22.4-22.

5 – Electric Field
 mm
Recall Newton’s Law of Gravitational force: Fg  G 1 2 2 rˆ
r
• Let m1 = MEarth be the source of the gravitational field.
• Let m2 = m be a test particle in the presence of the gravitational field and experiencing a
gravitational force.

 M m  GM Earth 
Fg  G Earth
2
rˆ    2
rˆ m
R Earth  R Earth 

 GM
g   2 Earth rˆ is the gravitational field of Earth (at the surface of the Earth).
REarth

g  9.80 m s 2 rˆ

 GM
In general, g   2 rˆ is the gravitational field of a point mass.
r
• Positive mass has a gravitational field that points radially inward toward it.
• The gravitational field falls off as 1/r2 from a point mass or spherical mass distribution.
 
• Gravitational force on the test particle can now be written as: Fg  mg .

 Fg
• In general, a gravitational field can be written as a gravitational force per unit mass, g  ,
m
in units of N/kg.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 qq
Coulomb’s Law of Electric force: FE  ke 1 2 2 rˆ
r
• Let q1 = q be the source of the electric field.
• Let q2 = q0 be a test particle in the presence of the electric field and experiencing an electric
force.

 qq k q 
FE  ke 20 rˆ   e2 rˆ q0
r  r 

 kq
E  e2 rˆ is the electric field of a point charge.
r
• A positive charge has an electric field that points rdially outward away from it.
• A negative charge has an electric field that points radially inward toward it.
• The electric field falls off as 1/r2 from the point charge.
  
Electric force on a test particle can now be written as: FE  q0 E .

 FE
The electric field is typically defined as E  .
q0
SI units: newton per coulomb, N/C
(also the same as volts per meter, V/m)
 
• For an object that is only experiencing an electric force, Newton’s second law, F  ma gives
 
qE  ma .
• A negative charge will experience an electric force in the opposite direction of the electric
field.
• A positive charge will experience an electric force in the same direction of the electric field.
• Reversing the direction of the electric field will reverse the direction of the electric force.

Comparison of Gravitational Quantities and Electric Quantities

• Mass (m)  Charge (q)
• Gravitational constant (G)  Coulomb constant (ke)
 
• Gravitational field ( g )  Electric field ( E )
   
• Gravitational force ( Fg  mg )  Electric force ( FE  qE )