CHAPTER 10: ELECTROSTATICS

I. Electric Charge

Electric charge is an attribute that is as fundamental as mass. There are two kinds of charges
namely, positive, and negative charge.

Electrostatic interaction refers to the interaction of electric charges that are at rest in a frame of
reference. Electrostatic interactions are governed by a simple relationship known as Coulomb’s
law and are most conveniently described by using the concept of electric field.

An atom consists of the following:

a. negatively charged electron (me=9.10x10-31kg)

b. positively charged proton (mp=1.67x10-27kg)

c. uncharged neutron (mn=1.67x10-27kg)

Atomic number is the number of protons or electrons in a neutral atom of an element. If one
or more electrons are removed, the remaining positively charged structure is called positive
ion. A negative ion is an atom that has gained one or more electrons. The gaining or losing of
electrons is called ionization.

Important principles:

a. Conservation of Charge
The algebraic sum of all the electric charges in any closed system is constant.

b. Quantization of Charge
The magnitude of charge of the electron or proton is a natural unit of charge.

II. Conductors, Insulators, and Induced Charges

Conductors are materials that permit electric charge to move easily within them while
insulators are materials that do not permit electric charge to move easily within them.
Semiconductors are materials that are intermediate in their properties between good
conductors and good insulators.
There are a variety of methods to charge an object. One method is known as induction. In
the induction process, charged object is brought near but not touched to a neutral conducting
object. The presence of a charged object near a neutral conductor will force (or induce)
electrons within the conductor to move.

III. Coulomb’s Law

Point charges are charged bodies that are very small in comparison with the distance between
them.

Coulomb’s Law
“The magnitude of the electric force between two point charges is directly proportional
to the product of the charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between
them.”

|k q 1 q 2|
F=k 2
r

In vector form,
⃑ |k q 1 q 2|
F=k 2
r^
r

2
N∙m
9
where k =9 x 10 2 is called the electric force constant, q1 and q2 are the charges and r is
C
the separation between q1 and q2. Also,

2
1 −12 C
k= where ϵ o =8.854 x 10 2
4 π ϵo N ∙m

The direction of the forces of the two charges exerted on each other is always along the line
joining them. When the charges have the same sign, the forces are repulsive. When the
charges have opposite signs, the forces are attractive.
Principle of Superposition of Forces
When two charges exert forces simultaneously on a third charge, the total force acting
on the charge is the vector sum of the forces that the two charges would exert individually.

IV. Electric Field

Electric Field is the force per unit charge exerted on a test charge at any point, provided the test
charge is small enough that it does not disturb the charges that cause the field.

The electric field of a point charge is expressed as

|kq q o|
⃑ k
⃑ F r
2
|q|
E= = r^ =k 2 r^
qo qo r

The direction of the electric field of a point charge always points away from the positive charge
(that is, in the direction opposite r^ ).

For a continuous charge distribution, divide the charge

distribution into small elements each containing a charge ∆ q.
Then calculate the electric field due to one of the elements at a
point, say P as in the diagram. Then evaluate the sum of the
contributions of the elements such that
 ⃑ dq
d E=k 2 r^
r

V. Electric Potential Energy

⃑
When a force F acts on a particle that moves from point a to point b, the work done is

b
⃑ ⃑ b
W a → b=∫ F ∙ d l=∫ F cos ϕ dl
a a

⃑
where d l is an infinitesimal displacement along the particle’s path and ϕ is the angle between
⃑ ⃑
F and d l at each point along the path.

⃑ ⃑
If the force F is conservative, the work done by F can always be expressed in terms of a
potential energy U . Thus, the work done by a conservative force is

W a → b=U a−U b =−ΔU

The work – kinetic energy relation says that the change in the kinetic energy during any
displacement is equal to the total work done on the particle.

W a → b=U a−U b =K b−K a

Electric Potential Energy in a Uniform Field

The work done by the electric field is the product of the force magnitude and the
component of displacement in the direction of force

W a → b=Fd=q o Ed

The potential energy of the electric force with the displacement along the y-axis is

U =qo Ey
 When the charge moves from height y a to height y b, the work done on the charge by
the field is given by

W a → b=U a−U b =q o E y a −qo E y b

Electric Potential Energy of Two Point charges

The electric potential energy for two-point charges q and qo depends on their separation
r.

q qo
U =k
r

The electric potential energy for a charge q0 in the presence of a collection of charges
q 1 , q 2 , q 3 , … depends on the distance from q o to each of these charges.

U =k q o
( q1 q 2 q3
) qi
+ + +… =k qo ∑ =k ∑
r1 r2 r3 i ri
qi q j
i< j r ij

The total potential energy of the system is the sum of the potential energies of
interaction for each pair of charges.

