Electric Field

OBJECTI
VES:
Describe an electric field as a region in
a. which an electric charge experience a
force.
b. Calculate the electric force due to a
system of point charges using the
Coulomb’s Law and the superposition
principle.
 - Space surrounding a charged body which
Electric Field causes any charged particle placed in it too
experience electric force.

- Attraction or repulsion forces between particles

Electric Force - Noncontact force

Electric Lines of Force

1. Lines of force start from positively charged particles and end on
negatively charged particles or continue towards infinity.
2. Lines of force neither intersect nor break as they pass from one
charge to another.
3. The greater the number of lines of force, the stronger the electric
field. The neutral point where no lines of force pass.
 Electric field of a Electric field of a
positive point charge: negative point charge: 
Electric field of two Electric field of two same
unlike charges: charges: 
 Electric Field Due to a Point Charge
- Force that a test charge will experience when placed at that point.
The electric field produced by a point source charge can be obtained
using the Coulomb’s Law.

The magnitude of the electric force Thus, the magnitude of the electric
on is: field due to the point charge is:
EXAMPLES:

Calculate the magnitude and direction of the electric

1.
field 0.45m from a +7.85 x C point charge.
A charge of 0.50 µC is placed in an electrostatic field
2. with a 4.0 x N/C intensity. What is the electrostatic
force acting on the charge?
A charge of 6 µC exerts a force of +2.4 x N in the right
side of a positive test charge. What is the magnitude
3.
and direction of the electric field at the location of the
test charge?
EXAMPLES:

What is the magnitude and direction of electric field 0.10m on the

4.
left hand of a -4.2 µC charge?

An electric dipole consists of two equal but unlike charges

separated by a distance. Two point charges, q1 = +4.5 and q2 = -
5.
4.5 , are separated by 6.4 , forming an electric dipole as shown in
the figure. Find the electric field halfway between the dipole.

Two point charges are arranged on the x-y coordinate system as

6. follows: q1= 3.0 x C at (0,3 m) and
q2= -9.0 x C at (4.5m, 0). Find the electric field at origin (0,0).
ACTIVITY:

Find the electric field produced by a 1.0 μC point

1.
charge at a distance of (a) 0.75 m and (b) 1.5 m
Two charges -2 x and 3.4 x are 4m apart. What is the
2. magnitude and direction of the electric field at a point
midway between two charges?

Determine the magnitude and direction of the electric

3. field at a point 2cm to the left of a point charge
-2.4 nC.
ACTIVITY:
In the vicinity of a point charge q, we place a 0.2 µC
charge so that force of 5 x N applied to it due to the
4.
charge q. Find the electric field produced by this
unknown charge q.
Determine the electric field of a point charge based on
5. the following illustration. If each of the point charges
are separated 3m apart.