Announcements
Change in 3rd LE exam sched
❑ May 11, Saturday, 3-5pm
One UVLe course including all sections will be
created
Chapter 21
Electric Charge
and
Electric Field
Physics 72 Chapter 21 - Electric Charge and Electric Field 3
Ch21-1 Electric Charge
Objectives
❑Apply the concepts of the dichotomy,
quantization, and conservation of electric charge
❑Predict charge distributions, and the resulting
attraction or repulsion, in a system of charged
insulators and conductors
Physics 72 Chapter 21 - Electric Charge and Electric Field 4
Electric Charge
❑ An intrinsic property of matter
❑ As fundamental as mass
❑ Scalar quantity (magnitude only, no direction)
❑ SI unit: Coulomb (C)
Physics 72 Chapter 21 - Electric Charge and Electric Field 5
Properties
❑ Dichotomy
❑ Quantization
❑ Conservation
Physics 72 Chapter 21 - Electric Charge and Electric Field 6
Dichotomy
❑ Charges can only be positive (+) or negative (-)
Attraction Repulsion
Physics 72 Chapter 21 - Electric Charge and Electric Field 7
Quantization
❑ Any observable amount of electric charge comes
in integer multiples of the electron/proton
charge.
𝑄 = ±n𝑒 (n = 1,2,3, … )
|𝑒| = 1.602 x 10−19 C
Physics 72 Chapter 21 - Electric Charge and Electric Field 8
Conservation
❑ The algebraic sum of all electric charges in a
closed system is constant.
𝑄𝑖 = 𝑄𝑓
𝑖 𝑓
charging process
+- +- +-- +
e. g. rubbing
*both uncharged
Physics 72 Chapter 21 - Electric Charge and Electric Field 9
Why deal with charges?
Physics 72 Chapter 21 - Electric Charge and Electric Field 10
Summary
❑ Electric charge can be positive or negative
❑ Electric charge is quantized
❑ Electric charge is conserved
Two Types:
+ positive charge
𝑄𝑖 = 𝑄𝑓
𝑄 = ±n𝑒
𝑖 𝑓
- negative charge
Physics 72 Chapter 21 - Electric Charge and Electric Field 11
ConcepTest!
Three spheres are suspended from thin threads. It
is found that spheres 1 and 2 repel each other and
that spheres 2 and 3 repel each other. From this
we can conclude that
(A) 1 and 3 carry charges of opposite sign.
(B) 1 and 3 carry charges of equal sign.
(C) all three carry charges of the same sign.
(D) one of the objects carries no charge.
(E) no conclusion can be derived from the given.
Physics 72 Chapter 21 - Electric Charge and Electric Field 12
ConcepTest!
Three spheres are suspended from thin threads. It
is found that spheres 1 and 2 repel each other and
that spheres 2 and 3 repel each other. From this
we can conclude that
(A) 1 and 3 carry charges of opposite sign.
(B) 1 and 3 carry charges of equal sign.
(C) all three carry charges of the same sign.
(D) one of the objects carries no charge.
(E) no conclusion can be derived from the given.
Physics 72 Chapter 21 - Electric Charge and Electric Field 13
Ch21-1 Electric Charge
Objectives
✓Apply the concepts of the dichotomy,
quantization, and conservation of electric charge
✓ Predict charge distributions, and the resulting
attraction or repulsion, in a system of charged
insulators and conductors
Physics 72 Chapter 21 - Electric Charge and Electric Field 14
Ch21-2 Conductors, Insulators, and
Induced Charges
Objectives
❑ Outline the process of charging
❑ Given the initial charge distribution, calculate the
final charge distribution using conservation
principles
Physics 72 Chapter 21 - Electric Charge and Electric Field 15
Conductors and Insulators
Conductors Insulators
❑Electrons move freely ❑Electrons are bound
to atoms
❑Do not permit flow of
❑Permit flow of electric
charge electric charge
Physics 72 Chapter 21 - Electric Charge and Electric Field 16
Conductors
Physics 72 Chapter 21 - Electric Charge and Electric Field 17
Conductors vs Insulators
Physics 72 Chapter 21 - Electric Charge and Electric Field 21
Polarization
❑ Shifting of electric charges in a material
-
- + -
Uncharged Charged - + -
metal ball rod - + -
Insulator
Earth Earth
Uncharged ≠ no charges
Physics 72 Chapter 21 - Electric Charge and Electric Field 22
Charging by friction
Physics 72 Chapter 21 - Electric Charge and Electric Field 23
Charging by contact
+Q/ +Q/ +Q/ +Q/
+Q 0 2 2 2
2
1. Two 2. Placed in 3. Then
identical contact separated
conductors
Physics 72 Chapter 21 - Electric Charge and Electric Field 24
Charging by induction
❑ Induction by grounding
Metal ball
- -
- + - - + +
- + - - +
- + - - + - + +
Charged -
rod Insulator -
Earth Earth Earth
1. Polarized 2. Grounded 3. Removed rod
metal ball ball and grounding
Physics 72 Chapter 21 - Electric Charge and Electric Field 25
Charging by induction
❑ Charge redistribution
+2 ? -Q
-4Q ? -Q
Q
1. Two 2. Placed in 3. Then
identical contact separated
conductors
Remember: Electric charge is conserved.
