Chapter 2 Coulomb’s Law and Electric Field Intensity

Electric Field Intensity

 Let us consider one charge, say Q1, fixed in position in space.
 Now, imagine that we can introduce a second charge, Qt, as a
“unit test charge”, that we can move around.
 We know that there exists everywhere a force on this second
charge ► This second charge is displaying the existence of a
force field.
 The force on it is given by Coulomb’s law as:
1 Q1Qt
Ft  a1t
4 0 R1t
2

 Writing this force as a “force per unit charge” gives:

Ft 1 Q1
 a Vector Field,
Qt 4 0 R1t 2 1t Electric Field Intensity

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 Chapter 2 Coulomb’s Law and Electric Field Intensity

Electric Field Intensity

 We define the electric field intensity as the vector of force on a
unit positive test charge.
 Electric field intensity, E, is measured by the unit newtons per
coulomb (N/C) or volts per meter (V/m).
Ft 1 Q1
E=  a
Qt 4 0 R1t 2 1t

 The field of a single point charge can be written as:

1 Q
E= a
4 0 R 2 R

 aR is a unit vector in the direction from the point at which the

point charge Q is located, to the point at which E is
desired/measured.

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 Chapter 2 Coulomb’s Law and Electric Field Intensity

Electric Field Intensity

 For a charge which is not at the origin
of the coordinate, the electric field
intensity is:
1 r  r
Q
E(r ) =
4 0 r  r 2 r  r

1 Q(r  r)
=
4 0 r  r 3

1 Q ( x  x)a x  ( y  y )a y  ( z  z )a z 

=
4 0 ( x  x) 2  ( y  y) 2  ( z  z ) 2  3 2
 

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 Chapter 2 Coulomb’s Law and Electric Field Intensity

Electric Field Intensity

 The electric field intensity due to two point charges, say Q1 at r1
and Q2 at r2, is the sum of the electric field intensity on Qt
caused by Q1 and Q2 acting alone (Superposition Principle).
1 Q
E(r ) = a 
4 0 r  r1 2 1

1 Q
a2
4 0 r  r2 2

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 Chapter 2 Coulomb’s Law and Electric Field Intensity

Electric Field Intensity

 Example
A charge Q1 of 2 μC is located at at P1(0,0,0) and a second
charge of 3 μC is at P2(–1,2,3). Find E at M(3,–4,2).
r  r1  3a x  4a y  2a z , r  r1  29
r  r2  4a x  6a y  a z , r  r2  53

1 Q1 1 Q2
E(r ) = a  a2
4 0 r  r1 2 1
4 0 r  r2 2

1  Q1 (r  r1 ) Q2 (r  r2 ) 
=   3 
4 0  r  r1 3
r  r2 
 6 6 
1  2 10 (3a x  4a y  2a z ) 3 10 (4a x  6a y  a z ) 
=   
4 0  29
3
53
3

 
 623.7a x  879.92a y  160.17a z V m

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 Chapter 2 Coulomb’s Law and Electric Field Intensity

Field Due to a Continuous Volume Charge Distribution

 We denote the volume charge density by ρv, having the units of
coulombs per cubic meter (C/m3).
 The small amount of charge ΔQ in a small volume Δv is
Q  v v
 We may define ρv mathematically by using a limit on the above
equation: Q
v  lim
v  0 v
 The total charge within some finite volume is obtained by
integrating throughout that volume:
Q   dv
vol
v

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 Chapter 2 Coulomb’s Law and Electric Field Intensity

Field Due to a Continuous Volume Charge Distribution

 Example
Find the total charge inside the volume indicated by ρv = 4xyz2,
0 ≤ ρ ≤ 2, 0 ≤ Φ ≤ π/2, 0 ≤ z ≤ 3. All values are in SI units.

x   cos 
v  4   sin    cos   z 2
y   sin 
3  2 2
Q 
vol
v dv    
z 0 0 0
(4   sin    cos   z 2 )(d    d  dz )

3 22
   z sin  cos  d  d dz
4  3 2

0 0 0 sin 2  2sin  cos 

3 2
  16 z 2
sin  cos  d dz
0 0
3
  8z 2 dz  72 C
0

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President University Erwin Sitompul EEM 2/8
 Chapter 2 Coulomb’s Law and Electric Field Intensity

Field Due to a Continuous Volume Charge Distribution

 The incremental contribution to the electric field intensity at r
produced by an incremental charge ΔQ at r’ is:
r  r
Q v v r  r
E(r )  
4 0 r  r
2
r  r  4 0 r  r r  r
2

 The contributions of all the volume charge in a given region, let

the volume element Δv approaches zero, is an integral in the
form of:
1 v (r)dv r  r
E(r )   4
vol 0 r  r
2
r  r

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 Chapter 2 Coulomb’s Law and Electric Field Intensity

Field of a Line Charge

 Now we consider a filamentlike distribution of volume charge
density. It is convenient to treat the charge as a line charge of
density ρL C/m.
 Let us assume a straight-line charge
extending along the z axis in a
cylindrical coordinate system from
–∞ to +∞.
 We desire the electric field intensity E
at any point resulting from a uniform
line charge density ρL.

dE  dE  a   dE z a z

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 Chapter 2 Coulomb’s Law and Electric Field Intensity

Field of a Line Charge

 The incremental field dE only has the components in aρ and az
direction, and no aΦ direction. •
Why?
 The component dEz is the result of
symmetrical contributions of line
segments above and below the
observation point P.
 Since the length is infinity, they are
canceling each other ► dEz = 0.
 The component dEρ exists, and from
the Coulomb’s law we know that dEρ
will be inversely proportional to the
distance to the line charge, ρ.

dE  dE  a   dE z a z

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 Chapter 2 Coulomb’s Law and Electric Field Intensity

Field of a Line Charge

 Take P(0,y,0), r  z a z
1 dQ(r  r) r  ya y   a 
dE 
4 0 r  r 3
 L dz(  a   z a z )
1

4 0 (  2  z 2 )3 2
1  L  a  dz 

4 0 (  2  z 2 )3 2

1  L  dz
E   4
 0 (  2
 z  2 32
)

L  z 

4 0  2 (  2  z 2 )1 2   dE  dE  a   dE z a z
L
E 
2 0 

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 Chapter 2 Coulomb’s Law and Electric Field Intensity

Field of a Line Charge

 Now let us analyze the answer itself:
L
E a
2 0 
 The field falls off inversely with the distance to the charged line,
as compared with the point charge, where the field decreased
with the square of the distance.

President University Erwin Sitompul EEM 2/13

 Chapter 2 Coulomb’s Law and Electric Field Intensity

Field of a Line Charge

 Example D2.5.
Infinite uniform line charges of 5 nC/m lie along the (positive
and negative) x and y axes in free space. Find E at:
(a) PA(0,0,4); (b) PB(0,3,4).
L  Ly PB
E( PA )  x
a  a PA
2 0  x 2 0  y
x y

5 109 5 109
 az  az
2 0 (4) 2 0 (4)
 44.939a z V m
L  Ly
E( PB )  x
a  a
2 0  x 2 0  y
x y

5 109 5 109 •
 (0.6a y  0.8a z )  az ρ is the shortest
2 0 (5) 2 0 (4) distance between an
observation point and
 10.785a y  36.850a z V m the line charge
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