Coulombs Electrostatic force

What is Electrostatic?

Electrostatic is the branch of science that deals with the phenomena arising from stationary to
slow-moving electric charge. Electrostatics involves the buildup of charge on the surface of objects due
to contact with other surfaces. Although charge exchange happens whenever any two surfaces contact
and separate, the effects of charge exchange are usually only noticed when at least one of the surfaces
that transfer to or from highly resistive surface are more or less trapped there for a long enough time for
their effects to be observed.

The study of the effects of static charges. These charges are produced by too many or too few
electrons. Electrons, in turn, are the most movable charge forms, and are found spread around the
positive charge in the nucleus of the atom. If there are too few electrons, a positive charge will appear. If
there are too many, a negative charge will appear. If the charges are in balance, then no charge is
detected. The electron is fundamental particle, and has interesting characteristics, besides the charge, it
spins, and this spin gives rise to a magnetic field, much like an electric motor.

What is Electric Charge?

Electric Charge is one of the basic properties of certain of the elementary particles of which all
matter is composed. It is the fundamental electrical property to which the mutual attractions or
repulsions between electrons or protons is attributed.

Electric Charge comes in two forms: positive and negative. Electrons and protons both carry
exactly the same amount of electric charge, but the positive charge of the proton is exactly opposite the
negative charge of the electron. If an object has more protons than electrons, it is said to be positively
charged: if it has more electrons than protons, it is said to be negatively charged. If an object contains as
many protons as electrons, the charges will cancel each other and the object is said to be uncharged, or
electrically neutral.

Electric Charge can be stationary, as in static electricity, or moving, as in an electric current.

Electric charge can be represented by the symbol (Q) with a unit called Coulomb that is
represented by C. The unit of electrical charge is named after Charles Augustin De Coulomb. One
Coulomb of charge is equal to 6.25 x 1018 electrons.

Two Kinds of Charge

1. Positive Charge (proton)

mp = mass of proton

= 1.673 x 10-27 kg

qp = charge proton

= + 1.6 x 10-19 C

2. Negatively charge (electrons)

 me = mass of electrons

= 9.1 x 10-31 kg

qp = charge pf electrons

= -1.6 x 10-19 C

What is Coulomb’s Law?

Coulomb’s Law is the force of attraction or repulsion is proportional to the amount of charge on each
body and inversely proportional to the square of the distance. It is an equation describing the
electrostatic force between electric charges.

Q1 Q2

+ d -

Formula:

𝑄1 𝑄2
F=k
𝑑2

Where:

F = Electric Force (N)

K = proportional constant
= 9 x 109 N•m2/ C2
1
=
4𝜋𝜀0
Q1 = quantity of charge of one particle (C)
Q2 = quantity of charge of other particle (C)
d = distance between charge particles (m)
𝜀0 = the permittivity of free space
= 8.85 x 10-12 C2 / N.m2
Sample Problem 1

What is the magnitude and direction of the force on a charge of + 4 x 10-9 C that is 5 cm from a
charge of + 5 x 10-8? Ans. 7.2 x 10-4 N
Sample Problem 2

Two charges, one of +5 x 10-7 C and the other of -2 x 10-7 C, attract each other with a force of
100 N. how far apart are they? Ans. 3 mm

What is Electric Field?

Electric Field is a region of space in which a charge would be acted upon by an electric force. It
may be produced by a one or more charges, and it may be uniform or vary in magnitude and direction
from place to place. It is the ratio of the force F on a charge Q at that point to the magnitude of Q.

Electric field can be visualized as costing of imaginary lines called line of force. Is the
electric force per unit charge (N/C).
Formula:

𝑭 𝒌𝑸
E= E=
𝑸 𝒅𝟐

Where:
E = Electric Field (N/C)
F = Force (N)
Q = Charge (C)
d = distance (m)
Electric Field Lines
The direction of the fields is defined by the force on a positive test charge.

A positive test charge is repelled by a A positive test charge is attracted by a

positive charge so the direction extends negative charge so the direction is towards a
away from it. negative point charge.
 Electric Field lines of two same point Electric Field lines of two opposite point
charges. charges.

