Electric Field

Electric Field: It is the space around a charged body up to which its effect can
be experienced.

Electric field at a particular point is measured in terms of electric field

intensity.

Electric field intensity (E):- The electric field intensity at a point is defined as
the force experienced per unit charge placed at that point.

To find the electric field intensity at a point we consider the presence of a very
small positive charge at that point.

In general unit charge (q0) is taken as positive charge.

Mathematically

Electric field strength = or E = F/q

Or E=

It is a vector quantity having direction towards positive charge & SI unit N/C or
V/m.

Note: In the above triangle the quantity shown at the vertex, could be arrived
by multiplying the quantities shown at the base, i.e. F= Q x E.
Any one of the quantity shown at the base is given by the ratio of the
quantities shown at vertex & the other quantity shown at the base, i.e. E=F/Q
or Q= F/E.
Electric Field due to a point charge:-
From Coulomb's law, we know that r
F= kqQ/r2 Q q

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Also E = F/q = kqQ/r2q = kQ/r2

kQ 1 Q
E= = 2 = 2
4𝜋ℇ

The electric field strength due to a charge is dependent upon the quantity of
source charge (Q) and the distance of separation (r) from the source charge.

Electric Dipole:- It is an arrangement of two equal and opposite charges

separated by certain distance. The small distance between charges is denoted
by ‘2a’. The strength of an electric dipole is measured by a vector quantity
known as electric dipole moment known as electric dipole moment

Electric Dipole moment (p) :- It is the product of either charge and length of
the dipole.

p = q x 2a

It is a vector quantity having direction from negative to positive charge and SI

unit coulomb metre (Cm)

Electric field lines or electric lines of forces:-It is the path straight or curved
along which a unit positive charge would move if it is free to do so.
Physical significance:- The tangent at any point on the field line represents the
direction of electric field at that point.
Representation of electric field lines:-
(i) Due to isolated charge:-

(ii) Due to a pair of equal charges:-

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 (iii) Due to a pair of unequal charges:-

(iv) Other Examples

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Properties of Electric field lines:-
1. They start from positive charge and end at negative charge.
2. The direction of Electric field intensity at a point can be calculated by
drawing the tangent to the line of force at that point.
3. Due to the attraction between unlike charges, the electric lines of force
contract longitudinally.
4. Due to the repulsion between the like charges, the line of force applies a
lateral pressure.
5. Electric field lines never intersect each other. This point can be cleared easily
through a figure.
Let us suppose that two lines intersect at a point. So draw tangents to that
point along the lines of force. You will see that there will be two directions
of the electric field intensity at a single point, which is not possible.
Let us suppose that two lines intersect at a point. So draw tangents to that
point along the lines of force. You will see that there will be two directions
of the electric field intensity at a single point, which is not possible.

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6. All the components of electric field intensity are perpendicular to the
outermost layer of the conductor.
7. They do not form closed loops.
8. They are always continuous. There cannot be a sudden break in the line.
As E 1/ r2, so E = 0 only at r =

Electric field due to an electric dipole:-

(a) For points on axial line

The axial line of a dipole is the line passing through the positive and
negative charges of the electric dipole.

Consider a system of charges (-q and +q) separated by a distance 2a.

Let 'P' be any point on an axis where the field intensity is to be
determined.
Electric field at P (EB) due to +q

Electric field at P due to -q (EA)

Net field at P is given by

Simplifying, we get

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 As a special case, for a short dipole i.e.

In vector form
E = 2kp/r3 E and p are along same direction.
i.e. Angle between Eaxial and dipole moment is 0ᵒ.

(b) For points on the equatorial line:

An equatorial line of a dipole is the line perpendicular to the axial line

and passing through a point mid way between the charges.

Consider a dipole consisting of -q and +q separated by a distance 2a.

Let P be a point Consider a point P on the equatorial line.

