Electrostatic Field

Elements of Electrical
Engineering

Introduction
The branch of engineering or science which deals with the
static charges is called electrostatics.
The study of electric charge at rest is called electrostatics. It
is also known as Static electricity.
When a glass rod is rubbed with a silk cloth, the free electrons
from glass move to the silk. So glass rod attains positive
charge and silk cloth becomes negative charge of equal
magnitude since glass rod and silk cloth both are insulators,
they retain these charge.
These charge is known as static charges and the process
comes under the general heading of electrostatics.
Although current electricity is invariably employed in almost
all the day to day applications, yet the importance of static
electricity cannot be ignored.

Electric Charge
According to modern theory, every atoms contains
equal number of protons charged with positive
electricity and electrons charged with negative
electricity. Hence, it is electrically neutral.
But it is always possible to change the number of
electrons in the body by adopting different methods.
Then, such a body with unequal number of electrons
and protons is said to be electrically charged.
A body contains more than its normal number of
electrons is said to be negatively charged.
On the other hand, a body that contains less than its
normal number of electrons is said to be positively
charged.

Coulombs Law
Charles Coulomb performed a number of experiments
to see the effects of small charges placed near each
other. From his experimental observations, he derived
some conclusions and summed them up in to two laws
known as Coulombs laws known as coulombs
laws of electrostatics.
First Law:
This law relates the nature of force acting on the
charged bodies when placed near each other.
It may be stated as:
Like charges repel each other where as
unlike charges attract each other.

Continued..
Second Law:
This law gives the magnitude of the force
exerted between two bodies when placed
near to each other.
It may be stated as under:
The force exerted between two point
charges:
1. Is directly proportional to the product of their
strengths.
2. Is inversely proportional to the square of the
distance between them
3. Depends upon the nature of the medium in
which charges are placed.

Continued..
QQ
QQ
Mathematically,
F 1 2 2 _ or _ F K 1 2 2
d

Where, F = force between the charges (Newton)

Q1, Q2 = Strength of point charges in coulomb
d = distance between the charges in meter
K cons tan t

1
4 0 r d 2

0 absolute _ permitivity _ of _ vacuum 8.854 10 12 F / m

r relative _ permittivity _ of _ the _ medium
Q1Q2
F
N
4 0 r d 2
QQ
F 9 109 1 22 In _ any _ medium
rd
QQ
F 9 109 1 2 2 In _ air _ medium
d

Absolute and Relative

Permittivity
If an insulating material is placed between the two
parallel conducting plates and charge is placed on the
plate, electric field is produced in the medium between
the plates. The intensity of field so produced depends
on the dielectric material placed between the plates.
The ability of dielectric material to permit the electric
field to be passed through it is called the permittivity.
It is denoted by .
This is called absolute permittivity.
Vacuum and air are also dielectric materials and they
too have permittivity. It is denoted by 0 and its value is
8.854 x 10-12 F/m.

Continued..
When permittivity of air or vacuum is taken as
reference and the permittivity of other dielectric
material is compared with it, we get the relative
permittivity of other dielectric material is compared
with it, we get the relative permittivity of that
material. It is denoted by r.
r = /0 or = 0r
Where, = absolute (or actual) permittivity of a
material
0 = absolute permittivity of air or vacuum
r = relative permittivity of a material

Electrostatic Field

Properties of Electric Lines of

Force

Electric Flux Lines

Electric Flux Density

Electric Field
Intensity(Strength)

Continued..

Electric Potential and Potential

Difference

Continued..

Potential Difference

Expression for Potential

Difference

Continued..

Expression of Potential
Difference

Capacitor and
Capacitance

Action of a capacitor

Continued..

Continued..

Charge and Applied

Voltage

Capacitance of Parallel Plate

Capacitor

Continued..

Dielectric Strength

Continued..

Capacitors in Series

Continued..

Capacitance in Parallel

Continued..

Energy Stored In
Capacitor

Continued..

Charging of a Capacitor

Continued..

Equation of Charging a
Capacitor

Continued..

Continued..

Time Constant

Initial Rate of Rise of Capacitor

Voltage

Continued..

Discharging of a
Capacitor

Continued..

Equation of a Discharging of
a Capacitor

Continued..

Continued..

Time Constant

Significance of Time
Constants