Objectives


 Use in calculations the relationship between the electric
field and the electric force on a test charge
 Describe an electric field as a region in which an electric
charge experiences a force
 Objectives

 Relate the electric field and electric force on a test
charge;
 Draw electric field lines of particular charge and
charge distributions;
 Calculate the electric field due to a system of point
charges using Coulomb’s law and the superposition
principle
 Electric Field

 defined as a region in which there would be a force
upon a charge brought into that region

 Defined as terms of the force acting on the charged

placed in the field rather than in terms of the charges
causing the field.
 Electric Field

2 Characteristics
Direction
Intensity
 Direction

The direction of an electric
field at any point is defined as
the direction of the force upon a
positive charge placed at that
point
 Field Intensity

Quantitative measure of the
strength of an electric field
Ratio of the net electric force acting
on a small positive test charge
place at the point divided by the
value of the test charge
 Electric field

𝐹
E=
𝑞

If the Electric Field is
given


F=qE
 Electric Field

The units for electric field is Newton/
Coulomb (N/C)

Field lines are continuous directed lines

drawn so that at any point on a line the
direction of the line (its tangent) shows the
direction of the field.

Field line diagrams are also three-

dimensional so it is not always possible to
represent them accurately on flat diagram
 Lines of Force

First used by Michael Faraday to
help visualize the effect of electric
and magnetic field.

Line force is the representation of

the electric field
 Lines of force

The separation of the neighboring
lines indicates the magnitude of
the field in that region
 if the lines are close to each other
the electric field in that region is
relatively strong
 
Lines of force always originated on
a positive charge and end on the
negative charge


 Conductors with static
charges

An electrical conductor is an object
through which electrons or ions
can move about relatively freely.
Metals make good conductors
 
If a net charge is placed on a conductor
and it is then left alone, the charge very
quickly settles down to an equilibrium
distribution.
 
The net charge is spread out over the
surface of the conductor, but not
uniformly.
There is an electric field in the space
around the conductor but not inside it.
At points just outside the surface of the
conductor, the electric field and the
electric field lines are perpendicular to
the surface.
Electric field in a
conductor

The electric field at the surface of
a conductor is proportional to the
charge density

 Four Important properties of
Electric Field Lines

1. The field lines must be perpendicular to
the direction of the field at any point.
2. The greater the line density the greater the
magnitude of the field.
3. The lines always start from a positively
charged objects and end on a negatively
charged objects
4.The lines must never cross
 Problem Solving

 Two charges , q1=2.3x10-9 and q2=3.5x10-9 C are
55mm apart. What is the electric field halfway
between them?

 Given
q1=2.3x10-9 55mm q2= 2.3x10-9
Required: Enet

Solution: Enet=E1 +E2

 
Represent E lines from a positive Q.

Represent E lines from a negative Q.

Represent E lines in between a +Q

charge and a –Q charge separated by a
distance r.
 
What are the factors that
affect the electric field E.
 
Kindly get ½ sheet of paper and
perform the following statements
below.
 
Draw the net electric field at the center of:
 A line segment of length 1.0 m with a +1-C charge
and a –1-C charge at its endpoints;
 An equilateral triangle of side length 1.0 m with
alternating +1-C, –1-C, and +1-C charges placed at its
vertices;
 A square of side length 1.0 m with alternating +1-C,
–1-C, +1-C, and –1-C charges placed at its vertices
 
What is the magnitude of a point charge
that would create an electric field that is 5
N/C at poins 150 cm away?

Find the electric field intensity at a point

P midway between two charges of
-2.0x10-7 C and -2.0x10-7 C if they are 100
cm apart.