VI. Electric Potential

Electric Potential is the electric potential energy per unit charge.

For a point charge,

U q
V= =k
qo r

For a collection of point charges,

U q
V= =k ∑ i
qo i ri

For a continuous charge distribution,

U dq
V= =k ∫
qo r
The potential difference between two points a and b, also called the potential of a with respect
⃑
to b, is given by the line integral of E as

⃑ ⃑ b
b
V a −V b=∫ E ∙ d l=∫ E cos ϕ dl
a a

SOLVED PROBLEMS

1. Two point charges are located on the positive x-axis of a

coordinate system. Charge q1 = 1nC is 2cm from the origin, and + + -
charge q2 = -3nC is 4cm from the origin. What is the total force 2cm
exerted by these two charges on a charge q 3 = 5nC located at the
4cm
origin?

Solution:
|q1 q 2| −9 −9
2 2 (1 . 0 x 10 C )(5 . 0 x 10 C )
⃗F = 1 =(9 .0 x10 9
N .m /C )
1 on 3
4 πε 0 r 2 (0 .020 m)2
−4
=1.12 x10 N =112μN

This force has a negative x component because q3 is repelled (that is, pushed in the negative x-
direction) by q1.

|q2 q3| −9 −9
⃗F = 1 =(9 .0 x 10 9
N .m 2 2 (3 . 0 x 10 C )(5 . 0 x 10 C )
/C )
2 on 3
4 πε 0 r 2 (0 .040 m )2
−5
=8.4 x 10 N =84 μN
This force has a positive x-component because q3 is attracted (that is, pulled in the positive x
direction) by q2. The sum of the x component is

F x =−112 μN +84 μN =−28 μN

2. A point charge q = -8nC located at the origin. Find the electric field
vector at the point x = 1.2m, y= -1.6 m. y

Solution: _ x

1.6 m
 P

1.2 m

⃗r x ^i+ y ^j (1.2m) ^i+(−1.6m) ^j

r^ = = = =0.60 { ^i −0.80 { ^j ¿¿
r r 2.0m

Hence, the electric field vector is

⃗E= 1 q r^ =(9 .0 x10 9 N⋅m2 /C 2 ) (−8. 0 x 10 C ) (0 .60 { ^i−0 .80 { ^j ¿)¿

−9

4 πε 0 r 2 (2. 0m)2

=(−11 N /C ) ^i +(14 N /C ) ^j
3. Two-point charges are located on the x-axis, q 1 = -e at x = 0 and q2 = +e at x = a. (a) find the
work that must be done by an external force to bring a third point charge q 3 = +e from infinity
to x = 2a. (b) find the total potential energy of the system of three charges.

q1 = -e q2 = +e q3 = +e

x=0 x=a x = 2a

Solution:

a. The work that must be done on q 3 by an external force is equal to the difference between
two quantities: the potential energy U associated with q 3 when it is at x = 2a and the potential
energy when it is infinitely far away. The second of these is zero, so the work that must be done
is equal to U.

q3 q1 q2 + e −e +e +e 2
W =U = ( + )= ( + )=
4 πε 0 r 13 r 23 4 πε 0 2a a 8 πε 0 a

b. The total potential energy of the assemblage of three charges is given by

1 qi q j 1 q 1 q 2 q 1 q3 q 2 q3 1 (−e )(e ) (−e )(e ) (e )(e ) −e

2
U= ∑ = (
4 πε 0 i< j r ij 4 πε 0 r 12
+
r 13
+
r 23
) =
4 πε 0
(
a
+
2a
+
a
)=
8 πε 0 a

4. An electric dipole consists of two-point charges, q 1 = +12nC

and q2 = -12nC, placed 10cm apart. Compute the potential at
points a,b, and c by adding the potentials due to either charge.

Solution:
At point a the potential due to the positive q1 is
1 q1 9 2
−9
2 12 x 10 C
=(9 . 0 x 10 N . m /C ) =1800 N . m/C=1800 JJ /C=1800V
4 πε 0 r 1 0 . 060 m

and the potential due to the negative charge q2 is

1 q2
−9
9 2 2 (−12 x 10 C )
=(9 . 0 x 10 N . m /C ) =−2700 N . m/C=−2700 J /C=−2700V
4 πε 0 r 2 0 . 040 m
The potential Va at point a is

V a =1800V −2700 V =−900V

By similar calculations you can show that at point b the potential due to the positive charges is
+2700V, the potential due to the negative charge is -770V, and

V b =2700V −770 V =1930 V

At point c the potential due to the positive charge is

1 q1 9 2 2 12 x10 C
−9
=(9 . 0 x 10 N .m /C ) =830 V
4 πε 0 r 1 0 . 13 m

The potential due to the negative charge is -830V, and the total potential is zero.