Attendance Quiz: Sec 21-5

Shown is a ring of radius a

and total charge +
with ring element .

(a) Draw the electric field

due to at point P, a
distance x away.
(b) What is the x
P
magnitude of this
electric field? Your
answer must be in terms
of k,a,dQ and x.
Attendance Quiz: Sec 21-5
Shown is a ring of radius a
and total charge +
with ring element .
(a) Draw the electric field
due to at point P, a
distance x away.
(b) What is the
magnitude of this
electric field? P

= 2
+ 2
Electric Field Calculations
Part 1 of 2
Objective
Evaluate the electric field at a point in space due to a
system of arbitrary charge distributions
Notations:
Point charge (q)

Linear charge density ()

Charge per unit length

Area charge density ()

Charge per unit area

Volume charge density ()

Charge per unit volume
Discrete charge distribution
1. Make a sketch for the problem, clearly
showing the chosen coordinate axes, charge
locations, and field point location. Identify
and indicate all needed information.
2. Find electric field. Write electric field vector
in component form if needed.
Continuous charge distribution
1. Make a sketch for the problem, clearly
showing the chosen coordinate axes, charge
locations, and field point location. Identify
and indicate all needed information.
2. Define a small charge element, find its
electric field. Write electric field vector in
component form.
3. Integrate to get total field of all charge
elements.
Example 1: Ring of Charge
Charge q is uniformly distributed around
a conducting ring of radius a. What is the
electric field at point P on the ring axis at
a distance x from its center?
Continuous charge distribution
1. Make a sketch for the problem, clearly
showing the chosen coordinate axes, charge
locations, and field point location. Identify
and indicate all needed information.
2. Define a small charge element, find its electric field.
Write electric field vector in component form.

dq

q
 2. Define a small charge element, find its
electric field. Write electric field vector in
component form.

= = =

dq where is known,

= =
2

q
2. Define a small charge element, find its electric
field. Write electric field vector in component
form.

From symmetry,

dq : = cos

= 2 = 2


q cos =

3. Integrate to get total field of all charge elements.

Noting that = (2),

Example 1: Ring of Charge
Charge q is uniformly distributed around
a conducting ring of radius a. What is the
electric field at point P on the ring axis at
a distance x from its center?
Magnitude:

Direction: along positive x-axis

Example 2: Uniformly charged disk
A nonconducting disk of radius R has a
uniform positive surface charge density
. What is the electric field at a point
along the axis of the disk a distance x
from its center? Assume that x is
positive.
Continuous charge distribution
1. Make a sketch for the problem, clearly
showing the chosen coordinate axes, charge
locations, and field point location. Identify
and indicate all needed information.
2. Define a small charge element, find its
electric field. Write electric field vector in
component form.
3. Integrate to get total field of all charge
elements.
 Disk: made up of concentric rings of charge , inner radius
and outer radius +

= = =

Where = 2

For disk, this is = 2

Ring:
Approach: Continuous charge distribution

3. Integrate to get total field of all charge elements.

3. Integrate to get total field of all charge elements.
 Example 2: Uniformly charged disk
A nonconducting disk of radius R has a uniform positive
surface charge density . What is the electric field at a
point along the axis of the disk a distance x from its
center? Assume that x is positive.
Magnitude:

Direction: along positive x-axis

 Example 3: Infinite plane sheet
In the limit that the nonconducting disk in Example 2
is very large or that field point is very close it such that
R>>x, we get
Magnitude:

Direction: everywhere perpendicular to sheet, away

from it.
Index Card
Exercise
Multiple Infinite Plane Sheet
What we did so far
Electric field calculations for these charge
distributions:

= 2
1. Point charge/s
2. Ring
=
3. Disk

4. Infinite Plane Sheet

=

Practice manipulating these equations.

Announcements
Attendance Quiz coverage for Tuesday,
January 24: Seatwork after lecture
21-5: Electric Field Calculations part 2

Make sure to have read Class syllabus. On

Tuesday, you will submit a Statement of
Acceptance (template to be given in class)