General Physics 2
Electric Fields
● The fundamental entity in electrostatics is electric
charge.
● Charge cannot be created or destroyed. It can
only be transferred from one body to another by
friction or rubbing.
● There are two ways of charging an object. It can
be through direct contact, which is called
conduction. Another way of charging does not
need direct contact and we call it charging by
means of induction.
● There are two kinds of charges – positive and
Electric Field
negative. Like charges repel while unlike charges
attract.
● Materials that permit electric charge to move
within them are called conductors while those
that do not are called insulators. Most metals are
good conductors while most nonmetals are good
insulators.
● Coulomb’s law governs the interaction of charges.
The electrostatic force between charges q1 and
q2 is directly proportional to the magnitude of the
product of the charges and inversely proportional
to the square of the separation distance between
them. The direction of the force is always along
the line connecting the charges. If the charges are
both positive or both negative the force is
repulsive; if the charges have opposite signs, the
force is attractive. The force of interaction obeys
Newton’s third law of motion.
● The strength of the field at a particular point is
directly proportional to the magnitude of the
charge producing the field and inversely
proportional to square of the distance between
the field point and the location of the charge. The
closer is the field point from the source charge,
the stronger is the field strength.
● As we learn more about electricity, we have to
talk about fields. Electric fields may seem
complicated, but they're really fascinating and a
crucial part of physics. Inquire about the concept
of a field. (What is a field? e.g. What is meant by a
gravitational field? How do we know that a
gravitational field exists in the room where we are
in?) A gravitational field is a kind of force. Is
detected when masses are attracted to each
other.
● Gravity is a force of attraction that exists between
any two masses, any two bodies, any two
particles. Gravity is not just the attraction
between objects and the Earth. It is an attraction
that exists between all objects, everywhere in
the universe.
• Michael Faraday - “Every charged object
generates an electric field that permeates space
and exerts a force on all charged particles it
encounters.”
• Each particle has a charge that may be either
positive or negative, and we used Coulomb's
Law to determine how much force is created
when two charged particles come into
contact with each other.
• Now when we discuss two charges, what
happens if we're dealing with charged
objects of varying forms and sizes?
• In physics, we deal with a wide variety of
forms and sizes and we use Coulomb's Law
to determine the force between two tiny
things, such particles.
• In order to power your house, your
computer, and the screen on which you’re
attending the class, electric forces are used.
Each pixel on this screen contains millions of
electrons that are excited by your computer.
• Charged particles must be manipulated in
order for these ordinary electrical
occurrences to take place.
• However, how can we construct a device
that transmits precisely the proper quantity
of electric power?
• A few additional equations and notions will
help us comprehend how charged particles
can be controlled and how electricity can be
expanded.
• The total strength of an electric field may be
shown in a pictorial form. The electric field
lines are a visual depiction of this
phenomenon. Lines of electric field have a
definite set of characteristics, laws, and uses.
By drawing a tangent across the center of an
electric field line, we can simply characterize
it as a curve indicating the direction of the
electric field.
• Michael Faraday was the first to suggest the
idea of an electric field in the 19th century.
In Faraday's mind, electric field lines are a
means of describing and interpreting the
unseen electric field. The electric field that
surrounds a system of charges may be more
simply described using electric field lines
rather to the more sophisticated vector
diagrams that are often used.
Electric Fields is a VECTOR
• Positive charge going to form a force that
accelerated in the same direction as the
electric field.
• Negative charge going to form a force that
accelerated in the opposite direction as the
electric field.

E = F/q

● These vectors are called electric field lines and

their purpose is to show the magnitude and
direction of the force exerted on any nearby
positive test charge.
● Say we have one positively charged particle and
one negatively charged particle that are some
distance apart with an equal and opposite
magnitude of charge.
● This pair of particle is known as an electric
dipole.
● Objects with greater charge create stronger
● The total strength of an electric field may be electric fields. By surrounding a highly charged
shown in a pictorial form. The electric field lines object with more lines, one can communicate
are a visual depiction of this phenomenon. Lines the strength of an electric field in the space
of electric field have a definite set of surrounding a charged object by the line
characteristics, laws, and uses. By drawing a density. This convention is depicted in the
tangent across the center of an electric field diagram below.
line, we can simply characterize it as a curve
indicating the direction of the electric field. ● Not only does the density of lines surrounding
any given object reveal information about the
● Now, when we express it as an equation, the quantity of charge on the source charge, the
electric field created by a charged object is the density of lines at a specific location in space
electric force between the objects and the test reveals information about the strength of the
charge divided by the magnitude of that test field at that location.
charge.
● Since we have two particles that each generate
their own electric field, we can add the fields
together to create a total electric field.
● This is the principle known as superposition.
 1. Check your understanding. Counter Clockwise
0, 90, 180, 270 degrees
270 degree
● Point A North (opposite) south

1. Sample Problem 2
A positive charge of +50𝜇𝐶 is placed in on electric field
of 50, 000 N/C directed upward. What mass should the
charge have to remain suspended in the air?
𝜮𝑭𝒚 = 𝑭𝑬 − 𝑾 = 𝟎
2. Check your understanding.
𝑭𝒚 = 𝑾
𝑬𝒒
𝑴=
𝒈
𝑁
50,000 𝐶 (50 × 10−6 𝐶)
𝑀=
9.8 𝑚
𝑠2
𝑀 = 0.26 𝑁 ∙ 𝑚/𝑠 2 or kg

1. Sample Problem 3
An electron is released from rest in a uniform electric
field and accelerates to the east of a rate of 4.0 ×
3. Example 1 106 𝑚/𝑠 2 . What is the magnitude.
• Point A North 𝒎𝒂
+ 𝑬=
• Point B West 𝒒
• Point C Southeast
106 𝑚
• Point D North East (9.11 × 10−31 𝑘𝑔)(4 × )
𝐸= 𝑠2
4. Example 2 1.6 × 10−19 𝐶

• Point A East (opposite) West 𝐸 = 2.27 × 10−5 𝑁/𝐶

• Point B North (opposite) South
• Point C South East (opposite) North West
• Point D West (opposite) East
PROBLEMS
1. A small charge (q = 6 × 10−3C) is found in a uniform
Electric field (E = 2.9 N/C). Determine the force on the
charge.

F = qE

- 2. Find the electric field acting on a 2.0 C charge if an

electrostatic force of 10,500 N acts on the particle.

3. A force of 70 N is directed South on −5 × 10−6 C

point charge. What is the magnitude and direction of
the electric field at this point?
Sample Problem 1
4. A proton is released from rest in a uniform electric
A force of 100 N is directed north on -20𝜇C point field and accelerates to the north of a rate of 2.5 ×
charge. What is the magnitude and direction of the 103 𝑚/𝑠 2 . What is the manitude?
electric field at this point?
𝑭
E=𝒒
𝟏𝟎𝟎 𝑵
𝑬 = 𝟐𝟎×𝟏𝟎−𝟔𝑪
E = 𝟓 × 𝟏𝟎𝟔 N/C