Electrostatic potential energy and energy density

For a point charges the potential energy is the product of the

scalar potential and the charge of a point object

More precisely if a point chargeGi is brought from infinity to a

point Xi in a region of localized electric fields described by the
scaler potential OI the work done on the charge is given by
Wi qi Iocxi
The potential oICXi can be viewed as produced by an array

of Cn i charge qj j 1,2 3 n D at the position xj

n I
L I
oICxi Eo 2l IX X
j
The potential energy of the charge qie
NI
qi ai
wi I
j4
ix il
The total potential energy of all the charges due to all the
forces acting between them mis
gg
w Ho i24 2 Ki Xi I
jai
does not contain
tri XII selfenergy term
Note that i I terms self energy terms are omitted in the
double rum

For Continuous charge distribution

P
W f f d3ed3e
 I Teo J9 Bae

W Iz fp OI d3e

Above potential energy expressions express in terms of the

positions of the charges and so emphasize the interactions

charges via be ween
Coulomb forces

An alternative and very fruitful approach is to emphasize the

electric field and to interpret the energy as being stored in
the electric field surrounding charges

From Poisson equation

qv Heo
W
If Eo Tio Q d3e

EEJ E FEI dose

of IT to IT OIG Ff

d3R
Eze
ft Cotto d3R 1 Eez
f Ion
EEfosfvctondbe EEJ o.TO d3e
The nurface integral vanishes since we can displace the areas
to infinity we have payr ton YM no that the inte
grand with Yp3 tends more rapidly to Eero than the area
turn tends to el ment
infinity
O
Now we introduce the field
E I

explicitreference to charges
W Ezo
field'm has removed
 EASIER contains self energy term
The energy density w

Example Interaction energy of Two point charges

Let us consider too point charges q and qz Located at and
X as shown in Fig p

q 792
g

The electric field due to individual charges are

E Into 91,477 4

Ez 92 X
0
IX X213

The electric field at the point p is

art.ME x p tareo
ff7xI W
E

E E 1Ez
Ez J1EMd3ce
12Everydose
EE S LEFT ET

Estate.TT xiai 5fxExa i

qq.lx xD.LK
02 IX X 131 421Jd3e

324 1191714 FIT 12

717,3
9192477,54 Be

The first two terms represent the self energy of the charges
The occurance of neff energies is exhibited also in fact that
the expression for w is positively definite while the interaction energy
Can be positive or negative depending on the reign of the charge

wint Iifa b on

A change of integration variable to p x XD11 24 yields

9192
Wint to y In ftp.zlfptfnzd3p
where h is a unit rectog in the direction Cx XD

Potential and charge distribution of an atomic nucleus

charge density Pln 7 23

Po
ze
174 Heo a uniformly charged sphere
of radius R
4 Tong Fu hqhf zu.io

zIItzu.ehnh.eaEu.
Iho
t.aa.to
rhp
hr rsinO
The problem spherically nynametrie and charges are
is

uniformly distributed over surface and has n dependent only

TH rising Br firkin III

frozen'Er
fr Frfr 2ft PIE if InzRI
Fr FrGraff o rrd e
1 fi
The constant c can be fixed with help of Gauss Law
 To E P Eo
RY
f TLE du JE Bds ze

E 417K fo f Pdv gloze

E
r
1 E t R

2 48 C Zeko
91pAX4MR

IIe toe I
2
19

The constant Cz is not equal to zero because the potential has

to vanish as p air OIZ E

Eor

Now if NERI d
frfr E Po
rn tf f fopor's k

IF Ise Por t
OI f foPort kips 1 Ks

since the potential has to remain finite for n o and has 4 0

Ecr FIT 1Kz Ze Po 41317123

Ze_ 3
Ein r r 1 Kz Po
4317133 917123
BApsMtK2 gFfeo

YIztK oIfnr
2

R Tengo RTR3 1 Kz Ee R ELT

It 48M
Ka Zoepf 1 tenor Iter
2
Qin 8 Est Hyeon