Sample Problem:

A charge of 6 𝜇𝐶 exerts a force of 2.4 x 10-4 in the right side of a positive test charge. What is the
magnitude and direction of the electric field at the location of the test charge? Ans. 40 N/C, to the
right

Sample Problem:

What is the magnitude and direction of electric field 0.10 m on the left hand of – 4.2 𝜇𝐶
charge? Ans. – 3,774,960 N/C , attraction
Activity # 2

1. A test charge of + 1x 10-6 C is placed halfway between a charge of + 5 x 10-6 and charge of + 3 x
10-6 that are 20 cm apart as shown.

Q2 Q Q1

10 cm 10 cm

Find:

a. The magnitude of the force on the test charge. F1 = +4.5N, F2 = - 2.7N

b. The direction of the force on the test charge. F1 = right, F2 = left
c. The net force on the test charge. F = 1.8 N
2. The hydrogen Atom: the electron and proton of a hydrogen atom are separated by a distance
of approximately 5.3 x 1011 m. Find the magnitude of the electric force between the two
particles.
Ans. 8.2 x 10-52 N
3. Two-point charges, Q1 = 25 nC and Q2 = -75 nC, are separated by a distance of 3.0 cm. find
the magnitude and direction of (a) the electric force that Q1 exerts on Q2 and (b) the electric
force that Q2 exerts on Q1.
Ans. F1 = F2 = 0.019 N, attractive
4. Two-point charges are located on the positive x-axis of a coordinate system. Charge Q1 = 1.0
nC is 2.0 cm from the origin and charge Q2 = -3.0 nC is 4.0 cm from the origin. What is the total
force exerted on a charge Q3 = 5.0 nC located at the origin? Gravitational forces are negligible.
Ans. Fnet = 28 𝜇𝑁, going to left
5. What is the magnitude and direction of electric field 0.10 m on the left hand of – 4.2 𝜇𝐶
charge?
Ans. -3,794,960 N/C, right
6. Two charges -2 x 10-7 C and 3.4 x 10-7 C are 4m apart. What is the magnitude and direction of
electric field at a point midway between the two charges?
Ans. Enet = - 1,213.38 N/C, left
7. What is the magnitude and direction of electric field at a point midway between two equal
and opposite charges of 3.5 x 10-8 C which are 5m apart?
Ans. Enet = 100.66 N/C, right
8. A 30 𝜇C charge is placed at the origin and a -25 𝜇C is placed 3m to the right of it. What is the
magnitude and direction of the electric field 7m to the right of the origin? Ans. -8540.29 N/C,
left

Electric Flux
Electric Flux is the total number of electric field lines passing a given area in a unit of time.
Considered an electric field that is uniform in both magnitude and direction. The field lines
penetrate a rectangular surface A, whose plane is oriented perpendicular to the field.

∅𝑬 = EA cos 𝜽
Where:

∅𝑬 = Electric Flux
E = Electric Field (N/C2)
A = Area of the surface (m)
𝜃 = Angle between the electric field and area vector
Area vector is perpendicular to the surface of the plane.

Flux of a non-uniform electric field

If the electric field is not uniform but varies from point to point over the area A, then we divide
A into many small elements dA.
The electric field E at the location of this element as angle theta sub I, with the ∆𝐴𝑖

Flux through a closed surface

A closed surface is defined as the surface that divides space into an inside and an outside region
so that one cannot move from one region to the other without crossing the surface.
NET FLUX
The net flux through the surface is proportional to the net number of lines leaving the surface.
The net number means “number of the lines leaving the surface, minus the number of lines
entering the surface”.
There, if more line are leaving than entering, the net flux is positive. If more lines are entering,
the net flux is negative.

Sample Problem
A disk with a radius 0.1m is oriented with its normal unit vector n at an angle of 30° to uniform
electric field E with magnitude 2.0 x 103 N/C.
Find (a) what is the electric flux through the disk? (b) What is the flux through the disk if its is
turned so that its normal is perpendicular to the Electric Field (E). (C) what is the flux through
the disk if its normal is parallel to electric field (E)?
Activity # 3
Consider a uniform electric field (E) oriented in the x-axis direction is empty space. Find the net
electric flux through the surface of a cube length (L) oriented as shown: