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Electric Fields

 Think of an electric
charge as creating an
electric field in the
region of space
surrounding it.
 That field, in turn,
exerts a force on any
other charge in that
region.
The region surrounding a
charged body is called electric
field, or electrostatic field.
Nature and Characteristics of the
Electric Field
 Force Fields:

• The condition of space around an object


is changed by the presence of an
electrical charge.

• The electrical charge produces a


force field, that is called an electrical
field since it is produced by electrical
charge.
 Whenever you have a charge
Q placed anywhere in space, it
will be surrounded by a region
such that if you will put any
other charge q at any point P
in this region, the charge q will
be acted upon by an electric
force Fe. We call this region
around Q the electric field E
of Q.
 The strength of this electric
field is operationally defined as
the ratio of the electric
force Fe to the charge q
placed at that point in the field.
In symbols,
Fe
E = -------
q
Sample Problems
1. What is the electric field strength at a point
30 cm from a charge q = 4 x 10–9 C?
Given: d = 30 cm
q = 4 x 10–9 C
Find: E
Solution:
From Coulomb’s law, the force on a test charge q'
cm from q has magnitude
Fe = kqq'
d2
= (9 x 109 Nm2/C2) (4 x 10–9 C) (q' )
(0.3 m)2
Fe = (400 N/C) (q' )
Then from the equation E = Fe/q',
the magnitude of E is
E = Fe/q' = 400 N/C.

The direction of E at this


point is along the line joining q
and q', away from q.
2. positive test charge of 4 x 10 -5C is placed in
an electric field. The force on it is 0.60 acting at
10ᵒ. What is the magnitude and direction of the
electric field at the location of the test charge?
Given: q’ = 4 x 10 -5C
Fe = 0.60 N at 10ᵒ
Find: electric field intensity, E
Solution:
Fe 0.60 N
E = --------- = --------------------
q’ 4 x 10 -5C
= 1.5 x 104 N/C at 10ᵒ
• A map of the electrical field can be made by
bringing a positive test charge into an electrical
field.

 When brought near a negative charge the test


charge is attracted to the unlike charge and
when brought near a positive charge the test
charge is repelled.

 You can draw vector arrows to indicate the


direction of the electrical field.

 This is represented by drawing lines of force or


electrical field lines,
• These lines are closer together when the field
is stronger and farther apart when it is
weaker.
A positive test
charge is used by
convention to
identify the
properties of an
electric field. The
vector arrow points
in the direction of
the force that the
test charge would
experience.
What will be the
electric field
direction if Q is
positive?
If you put a positive
test charge +q ( a test
charge is always
taken as a small,
positive charge) at F
any point in the +q
electric field, it will be +Q
repelled by the center
charge, +Q. An
electric force Fe now
acts on the test
charge +q. The Electric field lines
or lines of
electric field direction force around a
follows the direction positive
of this electric force charge Q
Fe acting on the
positive test charge.
F
 Since test charges are +q
always positive, then the -Q
electric field of a
positive +Q will always Electric field lines
be directed away from or lines of
force around a
the center. negative
charge Q
What happens if Q is negative?
 If you put a test charge at any point
in the electric field of –Q, the test
charge +q will be attracted toward –
Q. The force vector Fe acting on +q is
then directed toward the center
charge, –Q. Since the direction of the
electric field E always follows the
direction of the force vector Fe on a
test charge, the direction of the E of
a negative center charge is always
toward the center.
Electric Lines of Force
 The lines of force are drawn as arrows
which indicate the direction of the force.
Lines of force leave a positive charge and
enter a negative charge.

 The spacing of the arrows is indicative of


the strength of the force. Arrows which
are closer to each other demonstrate a
stronger force on the charge.
Lines of force diagrams
for (A) a negative charge
and (B) a positive
charge when the charges
have the same magnitude
as the test charge.
Other general observations may be
made on the lines of force.
 The lines of force never intersect
whether the charges are different or
the same.
 A line of force which seems to end at
a point extends in reality to infinity.
 There is a force of attraction between
two unlike charges. There is
repulsion between two like charges.
QUIZ
Modified True or False.
__________a. The SI unit used for electric
field intensity is newton per coulomb
(N/C).
__________b. Field lines come from a
negative charge to a positive charge.
__________c. Lines of force never
intersect.
__________d. Electric force is always
attractive.
__________e. There is a force of attraction
between like charges.
+Q +Q

+Q -Q
Solve the following:
 1. An isolated electron experiences an electric
force of 6.4 x 10–14 N. What is the magnitude of
the electric field at the electron’s location?

 2. A positive charge of 4.0 x 10–5 C is placed in


an electric field. The force on it is 0.60 N. What
is the magnitude and direction of the electric
field at the location of the test charge?

 3. Find the magnitude of electric field 50 cm


from an electron.

 4. Find the electric field at a distance of 0.100


m from a charge of 2.00 nC.

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