Lesson 1.

3 Electric Field

Learning Objectives:

 Describe an electric field as a region in which an electric charge

experiences a force.
 Calculate the electric field due to system of point charges using Coulomb’s
law.
 Describe the trajectory of a point charge in an electric field.
 Explain and calculate electric flux.
 Use Gauss’s law to calculate the electric field due to uniformly distributed
charges.
 Solve problems on charges, electrostatics force, electric field and electric
flux.

Introduction:

Electric force is a noncontact force. And electric charge q can exert force on
other charged objects even though they are at some distance away. The space
surrounding a charged body is called an electric field. An electric field causes any
charged particle placed in it to experience an electric force. Every charge has an
electric field associated with it.

Electric Lines of Force

Michael Faraday, an English scientist who made important discoveries on

electricity and magnetism, introduced the use of electric lines of force to map out
an electric field. Lines of force have the following properties:

1. Lines of force start from positively charged particles and end on

negatively charged particles or continue toward infinity.
2. Lines of force neither intersect nor break as they pass from one charge
to another.
3. The greater the number of lines of force, the stronger the electric field.
The neutral point is the point where no lines of force pass. The electric
field is zero at the neutral point. Thus, neutral points are points where
 the resultant field is subtractive and the electric fields are equal but
oppositely directed. A neutral point between two like charges is a point
between the two charges and nearer the smaller charge. For two unlike
charges, lines of force can pass from positive to negative charge. The
neutral point cannot be between them; it is an extended point along the
line joining them and nearer the small charge.

Figure 1.8 shows these three properties of electric force.

Electric Field Due to a Point Charge

An electric field exists in the region of space around a charged object or a

source charge. When another charged object enters this electric field, it will
experience an electric force. The strength of the electric field at a point due to the
source charge is called electric field intensity. (In this text, electric field will
simply refer to electric field intensity) Electric field is defined as the force that a
test charge will experience when placed at that point. Physicists use a unit
positive charge as the test charge in defining an electric field. This test charge and
the electric field are usually represented by qO and E, respectively.

The electric field produced by a point source charge q can be obtained using
Coulomb’s law. The electric field at any point is given by the equation
FE
E= qo
Eq. 1.3

Where E is the electric field, FE is the electric force, and qO is the test charge.

To calculate the electric field at any point at a distance r in a space from a

point charge q, imagine a test charge qO placed at that point. The magnitude of
the electric force on qO is
q qO
FE = k
r2

Thus, the magnitude of the electric force due to the point charge is
 FE ǀ qǀ
E= = k Eq. 1.4
qO r2

It follows that E has the unit of Newton/Coulomb (N/C). Like electron force,
electric field is also a vector quantity* and has the same direction as the electric
force on a positive charge placed at a point. The electric field also follows the
superposition principle.

Sample Problem:

1. Calculate the magnitude and direction of the electric field 0.45m from a
+ 7.85 x 10—9C point charge.
Given: q = + 7.85 x 10—9C
r = 0.45m
Solution:
The magnitude of the electric field is calculated using Eq. 1.4
0.45m ¿2
ǀ qǀ ¿
E=k 2 = [9 x 109 N·m2/C2] [ ] = 348.89N/C
r +7.85 x 1 0−9 C
¿
The charge q will repel the positive test charge qO. Hence, the electric
field will be directed away from the charge q.

2. An electric dipole consists of two equal but unlike charges separated by a

distance. Two point charges q1 = + 4.5 x 10—6C and q2 = —4.5 x 10—6C, are
separated by 6.4 x 10—2m forming an electric dipole as shown in the figure.
Find the electric field halfway between the dipole.
Given: q1 = + 4.5 x 10—6C
q2 = —4.5 x 10—6C
r = 6.4 x 10—2m
Solution:
Imagine a unit positive test charge q O placed halfway between the
two charges. Eq.1.4 will be used to calculate the magnitude of the electric
field E1 due to q1 and E2 due to q2 .
 −2 2
3.2 x 10 m¿
ǀq 1 ǀ 9 2 2 ¿
E1 = k 2 = [9 x 10N ·m /C ] [ ] = 3.96 x7N/C
r1 + 4.5 x 1 0−6 C
¿

3.2 x 10−2 m¿2

ǀq 2 ǀ ¿
E2 = k 2 = [9 x 10N9·m2/C2] [ ] = 3.96 x7N/C
r2 −4.5 x 1 0−6 C
¿
Charge q1 will repel qO. Hence, E1 will be directed to the right. Charge
q2 will attract qO. Hence, E2 will be directed to the right. In accordance with
the superposition principle,
E = E1 + E2 = 3.96 x107N/C + 3.96 x7N/C3.96 x7N/C
= 7.92 x107N/C, directed to the right.

3. Two points charges are arranged on the x-y coordinate system as follows:
q1= 3.0 x 10—9C at (0, 3m) and q2 = —9.0 x 10—9C at( 4.5m, 0). Find the
electric field at origin (0,0).
Given: q1= 3.0 x 10—9C at (0, 3m)
q2 = —9.0 x 10—9C at ( 4.5m, 0)

Solution:

Imagine a unit positive test charge qO at the origin. Charges q1 and q2 will
repel and attract qO respectively. Electric fields E1 (due to q1) and E2 (due to q2) are
directed down and to the right, respectively. The electric field due to each charge
is computed using Eq.(1.4).

3 m ¿2
ǀq 1 ǀ ¿
E1 = k 2 = [9 x 10N9·m2/C2] [ ] = 3 N/C, directed
r1 3.0 x 10−9 C
¿
downward
 2
4.5 m¿
ǀq 2 ǀ 9 2 2 ¿
E2 = k 2 = [9 x 10N ·m /C ] [ ] = 4 N/C, directed to the
r2 −9.0 x 1 0−9 C
¿
right

The magnitude E of the resultant electric field is determined using the

Pythagorean theorem. The direction θ of the resultant electric field is
calculated using the arc tangent function.
E2
E= 2 2
√(E ) + ¿ ¿
1

E= √(3 N /C)2 +(4 N /C)2

E = 5N/C
E1
θ = tan-1 [ E ]
2

3 N /C
θ=tan —1
[ 4 N /C ] = 36.87o ≈ 37 o
downward with the +x-axis.

4. Two point charges q1 and q2 are separated by a distance of 1 m. Find the

neutral point if q1 = 3nC and q2 = 4nC.
Given: q1 = 3nC = 3 x 10—9C
q2 = 4nC = 4 x 10—9C
r=1m

Solution: Since the two charges have like signs, the neutral point must be
between them and nearer the smaller charge. Let NP be the neutral point.
Let x be the distance of q1 from the neutral point. Using Eq.(1.4) and
substituting values,
q1
E1 = k 2
r1
3 x 10−9 C
= [9 x 10N9·m2/C2] [ x2
]
 q2
E2 = k r2
2

x
1−¿
¿
= 9 2 2
[9 x 10N ·m /C ] [ ¿ ]
4 x 1 0−9 C
¿

The electric field is zero at the neutral point. Therefore,

E1 + E2 = 0
E 1 = E2
x
1−¿
9 23 x 10−9 C
2 ¿
[9 x 10N ·m /C ] [ ] = [9 x 10N9·m2/C2] [ ]
x2 ¿
4 x 1 0−9 C
¿

1−x ¿2
3 ¿
2 = 4
x
¿
4x2 = 3(1—x)2
4x2 = 3—6x + 3x2
x2 + 6x —3 = 0

−b ± √ b 2−4 ac
Using the quadratic formula: x =
2a
2
6 ¿ −4 ( 1 ) (−3)
¿
x= ¿
−6 ± √ ¿
¿
x = 0.46m; —6.46m
We choose the positive value of x because distance is always positive. Thus,
the neutral point is 0.46m from q1.
 If the electric field at a point is known, then the force on any charge placed
at that point is determined by multiplying the charge by the electric field.

FE = E ¿ q| Equation 1.5

If the charge happens to be negative, the direction of the force on the

negative charge is opposite the direction of the field.

Sample Problem 1:

An electron enters a uniform electric field that is directed downward and

has a magnitude of 5N/C.

a. Find the magnitude and direction of the force experienced by the electron,
b. Find also its acceleration,

Given: E = 5N/C, directed downward

q = —1.602 x 10—19C

m = 9.109 x 10—31kg

Solution:

a. The direction of the force is upward because the electron is negatively

charged. To solve for the magnitude of the force experienced by the
electron, Eq.1.5 is used. Only the absolute value of the charge of the
electron is considered.
FE = E ¿ q| = ( 5N/C)|—1.602x10—19C| = 8 x 10—19N
b. Newton’ second law of motion is used to solve for the acceleration. The
acceleration is also directed upward.
F = ma
F
a=
m
−19
8 x10 N
a= −31 = 8.78 x 1011m/s2 ≈ 9 x 1011m/s2
9.109 x 10 kg

Sample Problem 2
 A tiny ball weighs 0.0055kg and carries a charge of +3.25 x 10 —6C. What
electric field (magnitude and direction) is needed for the ball to remain suspended
in air.

Given: m = 0.0055kg

q = +3.25 x 10—6C

Solution: For the ball to remain suspended in air, the electric force must be
directed vertically up and numerically equal to the weight of the object. Since the
charge of the ball is positive, the direction of the electric field is also vertically up.
Using the first condition for equilibrium,

∑ F=0
F E−mg = 0; FE = mg

F E=(0.0055 kg)( 9.8 m/s2 )

¿ 0.0539 N

Using Eq.1.5 to solve for the electric field,

FE = E ¿ q|
FE 0.0539 N
E= = = 1.66 x 104 N/C, directed upward
q +3.25 x 10−6 C

Sample Problem 3

An electron is initially moving horizontally at v0 = 3.0 x 106 m/s when it

enters a uniform electric field of 5.6N/C directed vertically down. What are the
horizontal and vertical components of its velocity 2.0 μs after entering the
electric field?

Given: v0 = 3.0 x 106 m/s, horizontally

 E = 5.6N/C vertically down

q = —1.602 x 10—19C

t = 2.0 μs = 2 x 10—6s

Solution: Since the electric field is directed down, the electron experiences
an upward force and is deflected up. The magnitude of the electric force exerted
on the electron is computed using Eq. 1.5,

FE = E ¿ q| = 5.6N/C (—1.602 x 10—19C) = 8.97 x 10-19N

The vertical acceleration of the electron is computed using Newton’s second

law of motion.

∑ FE = ma
F E −mg
FE — mg = ma a = =
m
9.8 m
(8.97 x 1 0−19 N )−(9.109 x 10−31 kg )( )
s2 Type equation here .
−31
9.109 x 1 0 kg

= 9.848 x 1 011 m/s2

The vertical component of velocity at t = 2.0 x 10—6 s is solved using the

kinematic equation of motion v = v0 + at

v = 0 + (9.848 x 1 011 m/s2)(2.0 x 10—6s) = 1.969 x106s

Since there is no horizontal force acting on the electron, the horizontal

component of velocity remains constant at 3.0 x 106 m/s