Electrostatics

Static Electricity
• Static Electricity involves charges
“at rest”.
• Fundamental Rule of Charge
– Opposite charges attract
– Like charges repel
• 3 methods of charging :
friction,
conduction, & induction
 Electric Charges
• Electrons have a negative charge
• Protons have a positive charge
• Unit of Charge: Coulomb (C)
• Symbol for charge: q
• Elementary charge = 1.6 x 10-19 C
One electron has a charge of -1.6 x 10-19 C
One proton has a charge of +1.6 x 10-19 C
 Methods of Charging
• Charging by friction – two neutral objects are rubbed
together and they get an equal but opposite charge. The
object that gains electrons becomes negatively charged and
the one that loses electrons becomes positively charged.
• Charging by conduction – a charged object touches a
neutral object so charges are transferred between objects
until they reach electrostatic or charge equilibrium. The
neutral object gets the same charge as the original charge.
• Charging by induction – a charged object is brought near
but not touching a neutral object. The neutral object gets a
charge separation or polarization. The charge on the
neutral object near the charged object is opposite that of
the charging object. Unless grounded, it is a temporary
charge.
 Induction and Grounding
• If grounding is used along with induction,
the neutral object will get a charge opposite
that of the charging object.
• This is done by grounding the neutral object
on the side opposite the charging object.
• Grounding provides a path for the excess
charge to flow to or from the ground.
 Electroscopes
• Devices that detect that an object is charged
• Pith-ball electroscope
- a foil covered styrofoam
ball hanging by a thread
• Metal leaf electroscope
- 2 metal leaves on the end
of a metal rod enclosed in
glass
Electroscopes – detecting charge
• The pith ball is attracted
---
to the negative rod due - + -

to charge separation (induction)

---
-
• The metal leaves both get a
-
negative charge (conduction) so
- -
they repel each other (spread apart)
 Conductors & Insulators
• Conductors
- electrons flow easily
- charge spreads over entire surface
- examples: copper, gold, silver, aluminum, metals
• Insulators
- electrons do not flow easily
- charge stays where it was charged
- examples: plastic, glass, rubber, wood, styrofoam
 Electric Forces
Use Coulomb’s Law to calculate the magnitude of the force between
2 charges. Unlike gravity, the forces can be either attractive or
repulsive. Electric force is a vector and the force on q1 and the force
on q2 are equal but opposite (Newton’s 3rd Law)!
q1 q2
Coulomb’s Law:
+ F -
F
kq1q2
FE 
d
F F
2 + +
d q1 q2
FE = electrostatic force, Newtons (N)
k = electric or Coulomb’s constant = 9 x 109 Nm2/C2
q1 = charge of the first object, C
q2 = charge of the second object, C
d = distance between the two charges (center to center), m
 Direction of electric force
• If there are 2 like charges, the force will be
repulsive. (Fe will be positive)
• If there are 2 unlike charges, the force will
be repulsive. (Fe will be negative)
• Note: When finding net force for 3 or more
charges, it is best to decide whether forces
are attractive or repulsive and draw the
force vectors rather than use the signs of F e.
 Electric Fields
• Electric fields are the “energy fields” that surround any charged
particle or object
• Any charge placed in this field will experience a force.
• Electric fields are also vectors (magnitude & direction).
• The direction of an electric field is defined by the direction of
the force on a tiny “+” test charge placed in that field. Thus
electric fields are always in a direction that is away from “+”
and toward “-”.
• Electric field lines are perpendicular to the surface of the charge
and they never cross each other.
• They go away from a positive charge and toward a negative
charge.
• The field is strongest where the lines are closest together.
Electric Field around a Charge
Field around a Field around a
Negative charge Positive charge

- +
Electric field around two
opposite charges
Electric Field around two
like (positive) charges
 Electric Field Strength
• Electric Field strength or intensity is the force per unit
charge and is measured in units of N/C (Newtons per
Coulomb)

F E = Electric Field Strength or intensity, N/C

E Fe = Electrostatic Force, N
qo qo = Charge placed in the electric field, C
 Electric Field Strength
at a point near a charge
kqo q
E
F
 d 2 kq
 2
q

