CHAPTER 12

ELECTROSTATIC
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW!!!
 2015(U) Q18(b)(i) – 2m 2019 Q18(a) – 3m

12.1 Coulomb’s law 2016 Q18(c)(i) – 5m

2018 Q18(a)(i),(ii) – 4m/3m
2020(U) Q16(a) – 2m

2015(U) Q18(a) – 1m
𝑄𝑄1 𝑄𝑄2
(a) State Coulomb’s law, and use the formula 𝐹𝐹 =
4𝜋𝜋𝜀𝜀𝑜𝑜 𝑟𝑟 2

Magnitude of the electric force between two point charges is

directly proportional to the product of the two charges and
inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them

𝑄𝑄1 𝑄𝑄2
𝐹𝐹 ∝ 2
𝑟𝑟
12.2 Electric field
(a) Explain the meaning of electric field, …
A region in which an electric charge experiences a force
 (a) …and sketch the field pattern for an isolated point
charge, an electric dipole and a uniformly charged
surface
2016 Q18(b) – 4m

An point charge

2017(U) Q18(b)(i) – 2m

Dipole
2020(U) Q18(a)(i) – 2m Uniform charged surface
 2017(U) Q18(c)(i) – 4m 2020 Q18(a),(c) – 1m/7m
2016 Q18(a) – 2m 2019(U) Q16(b),(c) – 2m/2m

𝐹𝐹
(c) Define the electric field strength, use the formula 𝐸𝐸 =
𝑞𝑞
𝑉𝑉 𝑄𝑄
2020 Q18(b)(i),(ii) – 4m/3m Force per unit positive charge 𝐸𝐸 =
𝑑𝑑
=
4𝜋𝜋𝜀𝜀𝑜𝑜 𝑟𝑟 2
2015(U) Q18(b)(ii) – 2m
2019(U) Q16(a) – 3m 2019 Q18(c)(i) – 2m
2020(U) Q18(a)(ii) – 2m

(d) Describe the motion of a point charge in a uniform

electric field
Upward electrostatic force
𝐹𝐹 = 𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸 = 𝑚𝑚𝑒𝑒 𝑎𝑎 2016(U) Q18(c)(i) – 4m

𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸
𝑎𝑎 = (upward)
𝑚𝑚𝑒𝑒
Electron travels along path AB
Horizontal Motion, time taken to
travel from A to B 𝐿𝐿
𝑡𝑡 =
𝑢𝑢
 Vertical Motion, displacement h given by,
1 2
𝑠𝑠 = 𝑢𝑢𝑢𝑢 + 𝑎𝑎𝑡𝑡 2016(U) Q18(c)(ii) – 3m

2
1 𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸 𝐿𝐿 2
ℎ =0+
2 𝑚𝑚 𝑢𝑢
1 𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸 𝐿𝐿 2
ℎ=
2 𝑚𝑚 𝑢𝑢

Vertical velocity at B, 𝑣𝑣 = 𝑢𝑢 + 𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 Distance travelled outside the

𝑣𝑣𝑦𝑦 = 𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 electric field, GC
𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸
𝑣𝑣𝑦𝑦 = 𝐺𝐺𝐺𝐺 = ℎ + 𝑦𝑦 𝑦𝑦 = 𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷 𝜃𝜃
𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚
2
1 𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸 𝐿𝐿
Horizontal velocity at B, 𝑣𝑣𝑥𝑥 = 𝑢𝑢 G𝐶𝐶 = + 𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷 𝜃𝜃
2 𝑚𝑚 𝑢𝑢
Actual velocity at B, 𝑣𝑣 − 𝑣𝑣𝑥𝑥 2 + 𝑣𝑣𝑦𝑦 2
 2015(U) Q18(c) – 1m

12.3 Gauss’s law 2018(U) Q18(a) – 1m

2018 Q18(b)(i) – 4m
2019 Q19(b)(ii) – 4m
2018(U) Q18(b)(i) – 5m

(e) State Gauss’s law, and apply it to derive the electric

field strength for an isolated point charge, an isolated
charged conducting sphere and a uniformly charged plate
The net electric flux, φ, passing through a closed surface
(Gaussian surface) is equal to the total net charge Q inside
the closed surface divided by the permittivity, 𝜀𝜀 , of the
medium. 𝑄𝑄
Ф=
2018(U) Q18(b)(iii) – 2m 𝜀𝜀
Ф = EA = E x 4𝜋𝜋𝑟𝑟 2
𝑄𝑄
Ф=
𝜀𝜀𝑜𝑜
𝑄𝑄
Ex 4𝜋𝜋𝑟𝑟 2 =
𝜀𝜀𝑜𝑜
𝑄𝑄
E= 2018(U) Q18(c)(i),(ii) – 2m/1m
An isolated point charge 4𝜋𝜋𝑟𝑟 2 𝜀𝜀𝑜𝑜 2019 Q18(b)(ii) – 4m
 2018(U) Q18(b)(ii) – 4m

