Physics 2

Electricity & Magnetism

Rahadian N, S.Si. M.Si.

Electric Charge
 Electric Charge
• The Atom
• Electricity in life
• Insulators & conductors
• Metals conduction
• Spherical conductors
• Forces between charges
 The Atom
• We now know that all atoms are made of positive charges in
the nucleus, surrounded by a cloud of tiny electrons.
• Atoms are normally neutral, meaning that they have exactly
the same number of protons as they do electrons.
• The charges balance, and the atom has no net charge.
• In fact, protons are VASTLY more difficult to remove, and for
all practical purposes it NEVER happens except in radioactive
materials. In this course, we will ignore this case. Only
electrons can be removed.
• If we cannot remove a proton, how do we ever make
something charged negatively? By adding an “extra” electron.
• Proton charge +e, electron charge -e, where e = 1.60210-19 C
 Electricity in Life
• Most dramatic natural
electrical phenomenon is
lightning.
• Static electricity (balloons,
comb & paper, shock from a
door knob)
• Uses—photocopying, ink-jet
printing
• Demonstrations of
Electrostatics: glass rod/silk,
plastic rod/fur, electroscope,
van de Graaf Generator
 Glass Rod/Plastic Rod
• A glass rod rubbed with silk gets a positive charge,
and a plastic rod rubbed with fur gets a negative
charge. The ability to gain or lose electrons
through rubbing is called Triboelectricity.
• Suspend a charged glass rod from a thread, and
another charged glass rod repels it. A charged
plastic rod, however, attracts it. This mysterious
force is called the electric force.
• Many similar experiments of all kinds led
Benjamin Franklin (around 1750) to the
conclusion that there are two types of charge,
which he called positive and negative.
• He also discovered that charge was not created by
rubbing, but rather the charge is transferred from
the rubbing material to the rubbed object, or vice
versa.
 Electroscope
• This is a device that can visually
show whether it is charged with ------
static electricity.
• Here is an example charged
positive.
• Notice that the charges collect near
the ends, and since like charges
repel, they exert a force sideways.
• You can make the deflection arm
move by adding either positive or
negative charge.
• But, we seem to be able to make it
move without touching it.
• What is happening? Electrostatic Induction
 Van de Graaf Generator
• Rubber band steals electrons
from glass
• Glass becomes positively
charged
• Rubber band carries
electrons downward
• Positively charged glass
continues to rotate
• Wire “brush” steals electrons
from rubber band
• Positively charged glass steals
electrons from upper brush
• Sphere (or soda can) becomes
positively charged—to 20,000
volts!
 Insulators and Conductors
• Both insulators and conductors can
be charged.
• The difference is that
– On an insulator charges are not
Insulator
able to move from place to place.
If you charge an insulator, you are
typically depositing (or removing)
charges only from the surface,
and they will stay where you put
them. Conductor
– On a conductor, charges can freely
move. If you try to place charge
on a conductor, it will quickly
spread over the entire conductor.
 Metals and Conduction
• Notice that metals are not only good electrical conductors, but
they are also good heat conductors, tend to be shiny (if
polished), and are malleable (can be bent or shaped).
• These are all properties that come from the ability of electrons
to move easily.
• This iron atom (26 protons, 26 electrons) has two electrons in its
outer shell, which can move from one iron atom to the next in a
metal.

Path of electron
in a metal
 Spherical Conductors
• Because it is conducting, charge on a metal sphere will go everywhere
over the surface.
• You can easily see why, because each of the charges pushes on the
others so that they all move apart as far as they can go. Because of the
symmetry of the situation, they spread themselves out uniformly.
• There is a theorem that applies to this case, called the shell theorem,
that states that the sphere will act as if all of the charge were
concentrated at the center.

Note, forces are equal and opposite

These two situations are the same

 Forces Between Charges
• We observe that

Like charges repel each other

Opposite charges attract each other

 Electric Force and Coulomb’s Law
• We can measure the force of attraction or repulsion between charges, call
them q1 and q2 (we will use the symbol q or Q for charge).
q1 q2
r

• When we do that, we find that the force is proportional to the each of the
charges, is inversely proportional to the distance between them, and is
directed along the line between them (along r).

q1 q2

q1 q2
• In symbols, the magnitude of the force is F  k 2
where k is some
constant of proportionality. r
• This force law was first studied by Coulomb in 1785, and is called
Coulomb’s Law. The constant k = 8.98755109 N m2/C2 is the Coulomb
constant.
 Let’s Calculate the Exact Location
• Force is attractive toward both negative charges, hence
could balance. -2q
• Need a coordinate system, so choose total distance as L, and
position of + charge from -q charge as x.
• Force is sum of the two force vectors, and has to be zero, so
2qQ qQ
F  F1  F2  k - k 0
( L - x) 2
x 2
L
• A lot of things cancel, including Q, so our answer does not
depend on knowing the + charge value. We end up with
2 1 ( L - x) 2 L-x x
  2   2
( L - x) 2 x 2 x 2
x

L -q
• Solving for x, x  0.412 L , so slightly less than half-
1 2
way between.
 Summary
• Charge is an intrinsic property of matter. Charge comes in two opposite
senses, positive and negative.
• Mobil charges we will usually deal with are electrons, which can be
removed from an atom to make positive charge, or added to an atom to
make negative charge. A positively charged atom or molecule can also be
mobile.
• There is a smallest unit of charge, e, which is e = 1.60210-19 C. Charge
can only come in units of e, so charge is quantized. The unit of charge is
the Coulomb.
• Charge is conserved. Charge can be destroyed only in pairs (+e and –e can
annihilate each other). Otherwise, it can only be moved from place to
place. Like charges repel, opposite charges attract.
• The electric force is give by Coulomb’s Law: 1 q1 q2
F
4 0 r 2

• Materials can be either conductors or insulators. Conductors and

insulators can both be charged by adding charge, but charge can also be
induced.
• Spherical conductors act as if all of the charge on their surface were
concentrated at their centers.