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 The resultant intensity is the vector sum of the intensities along PA
and PB. EA and EB can be resolved into vertical and horizontal
components. The vertical components of EA and EB cancel each other
as they are equal and oppositely directed. It is the horizontal
components which add up to give the resultant field.

E = 2EA cos θ

As 2qa = p

As a special case, for a short dipole i.e.

In vector form:
E = -kp/r3
E and p are along opposite directions.
i.e. Angle between Eequat. and dipole moment is 180ᵒ.

We find that at very far off points i.e., 2a << r.

Electric intensity at an axial point is twice the electric intensity on the
equatorial line.
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 Eax a 2
=
Ee uat 1

Note: Angle between Eaxial and Eequat. is 180ᵒ.

Torque acting on an electric dipole in uniform electric field

Let us consider an electric dipole placed in a uniform electric field E in a region
of space (shown by 'parallel' lines).

The dipole moment vector p making an angle Ɵ with the field E.

Let -q and +q be the charges forming the dipole and 2a the distance between
them. Due to the electric field E , the charge +q experiences a force qE (in the
direction of the field) and the charge -q experiences an equal and opposite
force qE (opposite to the field).
Since the two forces are equal and opposite, the net translatory force on the
dipole in 'uniform' electric field is zero; therefore there will be no translatory
motion of the dipole in a uniform electric field.
However, these two equal and opposite forces form a couple which rotates the
dipole and tends to set it parallel to the field E.
The moment of this restoring couple is known as the 'torque' Ⴀ on the dipole.
The magnitude of the torque (= force × perpendicular distance) is given by
τ = qE (2a sinθ) = 2qa E sinθ
or τ = pE sinθ
where p(=2qa) is the magnitude of the dipole moment.
In vector form:

Here torque is perpendicular to both p and E

Special cases:
(i) When θ = 900 , torque is maximum.

(ii) For Stable equilibrium θ =00, therefore τ= pEsin 00 = 0

(iii) For Unstable equilibrium θ =1800, therefore τ = pEsin 1800 = 0
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Potential energy of dipole placed in uniform electric field

Consider a dipole placed in a uniform electric field and it is in equilibrium

position. If we rotate this dipole from its equilibrium position, work has
to be done.

Suppose electric dipole of moment p is rotated in uniform electric

field E through an angle θ from its equilibrium position. Due to this
rotation couple acts on the dipole.

If at any instant dipole makes an angle φ with uniform electric field then
torque acting on dipole is
τ =pEsinφ

The small amount of work done in rotating electric dipole through an

infinitesimally small angle dφ is
dW=torque x angular displacement = pEsinφ dφ
which is equal to the change in potential energy of the system
dW=dU=pEsinφ dφ

If angle φ is changed from 900 to θ then in potential energy would be

We have chosen the value of φ going from π/2 to θ because at π/2 we

can take potential energy to be zero (axis of dipole is perpendicular to
the field).

Thus U(900)=0 and above equation becomes

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 Worksheet 2 (Electric Field)
1. Define (i) electric field intensity (ii) electric dipole moment. Write
their SI units.
2. What are electric field lines? Write their properties.
3. Two point charges of unknown magnitude and sign are placed
distance‘d’ apart. The electric field intensity is zero at a point, not
between the charges but on the line joining them. Write two
essential conditions for this to happen.
4. Charge Q acts as a point charge to create an electric field. Its
strength, measured a distance of 30 cm away, is 40 N/C. What is the
magnitude of the electric field strength that you would expect to be
measured at a distance of
a. 60 cm away? b. 15 cm away? c. 90 cm away?
d. 3 cm away? e. 45 cm away?
5. Give reason for the following:
(a) Electric field lines are always continuous.
(b) Two electric field lines can never intersect each other.
(c) Electric field lines do not form closed loops.
(d) Electric field lines do not pass through a conductor.
(e) Electric field lines are perpendicular to the surface of a conductor.
6. Charge Q acts as a point charge to create an electric field. Its
strength, measured a distance of 30 cm away, is 40 N/C. What would
be the electric field strength:
a) 30 cm away from a source with charge 2Q?
b) 30 cm away from a source with charge 3Q?
c) 15 cm away from a source with charge 2Q?
d) 150 cm away from a source with charge 0.5Q?
7. It is observed that balloon A is charged negatively. Balloon B exerts a
repulsive affect upon balloon A. Would the electric field vector
created by balloon B be directed towards B or away from B? Explain.
8. Find an expression for the electric field strength at a distant point
situated
(i) on the axial and (ii) on the equatorial point.
9. Find expression for the force and torque on an electric dipole kept in
a uniform electric field. Also write the conditions for (i) stable
equilibrium (ii) unstable equilibrium.
10.(a) Find an expression for the work done in rotating an electric dipole
in a uniform electric field.
(b) Show that the potential energy of an electric dipole in a uniform E
is given by U = -p . E.