+ d
.
E

qo qo d
E= electric field strength or intensity, N/C
k = electric or Coulomb’s constant (= 9 x 109)
q = charge causing the field, C
d = distance from the charge to the point where the
field strength is being measured, m
Note: You may or may not have a charge, qo , at that
point.
Note - In the formulas on the previous
slide and on the following slides q 0 and q
are described as follows:

q = charge of the object causing

the
electric field, C
qo = test charge or the charge of
the object placed in the field, C
 Vectors vs Scalars
• Electric Force and Electric Fields are vectors!
Note: they are the ones that have d 2
• All other quantities (Potential energy, work,
electric potential difference, capacitance) are
scalar quantities.
 Electric Potential Energy
between 2 charges
• The charges have the potential to move
under the influence of the force between
them.
kq1q2
PE  W  Fd  2  d 
d
kq1q2
PE 
d q1
d
q2
 Electric Potential Difference
• Electric Potential Difference is the change in potential
energy per unit charge at a given point due to an
electric field. It is a scalar quantity.
• Units: Volts (1 Volt = 1 Joule / Coulomb)
• Potential Difference is required to make current flow.

PE ΔV = Electric Potential Difference, Volts

V  ΔPE =change in electric potential energy, J
qo qo= charge placed in an electric field, C
Potential Difference at a Point
kqo q
d
PE Fd d 2 kq
V    
qo qo qo d

kq ΔVP = Potential Difference at a point, V

VP  k = Coulomb’s constant = 9 x 109 Nm2/C2
d
q = Charge causing the electric potential, C
q d .
VP d = distance between the charge q and where

VP is being measured, m
 Potential Difference near
several charges
• Although potential difference is a scalar
quantity, it can be positive (if charge is
positive) or negative (if charge is negative).
• To get the potential difference at a point
near several charges, add up the potential
differences due to each charge. Be sure to
include the signs!
 Equipotential and Field Lines
• Equipotential lines are lines of equal potential energy
• All points on each line have the same electric potential, V
• Equipotential lines are usually parallel to the surface of
the charge and perpendicular to the electric field lines
• They do not depend on the sign of the charge

Electric Field Lines ( E)

For a point charge, Equipotential lines,

+q
they are concentric each line has a
circles. different potential (V)
Electric Potential Energy and
Electric Potential near charges
• PE and V are greatest -
Low PE High PE
-
farther from a negative -
charge. -

• PE and V are greatest +

High PE Low PE
+
near a positive charge. +
+
 Work done on a charge
PE W
V=  So: W=q o ΔV
qo qo
• W- the work required to move a charge
through a potential difference, Joules (J)
• qo - magnitude of the charge moved through
the field or potential difference, Coulombs (C)
•  V - potential difference, Volts (V)
 Note:
• No work is done in moving a
charge along equipotential lines
since there is no change in electric
potential energy or electric
potential.
 Electric Potential of a charge being
moved through a uniform electric field

Note: It must be a uniform electric field! Also there is no ∆PE

and thus no ∆V if displacement is along equipotential lines (or
perpendicular to the electric field).
 Capacitor – a device used to
store charge. Example of a
common simple capacitor:
2 oppositely charged plates
To get more stored charge:
+ E - • increase the size of the plates
+ - • decrease the plate separation
+ - • increase the voltage of the
+ - battery
+ - Note: This is an example of a
uniform electric field.
+ - Insulator such as air –
battery
keeps charges separated
Capacitance – the ability of a
conductor to store energy in the form
of electrically separated charges

Q C = Capacitance, Farads (F)

C= Q = charge on one plate, C
V ∆V = Potential difference, V

Note: 1 Farad = 1 Coulomb / Volt, same charge on each plate

Also, a Farad is a very large unit so usually use μF or pF.
(micro: μ = 10-6, nano: n = 10-9, pico: p = 10-12 )
 Electrical Potential Energy
Stored in a Capacitor
•
 Electrostatics Formulas
kq1q2 kq1q2
FE  PE 
d2 d
kq kq
E 2 VP 
d d
F PE
E V  W  qo V
qo qo

Q
ΔV=Ed C=
V

Note: The top two and next two equations look alike except for
d2 vs d. The ones on the left are vector quantities and have d2
while the ones on the right have d and are not vectors.