Chapter 18

Electric Forces and

Electric Fields

Sec. 6

This power point presentation is based on the supplement provided by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
for Cutnell & Johnson’s Physics. It is provided for the students in College Physics II class of
NC A&T by Dr. Y.-L. Lin and cannot be copied or distributed to any third party.
18.6 The Electric Field

The positive charge qo in Fig. 18.15 experiences a force which is the vector
sum of the forces exerted by the charges on the rod and the two spheres.

This test charge should have a small magnitude so it doesn’t affect

the other charge.

Fig. 18.15

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18.6 The Electric Field

Example 6 A Test Charge

The positive test charge qo has a magnitude of

3.0x10-8C and experiences a force of 6.0x10-8N.

(a) Find the force per coulomb that the test charge
experiences.

(b) Predict the force that a charge of +12x10-8C

would experience if it replaced the test charge.

Solutions:

F 6.0 × 10 −8 N
(a) = −8
= 2.0 N C
qo 3.0 ×10 C

(b) ( )
F = (2.0 N C ) 12.0 ×10 −8 C = 24 ×10 −8 N

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18.6 The Electric Field

DEFINITION OF ELECRIC FIELD

The electric field that exists at a point is the electrostatic force experienced
by a small test charge placed at that point divided by the charge itself:
G
G F
E= (18.2)
qo
SI Units of Electric Field: Newton per coulomb (N/C)

The electric field

G is a vector, and its direction is the same as the direction
of the force F on a positive test charge; otherwise, the electric field’s
direction is opposite to the electric force. Thus, the magnitude of the
electric field may be calculated by

F
E= (18.2b)
qo
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18.6 The Electric Field

Fig. 18.16 (For Example 7)

It is the surrounding charges that create the electric field at a given point.

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18.6 The Electric Field

Example 7 An Electric Field Leads to a Force

The charges on the two metal spheres and the ebonite rod create an electric
field at the spot indicated. The field has a magnitude of 2.0 N/C. Determine
the force (direction and magnitude) on the charges in (a) and (b)

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18.6 The Electric Field

(a) ( )
F = qo E = 18.0 × 10−8 C ( 2.0 N C ) = 36 × 10−8 N (18.2b)

G G
Since qo is positive, F points in the same direction as E .

(b) ( )
F = qo E = 24.0 × 10−8 C ( 2.0 N C ) = 48 ×10−8 N (18.2b)

G G
Since qo is negative, F points in the opposite direction as E .
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18.6 The Electric Field

Example 8: Electric fields from different

sources add as vectors.
G
In Fig. 1.17, E A = 3.00 N /GC
directed to the right, and E B = 2.00 N / C
directed downward. What is the net
electric field at P?
EB

Solution

Fig. 18.17

E = E A2 + EB2 = (3.00 N / C ) 2 + (2.00 N / C ) 2 = 3.61N / C

⎛ EB ⎞ ⎛ 2.00 N / C ⎞
θ = tan ⎜ ⎟ = tan −1 ⎜
−1
⎟ = 33.7 downward from +x direction
o

⎝ EA ⎠ ⎝ 3.00 N / C ⎠

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Example 9 A proton accelerating in an electric field

In a vacuum, a proton (charge = +e, mass = 1.67x10-27 kg) is

moving parallel to a uniform electric field that is directed
along the +x axis and has a value of +2.3x103 N/C. The
proton starts with a velocity of +2.5x104 m/s. Find the
velocity of the proton when it is displaced +2.0 mm from the
starting point.

Solution

Known variables:
proton charge (+e) , proton mass (m), initial velocity
(vo), electric field (E), displacement of proton (x).
Unknown variable: v
Equations needed:
v 2 = vo2 + 2ax
(8/21/08)
a = ? F = ma. Thus a = F/m
Now, F = ? F = qE = eE 9
18.6 The Electric Field

Example 10 The Electric Field of a Point Charge

The isolated point charge of +15 μC (q) is

in a vacuum. The test charge qo is 0.20m
to the right and has a charge of +0.80 μC.

Determine the electric field at point P.

Solution

Known variables: q, qo, r

Unknown variable: E (direction
and magnitude)

Equations needed: Fig. 18.19

G
G F F q1 q2
E= or E = ; F =k Now, let q1 = q and q2 = qo
qo qo r 2

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18.6 The Electric Field

q qo
F =k
r2

=
( 8.99 × 10 9
)(
N ⋅ m 2 C2 0.80 ×10−6 C )(15 ×10 −6
C ) = 2.7 N
( 0.20m )
2

The magnitude of the electric field is

F 2.7 N
E= = = 3.4 ×106 N C
qo 0.80 ×10 C
-6

E is directed to the right because

qo is positive.

Fig. 18.19

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18.6 The Electric Field

Based on Fig. 18.19, (18.2) and Coulomb’s Law (18.1),

the electric field produced by a point charge q is:

F ⎛ q qo ⎞ 1 kq
E= = ⎜⎜ k 2 ⎟
⎟ q = r2
(18.3)
qo ⎝ r ⎠ o

Thus, the electric field does not depend on the test charge (qo).

G
If q is positive, then E is directed away from q;
G
if q is negative, then E is directed toward q.

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18.6 The Electric Field

Example 11 The Electric Fields from Separate Charges May Cancel

Two positive point charges, q1=+16μC and q2=+4.0μC are separated in a

vacuum by a distance of 3.0m. Find the spot on the line between the charges
where the net electric field is zero.

kq
E=
r2
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18.6 The Electric Field

q
At P, E1 = E 2 and E=k
r2

k
(
16 ×10 C ) −6
=k
(4.0 × 10 C ) −6

d2 (3.0m − d )2
2.0(3.0m − d ) = d 2
2

d = +2.0 m
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18.6 The Electric Field

Conceptual Example 12 Symmetry and the

Electric Field

Fig. 18.21 shows point charges are fixed to the corners of a rectangle in two
different ways. The charges have the same magnitudes
but different signs.

Consider the net electric field at the center of the rectangle

in each case. Which field is stronger?

Fig. 18.21

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18.6 The Electric Field

THE PARALLEL PLATE CAPACITOR

A capacitor is a passive electronic

component consisting of a pair of
conductors separated by a dielectric
(nonconducting substance, i.e. an
insulator ).
charge density
It can be derived (Ex. (charge per unit area)
16 in Sec. 18.9):
Parallel
metal q σ
plate Fig. 18.22
Parallel plate E= =
capacitor εo A εo

ε ο = 8.85 × 10 −12 C 2 (N ⋅ m 2 )
(permittivity of free space)

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