Electric Charge and Electric

Field
Chapter 18
1. Static Electricity and Charges
1. 1. Atomic Structure
• The electrical nature of
matter is inherent in atomic
structure.
• 𝑚𝑝 = 1.673 × 10−27 kg
• 𝑚𝑛 = 1.675 × 10−27 kg
• 𝑚𝑒 = 9.110 × 10−31 kg
• 𝑒 = 1.602 × 10−19 C
• C: Unit of electric charge
(coulombs)
1.2. Electric Charges
•There are two kinds of electric charges:
positive and negative charges.
•Negative charges are the type possessed by
electrons.
•Positive charges are the type possessed by
protons.
•Charges of the same sign repel one another and
charges with opposite signs attract one another.
Electric Charges, cont.

A glass rod becomes positively charged when rubbed with silk, while the silk becomes negatively
charged.
(a) The glass rod is attracted to the silk because their charges are opposite.
(b) Two similarly charged glass rods repel.
(c) Two similarly charged silk cloths repel.
1.3. Conservation of Electric Charge
•Electric charge is always
conserved in an isolated
system.
•For example, charge is not
created in the process of
rubbing two objects together.
•The electrification is due to a
transfer of charge from one
object to another.
1.4. Quantization of Electric Charges
•The electric charge, q, is said to be quantized.
•q is the standard symbol used for charge as a
variable.
•q = Ne where N is an integer
• e is the fundamental unit of charge
• 𝑒 = 1.60 × 10−19 C
– Electron: 𝑞𝑒 = −𝑒
– Proton: 𝑞𝑝 = +𝑒
1.5. Example: Electrons
How many electrons are there in one coulomb
of negative charge?
Solution
• 𝑞𝑒 = −𝑒 = −1.60 × 10−19 C, q =− 1.00 C
𝑞 −1.00𝐶
• 𝑞 = −𝑁𝑒 → 𝑁 = =
−𝑒 −1.60×10−19 C
18
= 6.25 × 10
• 𝑁 = 6.25 × 1018
2. Conductors and Insulators
2.1. Types of Electrical Materials
•Not only can electric charge exist on an object, but it can also move through
an object.
• Substances that readily conduct electric charge are called electrical
conductors: metal (copper, aluminum, silver, steel, iron, etc…)

Conductor (copper)

Insulator (plastic)

•Materials that conduct electric charge poorly are called electrical

insulators. Like glass, plastic, wood, ceramic, etc…
2. Charging by Contact and Induction

(a) Two uncharged or neutral metal Charging by induction. The

spheres are in contact with each charged rod never touches
other but insulated from the rest of the metal sphere.
the world.
(b) A positively charged glass rod is
brought near the sphere on the left,
attracting negative charge and
leaving the other sphere positively
charged.
(c) The spheres are separated before
the rod is removed, thus separating
negative and positive charge.
(d) The spheres retain net charges after
the inducing rod is removed—
without ever having been touched
by a charged object.
 Charging by Induction, Cont.
• Charging by induction, using a ground
connection.
(a) A positively charged rod is brought
near a neutral metal sphere, polarizing
it.
(b) The sphere is grounded, allowing
electrons to be attracted from the
earth’s ample supply.
(c) The ground connection is broken.
(d) The positive rod is removed, leaving
the sphere with an induced negative
charge.
3. Coulomb’s Law
3.1. Charles Coulomb
•1736 – 1806
•French physicist
•Major contributions were
in areas of electrostatics
and magnetism
3.2. Coulomb’s Law Statement
•The magnitude of electric force between two charged
particles is given by Coulomb’s law:
•The force is inversely proportional to the square of the
separation r between the charges and directed along
the line joining them.
•The force is proportional to the product of the
charges, q1 and q2, on the two particles.
3.3. Coulomb’s Law: Equation
•Mathematically,
𝑞1 𝑞2
𝐹=𝑘
𝑟2
• k = 8.99 × 109 N.m2/C2 is the Coulomb constant
•𝑞1 and 𝑞2 are electric charges in C
•r (m) is the distance between the two charges
• Note: k = 1/(4πεo) where εo is the permittivity of
free space (εo = 8.8542 × 10-12 C2 / N.m2)
3.4. Vector Nature of Electric Forces
• The like charges produce a repulsive force
between them (a).
• The unlike charges produce an attractive force
between them (b).

(a) Like charges (b) Unlike charges

3.5. Example: Hydrogen Atom Model
In the Bohr model of the hydrogen atom, the
electron is in orbit about the nuclear proton at a
radius of 5.29× 10−11 m. Find the magnitude of
the electrostatic force acting between the
electron and nuclear proton.

v
Solution
• r = 5.29× 10−11 m and 𝑞1 = 𝑞2 = 𝑒
= 1.60 × 10−19 C, k = 8.99 × 109 N.m2/C2

• F =k
q1 q2
=
(8.99 10 9
)(
N  m 2 C 2 1.60 10−19 C )
2

= 8.22 10−8 N
r2 (5.29 10 −11
m )
2

• F = 8.22 × 10−8 N v
3.6 Example: Three Charges on a Line
Determine the magnitude and direction of the
net force on q1.

