ELECTRIC FIELD

ANALOGY

The electric field is the space around an electrical

charge

just like

a gravitational field is the space around a mass.

ELECTRIC
FIELD
SPACE AROUND A CHARGE.
WHAT IS THE
DIFFERENCE
?
VAN DE GRAAFF
GENERATOR
• Builds up static electric charges.

• This Van de Graaff Generator was responsible for

creating a field large enough to ‘fry’ our multi-
media device!
 • Electric Field is designed as follows
• E = F/ qo

• qo , positive test charge

ELECTRIC
FIELD • E is a vector quantity
• Direction indicated by small + test charge
VECTOR, E
• Unit: N/C
• E is analogous to the gravitational field, g, where
g=F/m
DEFINITION OF THE
ELECTRIC FIELD:

• Here, q0 is a “test charge” – it

serves to allow the electric force
to be measured, but is not large
enough to create a significant
force on any other charges.
IF WE KNOW THE ELECTRIC FIELD, WE
CAN CALCULATE THE FORCE ON ANY
CHARGE:

• The direction of the force depends on the sign of the

charge – in the direction of the field for a positive
charge, opposite to it for a negative one.
THE ELECTRIC
FIELD
• The electric field of a point
charge points radially away from
a positive charge and towards a
negative one.
 Just as electric forces can be superposed, electric fields can as well.

THE
ELECTRIC
FIELD
 • Electric field lines are a convenient way of
visualizing the electric field.
• Electric field lines:

ELECTRIC • Point in the direction of the field vector at

FIELD LINES every point
• Start at positive charges or infinity
• End at negative charges or infinity
• Are more dense where the field is stronger
ELECTRIC FIELD
LINES
• The charge on the right is twice
the magnitude of the charge on
the left (and opposite in sign), so
there are twice as many field
lines, and they point towards the
charge rather than away from it.
ELECTRIC FIELD
LINES
• Combinations of charges. Note
that, while the lines are less dense
where the field is weaker, the
field is not necessarily zero
where there are no lines. In fact,
there is only one point within the
figures below where the field is
zero – can you find it?
ELECTRIC FIELD AND ELECTRIC FIELD
LINES
Conductors in Equilibrium and Applications
Conductors in Equilibrium and Applications
 Conductors in Equilibrium and Applications
• If the surface is uneven, more
charge will collect near the
area of most curvature
• If the curve is great enough,
the E-field can be strong
enough to remove excess
charge
⊶Lightning Rods
 Conductors in Equilibrium and Applications
• Shielding
⊶A conductor shields any charge within it from external electrical
fields

⊶Sensitive electrical equipment is shielded by putting in a metal box

⊷Called Faraday Cage
⊶Coaxial cable is shielded by a metal cylinder around the central
metal wire. This reduces interference and signal loss
 Electric Shielding
•All charge on a conductor gathers on the
outside
•If a charge is contained inside a conductor
the electric field is zero
•If a charge is outside a conductor the inside
of the container will not be affected by the
outside charge
•Example: Faraday Cage
Faraday Cage
 Conductors in Equilibrium and Applications
Copier
 Conductors in Equilibrium and Applications
• Laser Printer
⊶Similar to copier machine
only the image is put on the
drum using a laser
⊶The laser scans the drum
quickly
⊶The computer turns the
laser on and off at the right
time to produce the image
 Conductors in Equilibrium and Applications

• Inkjet printer
 • A charge of 3µC is used to test the electric field of a
central charge of 6C that causes a force of 800N. What
is the magnitude of the electric field?

EXAMPLE 1 • Hint… Which charge ‘tests’ the field

• Answer: 2.7 x108 N/C

 • A test charge of +3µC is located 5m to the east of a
-4µC charge.
• A) Find the electric force felt by the test charge.
• B) Find the electric field at that location.
EXAMPLE 2

• Answer: 4.32x10-3 N, 1.44 x 103 N/C along the –x

axis.
 • If a test charge is moved to a location three
times as far as its original location, how does
the electric field change?
EXAMPLE 3

• Inverse-Square Law says… 1/9

 • Calculate the electric field felt by a
positive test charge located half way
between a charge of +1C and a charge of
-3C, that are 2m apart.
EXAMPLE 4

• Answer: 3.6 x 1010 N/C (toward the -3C charge)

5. With three point charges q1, q2, and q3 located as shown in
the diagram below, what is the electric field E at point P?