COULOMB’S LAW

 1 q1q2
F ˆ
r
4 0 r 2

 2
r
rˆ  r̂
r 1
 E1
E2
E3
P
E  E1  E2  E3    En
E   Ei
In the continuous limit:

E  Ex iˆ  E y ˆj  Ez kˆ
where:
Ex   dEx
E y   dE y
Ez   dEz
 Meaning of Charge Density

For linear charge distribution: dq   ds

For surface charge distribution: dq   dA
For volume charge distribution: dq   dV
 
dE

dE cos 

ring of charge
r  z

y
R
ds
x
 1  ds  ds
dE  
4 0 r 2
4 0 z  R
2 2
 
dEz  dE cos  

dE
dE cos 
z z
cos   
 
1/ 2 r z
r z R
2 2 

y
R

z ds ds
x
dEz 
 
3/ 2
4 0 z  R 2 2
 z
Ez   ds
 
3/ 2
4 0 z  R
2 2

z  2 R 

 
3/ 2
4 0 z  R
2 2

qz

 
3/ 2
4 0 z  R
2 2

1 q
Ez  ,  z  R 
4 0 z 2
 z

dE

uniformly
d charged disk

 y
R
x
 dq   dA    2  d 
z
d
z 2 d 
dEz   y

 
3/ 2
4 0 z  
2 2
x
R

z 2
 z  
3/ 2
 2
 2  d
4 0
z R

 z   2  d
3/ 2
Ez   dEz  2
 2

4 0 0
   z 
Ez  1  2 
2 0  z R 
2

What if z  R ?

Ez 
2 0
   z 
Ez  1  2 
2 0  z R 
2

What if z  R ?
 R 2
Ez 
4 0 z 2

q

4 0 z 2
 z Infinite Line of Charge


 
dEz dE

 y  y
z 
  P

dE y
 r
dz  dq
x 
 1 dq 1  dz
dE  
4 0 r 2
4 0 y  z
2 2

dE y  dE cos  , dEz  dE sin 

z 
E y   dE   cos  dE
z 
z 
Ez   dE   sin  dE
z 
E  E y , Ez  0 by symmetry
z 
E  Ey  2 
z 0
cos  dE

z 
 dz

2 0 z 0 cos  y 2  z 2
z  y tan   dz  y sec  d 2

  / 2

E
2 0 y  0
cos  d
 
E
2 0 y
This problem has cylindrical symmetry

E
2 0 r
 Corona Discharge
  
e 
air   
 
molecules

  High
tension
wire
Flux of a particular vector field is the
measure of the “flow” or penetration of
the field vectors through an imaginary
fixed surface

  EA
Maximum electric field lines for,

 

 angle between E and A  0 0


A
Minimum electric field lines for,

 

 angle between E and A  90 0


A E
  
 E  EA cos   E  A

E

 A
  
 E   Ei  Ai
A2
A1
A3
q
An
Ei
Ai
And in the differential limit:
   integral over 
   E  dA  
 closed surface 
 Ei

Ai

q
   1 q
E1  E2    En 
4 0 r 2

   E A
 E  A
1 q

4 0 r 24 r 2

q

0
 q

Gaussian surface  0

q
 Imaginary surface

q4

q1
q2 q3
GAUSS’S LAW
 
   E  dA
qenclosed

0
Gaussian surface

q 
E
 
dA
  
 0  E  dA   0  EdA  qenclosed
 0 E  dA  q
 0 E  4 r 2
 q
1 q
E
4 0 r 2
L R Gaussian
 
surface
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
   E  dA
     
  E  dA   E  dA   E  dA
outer inner side
cap cap walls

 0  EA  0
 0  q
 0 EA   A

E
0
  


 Gaussian surface

dA
h

E

r

  
 0  E  dA  q
 0 E  2 rh    h

E
2 0 r
Gaussian surface 
 
  
   
E   E
   A
  

   r
 
 
 
  
 0  E  dA  q
 0  EA  EA    A

E
2 0
A Spherical Shell of Charge
Gaussian surfaces

R
 0 E  4 r 2
 q
1 q
E  spherical shell, r  R 
4 0 r 2

E 0  spherical shell, r  R 
Spherically Symmetric
Charge Distribution
Gaussian surfaces

R R
r r
  
 E  dA  4 r E
2

q

0
R
E
1 q r
4 0 r 2
 q


   

 
   
 

   
  
    
 
q  
 
   
DISCONTINUITY OF THE
NORMAL COMPONENT

En1
      
      
      

En 2
 A
En 2 A  En1 A 
0

En 2  En1 
0
 CHARGE AND FIELD AT
CONDUCTOR SURFACES

E1 
2 0


E = 0 inside a conductor
 
E
0
  
 

Metal box

Electronic
devices

To eliminate stray electric field interference

 Gravitational field
A

F
h m

mg
B
 Electric field

U B  U A  Wab
A
     
q

F
     
B
 U  Wab
b  
Ub  U a   F  ds
a

The electrostatic force is

conservative and can be
represented by a potential
energy.
 m1m2 1 q1q2
F G 2 F
r 4 0 r 2

 
 F  F
g E
m q
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL ENERGY

 q1  q2

If we move q2 away from q1, potential

energy will increase
 
r  r iˆ

d s  dr iˆ
 
E  d s  Ex dr
 
r ds

E x
q1 q2
 rb

U b  U a  q2  Ex dr
ra
rb
1 dr
 q1q2  2
4 0 ra
r
1 1 1
Ub  U a  q1q2   
4 0  rb ra 
if ra   so that U a  0
rb  r and U b  U  r 
1 q1q2
U  r 
4 0 r
m1m2
Compare with: U  r   G
r