F12 F13
Solution
F12 F13

q1 q2 (8.99 10 9
)( )(
N  m 2 C 2 3.0 10 −6 C 4.0 10 −6 C )
• F12 = k
r2
=
(0.20 m )2
= 2.7 N

q1 q3 (8.99 10 9
)( )(
N  m 2 C 2 3.0 10 −6 C 7.0 10 −6 C )
• F13 = k
r2
=
(0.15 m )2
= 8.4 N

• F =F12 +F13 →F = F13- F13=8.4 N-2.7 N

• F =5.7 N
4. Electric Field
4..1. Introduction
• The positive charge
experiences a force which
is the vector sum of the
F
forces exerted by the
charges on the rod and
the two spheres.
• This test charge should
have a small magnitude
so it doesn’t affect the
other charge.
4.2. Definition of Electric Field
• The electric field that exists at a point is the
electrostatic force experienced by a small test
charge placed at that point divided by the
charge itself: 𝐅
E=
𝑞𝑜

• 𝑞𝑜 is the test charge

• SI Units of Electric Field: newton per coulomb
(N/C)
4.3. Electric Field Due to a Point Charge (Q)
𝑞 𝑞
• 𝐹 = 𝑘 1 2 2 : Electric force between two charges (Coulomb’s
𝑟
Law)
• Q: charge causing the field
• 𝑞𝑜 : test charge (charge that feels the field from Q)
𝑄𝑞
𝑄𝑞𝑜 F 𝑘 2𝑜 𝑄
•𝐹 = 𝑘 2 and E= = 𝑟
= 𝑘 2
𝑟 𝑞𝑜 𝑞𝑜 𝑟

𝑄
• Electric field from a point charge Q: 𝐸 = 𝑘
𝑟2
Electric Field Due to a Point Charge
(Q), Direction
• For positive source charge F
Q, the electric field at P
points radially outward Q

from (b) Q.
E
•For negative source charge
Q, the electric field at P Q

points radially inward E

toward Q (c).
Q
4.4. Electric Fields from Multiple Charges

•At any point P, the total electric field due to a

group of source charges equals the vector sum
of the electric fields of all the charges.
q1 q2
•E1 = k r 2 , E2 = k r 2 ,
1 2
+
q3
• E = E1 + E2 + E3 + . . . +
q1
P
_ r2
q2
4.5. Example
(a) Calculate the strength and direction of the
electric field E due to a point charge of 2.00 nC
(nano-Coulombs) at a distance of 5.00 mm from
the charge. (b) What is the magnitude of the
electrostatic force does the electric field found
in (a) exert on a point charge of –0.250 μC ?
Solution
• Q = 2.00 nC = 2.00 × 10−9 C, r = 5.00 mm = 5.00 × 10−3m,
q = 0.250 C = 0.250 × 10−6 C
(a)
𝑄 𝑄 2.00×10−9 C
• 𝐸= 𝑘 2 = 𝑘 2= 8.99 × 109 N.m2/C2
𝑟 𝑟 5.00×10−3 m 2
= 7.19 × 105 N/C
• E(7.19 × 105 N/C, points away from the charge Q)
(b) F = qE = 0.250 × 10−6 C 7.19 × 105 N/C
= 0.180 N
4.6 Example
Find the magnitude and
direction of the total electric
field due to the two point
charges, q1 and q2 , at the
origin of the
coordinate system as shown
in Figure.

The electric fields 𝐄1 and 𝐄2

at the origin O add to 𝐄𝑡𝑜𝑡 .
Solution
• q1 = 5.0 nC = 5.0 × 10−9 C, r1 = 2.00 cm = 2.00 × 10−2 m
• q2 = 10 nC = 1.0 × 10−8 C, r1 = 4.00 cm = 4.00 × 10−2 m
q 5.0×10−9C
• E1 = 𝑘 12= 8.99 × 109 N.m2/C2 2 =1.1 × 105 N/C
r1 2.00×10−2m
q 1.0×10−8C
• E2 = 𝑘 22= 8.99 × 109 N.m2/C2 2 =0.56 × 10 5 N/C
r2 4.00×10−2m
• E1 and E2 are perpendicular

•E = E1 + E2 → E = E1 2 + E2 2 = (1.1 × 105 N/C)2 +(0.56 × 105 N/C)2

• E= 1.2 × 105 N/C
𝐸 1.1×105
• Direction 𝜃 = 𝑡𝑎𝑛−1 1 = 𝑡𝑎𝑛 −1
= 63°
𝐸2 0.56×105
• 𝜃 = 63°
5. Electric Field Lines
5.1. Definition
•Field lines give us a means
of representing the electric
field pictorially.
•The electric field vector is
tangent to the electric field
line at each point.
•The number of lines per
unit area through a surface
perpendicular to the lines is
proportional to the
magnitude of the electric
field in that region.
5.2. Positive or / and Negatives Point Charges

(a) Two negative charges produce

the fields shown. It is very similar to
the field produced by two positive
charges, except that the directions
are reversed. The field is clearly
weaker between the charges. The
individual forces on a test charge in
that region are in opposite
directions.
(b) Two opposite charges produce
the field shown, which is stronger in
the region between the charges.
5.3. Parallel Charged Plates
• Electric field lines always
begin on a positive charge and
end on a negative charge and
do not stop in midspace.
• A parallel-plate capacitor
consists of two conducting
plates with equal and
opposite charges.
• Inside those Plates, the field
is considered uniform.