Physics 72 Chapter 21 - Electric Charge and Electric Field 26
Charging by induction
Physics 72 Chapter 21 - Electric Charge and Electric Field 27
Electric forces on uncharged objects
❑ A charged body can exert forces on uncharged
objects
Initially
Polarization Attraction
Uncharged
+ +
+ +
– + +
+ + –– –
+ –+
–– – –
–
+
– –
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
Physics 72 Chapter 21 - Electric Charge and Electric Field 28
Example
Consider 2 conducting spheres of the same size,
with initial charges as shown:
Q1 = +3Q Q2 = -Q
❑ What is the final charge upon reaching
equilibrium on each sphere when the two are
brought into contact? Net charge: +2Q; Q1 = Q2 = +Q
❑ Are the final charges attractive or repulsive?
Same sign: Repulsive
Physics 72 Chapter 21 - Electric Charge and Electric Field 29
Example
Physics 72 Chapter 21 - Electric Charge and Electric Field 30
Example
Physics 72 Chapter 21 - Electric Charge and Electric Field 31
Example
Two identical spherical conductors are placed a
large distance apart. Given their initial charge
distributions, what will be the final charges on the
spheres at equilibrium, when the two spheres are
connected by:
❑ a nylon string?
❑ a copper wire?
A B
+2Q neutral
Physics 72 Chapter 21 - Electric Charge and Electric Field 32
Example
Two identical spherical conductors are placed a
large distance apart. Given their initial charge
distributions, what will be the final charges on the
spheres at equilibrium, when the two spheres are
connected by:
❑ a nylon string? A: +2Q , B: neutral
❑ a copper wire? A: +Q , B: +Q
A B
+2Q neutral
Physics 72 Chapter 21 - Electric Charge and Electric Field 33
Ch21-2 Conductors, Insulators, and
Induced Charges
Objectives
✓ Outline the process of charging
✓ Given the initial charge distribution, calculate the
final charge distribution using conservation
principles
Physics 72 Chapter 21 - Electric Charge and Electric Field 34
Exercise
❑ Consider three identical conducting cubes. A and
B were made to touch each other. After
electrostatic equilibrium is reached, they were
separated. A was then made to touch C. After
electrostatic equilibrium is reached, what are the
final charges on each cube?
Physics 72 Chapter 21 - Electric Charge and Electric Field 35
Exercise
❑ Consider three identical conducting cubes. A and
B were made to touch each other. After
electrostatic equilibrium is reached, they were
separated. A was then made to touch C. After
electrostatic equilibrium is reached, what are the
final charges on each cube?
Physics 72 Chapter 21 - Electric Charge and Electric Field 36
Exercise
Physics 72 Chapter 21 - Electric Charge and Electric Field 37
Exercise
Physics 72 Chapter 21 - Electric Charge and Electric Field 38
Exercise
Consider neutral rings X, Y, and Z as shown. A positively
charged rod is brought near the three rings. The ground Conductor
wires are then cut from Y and Z. Which of the following
is/are TRUE after the rod is removed?
I. X will be attracted to positively charged objects. Insulator
II. Y will be attracted to negatively charged objects.
III. Z will have a net negative charge.
Conductor
A. I only
B. II only
C. III only
D. I and II only
E. I, II, and III
Physics 72 Chapter 21 - Electric Charge and Electric Field 39
Exercise
Consider neutral rings X, Y, and Z as shown. A positively
charged rod is brought near the three rings. The ground Conductor
wires are then cut from Y and Z. Which of the following
is/are TRUE after the rod is removed?
I. X will be attracted to positively charged objects. Insulator
II. Y will be attracted to negatively charged objects.
III. Z will have a net negative charge.
Conductor
A. I only
B. II only
C. III only
D. I and II only
E. I, II, and III