1.

Electric Charge and Fields

Quantisation of electric charge All observable charges are always some integral
multiples of elementary charge e (= 1.6 10
19
C).
q = ne
Where, n = 1, 2, 3,

Charge is conserved The net charge of a system before or after an event is always
constant.

Coulombs law


1 2
2
0
1
4
q q
F
k r
=
Where,
c
0
Absolute permittivity of free space
k Dielectric constant
The product c
0
k = c (absolute permittivity of the dielectric medium)
If the two point charges are located in vacuum, then
k = 1, c = c
0

1 2
2
0
1
4
q q
F
r
=
The value of c
0
= 8.8542 10
12
C
2
N
1
m
2

The value of
0
1
4
= 9 10
9
Nm
2
C
2
Electric potential energy: It is the potential energy stored is the system because of the
configuration of the charges.
1 2
0
4
q q
U
r tc
=



Electric Potential: Potential at a point is equal to the work done per unit test charge by
an external agent in moving the test charge from a reference to the aforesaid point
(without changing the KE of the test charge).
0
4
Q
V
r tc
=

Equipotential surface: It is a surface in which the electric potential is the same at all the
points of the surface. Electric field at any point of this surface is always perpendicular to
the surface.
Relative permittivity or Dielectric constant k or
r
0

=
c
c
Principle of superposition of electric forces When a number of charges are
interacting, the total force on a given charge is the vector sum of the individual forces
exerted on the given charge by all the other charges.


Continuous charge distribution
- Linear charge density:
q
l
=




- Surface density of charge:
q
s
o =

- Volume density of charge:
q
v
=






Electric field strength:
0
F
E
q
=

Where, q
0
is a positive test charge

Electric field due to a point charge:
2
0
1
4
q
E
r
=


Electric field due to a uniformly charged ring at a point on the axis of the
ring is
( )
3
2 2 0
2
1
4
qx
E
r x
=
+

Where,
x Distance of the point from the centre of the ring
r Radius of the ring

Electric dipole moment
( ) p

p = q 2l




The direction of p

is from negative charge to positive charge.

Electric field intensity due to an electric dipole at a point on its axial line is
given by


( )
2
2 2
0
3
0
1 2
4
For ;
1 2
4
pr
E
r l
r l
p
E
r
=

>>
=

Electric intensity due to an electric dipole at a point on the equatorial line
is given by

( )
3
2 2 0
2
3
0
1
4
For ;
1
4
p
E
r l
r l
p
E
r
=
+
>>
=

Torque
In a uniform electric field E, a dipole experiences a torquet, given by
t = p E



Potential energy of a dipole placed in an electric field:
. U p E =

Electric flux
The flux A| of an electric field E, through a small area element As is given by
E s | A = A
The vector area element As is
s sn A = A

Where, As is the magnitude of the area element and n is the normal to the area element
For an area element of a closed surface, n is, by convention, taken to be the direction of
outward normal.

Gausss law The flux of electric field through any closed surface s is
0
1

times the
total charge enclosed by s.
- Electric field intensity due to an infinitely long straight wire of linear charge
density is given by
0
1
2
E
r
=


- Electric field intensity due to a uniformly charged infinite plane sheet of surface
charge density o is given by
0
2
E =
o

- Electric field intensity due to a uniformly charged thin spherical shell of surface
charge density o is given by
( )
( )
2
0
1
4
0
q
E r R
r
E r R
= >
= <




Where, r is the distance of the point from the centre of the shell and R the radius of
the shell