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 11.Sketch the electric field lines for (i) an isolated charge (ii) an electric
dipole (iii) a pair of two positive charges (iv)uniformly charged hollow
cylinder (v) a point charge kept at the vicinity of earthed metallic
plate.
12.Calculate the amount of work done in rotating a dipole of dipole
moment 3x108 Cm from its position of stable equilibrium to the
position of unstable equilibrium in uniform electric field of intensity
104 N/C.
13.Small identical electrical dipoles AB and CD each of dipole moment
are kept at an angle of 120ᵒ as shown in the figure. What is the
resultant dipole moment of this combination? If this system is
subjected to electric field directed along +X direction, what will be
the magnitude and direction of torque acting on this?

14.Two charges of 20µC and -20µC are placed 20 cm apart at points A

and B respectively. Compute the electric field strength at point C, 20
cm away from both A and B.
15.Two point charges of unknown magnitude and sign are placed
distance ‘d’ apart. The electric field intensity is zero at a point, not
between the charges but on the line joining them. Write two
essential conditions for this to happen.
16.Two concentric metallic spherical shells of radii R and 2R are given
charges Q1 and Q2 respectively. The surface charge densities on the
outer surfaces of shells are equal. Determine the ratio Q1/ Q2.
17.A system has two charges qA = 2.5x10-7C and qB = - 2.5x10-7C located
at points A (0,0,-15cm) and B (0,0,+15cm) respectively. What are the
total charge and electric dipole moment of the system?
18.In a certain region of space, electric field is along Z-direction
throughout. The magnitude of electric field, however is not constant,
but increases uniformly along positive Z-direction at the rate of
105N/C per metre. What are the torque and force experienced by the
system having a total dipole moment equal to 10-7Cm in negative Z-
direction?
19.An electron falls through a distance of 1.5 cm in a uniform electric
field of magnitude 2.0 × 104N/C. The direction of the field is reversed

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 keeping its magnitude unchanged and a proton falls through the
same distance. Compute the time of fall in each case. Contrast the
situation with that of ‘free fall under gravity’.

20.Figure shows tracks of three charged particles in a uniform

electrostatic field. Give the signs of the three charges. Which particle
has the highest charge to mass ratio?

21.An oil drop of 12 excess electrons is held stationary under a constant

electric field of 2.55 × 104 N/C (Millikan’s oil drop experiment). The
density of the oil is 1.26 g cm–3. Estimate the radius of the drop.
(g = 9.81 m s–2; e = 1.60 × 10–19 C).
22.(a) A particle of mass m and charge (–q) enters the region between the two
charged plates initially moving along x-axis with speed vx . The length of
plate is L and a uniform electric field E is maintained between the plates.
Show that the vertical deflection of the particle at the far edge of the plate
is qEL2/(2m vx2)
(b)Suppose that the particle in part (a) is an electron projected with
velocity vx = 2.0 × 106 m/s. If E between the plates separated by 0.5
cm is 9.1×102 N/C, where will the electron strike the upper plate?
(|e|=1.6 × 10–19 C, me = 9.1 × 10–31 kg.)

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