃
given by the Coulomb’s law,

1 𝑞𝑞0 +𝒒𝟎
𝐹= −𝒒 𝑟
4𝜋𝜀0 𝑟 2 𝑬 𝑃
The quantity 𝜺𝟎 , called the permittivity
constant. The value of 𝜺𝟎 is
+𝒒𝟎
−12 ∁2 𝒓ො
𝜀0 = 8.85 × 10 +𝒒 𝑟 𝑬
𝑁.𝑚2 𝑃

The magnitude 𝐸 of the electric field at point P is

+𝒒𝟎
1 𝑞𝑞0 𝒓ො
−𝒒 𝑟
𝐹 4𝜋𝜀0 𝑟 2 1 𝑞 𝑬 𝑃
𝐸= = =
𝑞0 𝑞0 4𝜋𝜀0 𝑟 2 In vector form,

1 𝑞 1 𝑞
𝐸= 𝐸= 2
𝑟Ƹ
4𝜋𝜀0 𝑟 2 4𝜋𝜀0 𝑟
A charged particle produces an electric field with a magnitude of 2.0 N/C at a point
that is 50 cm away from the particle. What is the magnitude of the particle’s charge?

Given
Required formula: 1 𝑞
𝐸=
4𝜋𝜀0 𝑟 2 𝐸 = 2.0 𝑁/𝐶
𝑞 𝑟 = 50 𝑐𝑚 = 0.50 𝑚
2=9× 109 1
0.50 2 = 9 × 109 𝑁. 𝑚2 /∁2
4𝜋𝜀0
(2)(0.25) −9 𝐶 𝑞 =?
𝑞= = 0.0555 × 10
9 × 109

What is the magnitude of a point charge that would create an electric field of 1.00 N/C
at points 1.00 m away?

Follow exactly similar steps to the answer of problem 5.

 In the adjacent figure, the four particles form a square
of edge length a = 5.00 cm and have charges 𝑞1 = +10 𝑛𝐶,
𝑞2 = −20 𝑛𝐶 , 𝑞3 = +20 𝑛𝐶, and 𝑞4 = −10 𝑛𝐶. In unit-vector
notation, what net electric field do the particles produce at the
square's center?

The net electric field at the center of the square along

𝑦
x-axis is 𝑞2 = −20 𝑛𝐶
𝑞1 = +10 𝑛𝐶

𝐸𝑥 = 𝐸2 𝑐𝑜𝑠450 + 𝐸1 𝑐𝑜𝑠450 − (𝐸3 𝑐𝑜𝑠450 + 𝐸4 𝑐𝑜𝑠450 )

𝑟 𝐸2 𝑟
Here, 𝐸3 450
𝑥
1 10 × 10−9 1 20 × 10−9 𝐸1
𝐸1 = 𝐸4 = And 𝐸3 = 𝐸2 = 𝑟 𝐸
4𝜋𝜀0 𝑟2 4𝜋𝜀0 𝑟2 4 𝑟

𝐸𝑥 = 𝐸2 𝑐𝑜𝑠450 + 𝐸1 𝑐𝑜𝑠450 − 𝐸2 𝑐𝑜𝑠450 − 𝐸1 𝑐𝑜𝑠450

𝑞4 = −10 𝑛𝐶 𝑞3 = +20 𝑛𝐶
𝐸𝑥 =0 N/C
The net electric field at the center of the square along
y-axis is

𝐸𝑦 = 𝐸2 𝑐𝑜𝑠450 + 𝐸3 𝑐𝑜𝑠450 − (𝐸1 𝑐𝑜𝑠450 + 𝐸4 𝑐𝑜𝑠450 )

𝐸𝑦 = 𝐸2 𝑐𝑜𝑠450 + 𝐸2 𝑐𝑜𝑠450 − (𝐸1 𝑐𝑜𝑠450 + 𝐸1 𝑐𝑜𝑠450 )

𝐸𝑦 = 2𝐸2 𝑐𝑜𝑠450 − 2𝐸1 𝑐𝑜𝑠450

2 × 9 × 109 × 20 × 10−9 × 0.707 2 × 9 × 109 × 10 × 10−9 × 0.707

𝐸𝑦 = −
𝑟2 𝑟2

𝑎2 𝑎2 2𝑎2
𝑟= + =
4 4 4
127.26 127.26 3 𝑁/𝐶
𝐸𝑦 = = = 101.55 × 10
𝑟2 (0.0354)2 𝑎 0.05
𝑟= = = 0.0354 𝑚
2 1.414

𝑁
𝐸 = 𝐸𝑥 𝑖Ƹ + 𝐸𝑦 𝑗Ƹ = 0 + 101.55 × 103 𝑗Ƹ = 101.55 × 103 𝑗Ƹ
𝐶