Ф = EA = E x 4𝜋𝜋𝑟𝑟 2
𝑄𝑄
Ф=
𝜀𝜀𝑜𝑜
𝑄𝑄
E x 4𝜋𝜋𝑟𝑟 2 =
𝜀𝜀𝑜𝑜
𝑄𝑄
E=
4𝜋𝜋𝑟𝑟 2 𝜀𝜀𝑜𝑜

an isolated charged conducting sphere

Ф = EA
𝑄𝑄
Ф=
𝜀𝜀𝑜𝑜
𝑄𝑄
EA =
𝜀𝜀𝑜𝑜
𝑄𝑄
E=
𝐴𝐴𝜀𝜀𝑜𝑜 2018 Q18(b)(ii) – 4m
𝜎𝜎
E=
𝑄𝑄
a uniformly charged surface / thin conducting plate 𝜎𝜎= = surface charge density
𝐴𝐴
𝜀𝜀𝑜𝑜 2015(U) Q18(d)(i)(ii) – 3m/2m
𝜎𝜎 = sheet charge density in Coulombs per square meter

𝑄𝑄
𝜎𝜎 = = surface charge density
𝐴𝐴

𝜎𝜎𝐴𝐴 = charge inside Gaussian surface

𝜎𝜎𝜎𝜎
Φ = 𝐸𝐸 2𝐴𝐴 =
𝜀𝜀𝑂𝑂
𝜎𝜎
𝐸𝐸 =
2𝜀𝜀𝑂𝑂
𝑄𝑄
𝐸𝐸 =
2𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝑂𝑂
A uniformly charged plate – 2 surfaces
12.4 Electric potential
2016 Q18(a) – 1m
2016(U) Q18(a)(i) – 1m
(f) Define electric potential 2017(U) Q18(a) – 1m

Electric potential at a point in an electric field is the work done in

bringing a unit charge from infinity to that point.
𝑊𝑊 = 𝑄𝑄∆𝑉𝑉 𝑄𝑄 = 𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶 2015(U) Q18(b)(iii) – 2m
𝑊𝑊 = 𝑄𝑄(𝑉𝑉 − 0) 𝑄𝑄 2016 Q18(c)(ii) – 4m
V= 2017(U) Q18(c)(ii) - 2m
𝑊𝑊 = 𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄 4𝜋𝜋𝜀𝜀𝑜𝑜 𝑟𝑟 2020(U) Q16(b)(ii) – 3m
𝑊𝑊 𝑄𝑄
Electric potential at a point, 𝑉𝑉 = = 𝐶𝐶 = 4𝜋𝜋𝜀𝜀𝑜𝑜 𝑟𝑟
2016(U) Q18(a)(ii) – 3m
𝑄𝑄 𝑉𝑉
Transformation of energy as electron moves from region of high potential to low
potential is electrical potential energy to kinetic energy 1 2016(U) Q18(b)(i),(ii) – 2m/2m
𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄 = 𝑚𝑚𝑣𝑣 2
2 2020(U) Q16(b)(i) – 3m
Electron will stop moving when the potential at the two region are same.
Electric potential energy of a charge at a point in an electric field is
the work done in bringing the charge Q from infinity to that point.
𝑈𝑈 = 𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄 2017(U) Q18(b)(iii) – 5m
2015(U) Q18(b)(iv) – 2m
12.4 Electric potential
(f) Define electric potential 2019 Q19(b)(i) – 3m

Electric potential at a point in an electric field is the work

done in bringing a unit charge from infinity to that point.
𝑄𝑄
(g) Use the formula V =
4𝜋𝜋𝜀𝜀𝑜𝑜 𝑟𝑟
2016 Q18(b) – 4m

(h) Explain the meaning of equipotential surfaces 2017(U) Q18(b)(ii) – 1m

A surface where the electric potential at every point on the
surface are the same.
𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑 2019 Q18(b)(i) – 3m
(i) Use the relationship E = -
𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑

(j) Use the formula 𝑈𝑈 = 𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞 2019 Q18(c)(ii) – 3m