20 CHAPTER 2.

ELECTRIC FIELDS

Felec = qE
E
q = 24 mC

mg

Figure 2.2: Forces acting on the charged mass in Example 1.

1. An object having a net charge of 24 µC is placed in a uniform electric field

of 610 N
C
directed vertically. What is the mass of this object if it “floats” in the
field? [Ser4 23-16]

The forces acting on the mass are shown in Fig. 2.2. The force of gravity points downward
and has magnitude mg (m is the mass of the object) and the electrical force acting on the
mass has magnitude F = |q|E, where q is the charge of the object and E is the magnitude
of the electric field. The object “floats”, so the net force is zero. This gives us:
|q|E = mg
Solve for m:
|q|E (24 × 10−6 C)(610 N
C
)
m= = m = 1.5 × 10−3 kg
g (9.80 s2 )
The mass of the object is 1.5 × 10−3 kg = 1.5 g.

2. An electron is released from rest in a uniform electric of magnitude 2.00×104 N

C
.
Calculate the acceleration of the electron. (Ignore gravitation.) [HRW6 23-29]

The magnitude of the force on a charge q in an electric field is given by F = |qE|, where E
is the magnitude of the field. The magnitude of the electron’s charge is e = 1.602 × 10−19 C,
so the magnitude of the force on the electron is
F = |qE| = (1.602 × 10−19 C)(2.00 × 104 C
N
) = 3.20 × 10−15 N
Newton’s 2nd law relates the magnitudes of the force and acceleration: F = ma, so the
acceleration of the electron has magnitude
F (3.20 × 10−15 N)
a= = = 3.51 × 1015 m
s2
m (9.11 × 10−31 kg)
That’s the magnitude of the electron’s acceleration. Since the electron has a negative charge
the direction of the force on the electron (and also the acceleration) is opposite the direction
of the electric field.
2.2. WORKED EXAMPLES 21

+q +

a P

+ a +
+2.0q +q

Figure 2.3: Charge configuration for Example 4.

3. What is the magnitude of a point charge that would create an electric field of
1.00 N
C
at points 1.00 m away? [HRW6 23-4]

From Eq. 2.3, the magnitude of the E field due to a point charge q at a distance r is
given by
|q|
E=k 2
r
Here we are given E and r, so we can solve for |q|:

Er2 (1.00 NC
)(1.00 m)2
|q| = = 2

k 8.99 × 109 N·m2
C

= 1.11 × 10−10 C

The magnitude of the charge is 1.11 × 10−10 C.

4. Calculate the direction and magnitude of the electric field at point P in

Fig. 2.3, due to the three point charges. [HRW6 23-12]

Since each of the three charges is positive they give electric fields at P pointing away
from the charges. This is shown in Fig. 2.4, where the charges are individually numbered
along with their (vector!) E–field contributions.
We note that charges 1 and 2 have the same magnitude and are both at the same
distance from P . So the E–field vectors for these charges shown in Fig. 2.4(being in opposite
directions) must cancel. So we are left with only the contribution from charge 3.
We know the direction for this vector; it is 45◦ above the x axis. To find its magnitude
we note that the distance of this charge from P is half the length of the square’s diagonal,
or: √ a
r = 12 ( 2a) = √
2
and so the magnitude is
2q 2kq 4kq
E3 = k 2 = √ = 2 .
r (a/ 2) a
22 CHAPTER 2. ELECTRIC FIELDS

1
+q +

2 3

P
1

3 2
+ +
+2.0q +q

Figure 2.4: Directions for the contributions to the E field at P due to the three positive charges in
Example 4.

+q + a - -2.0q

a a

-q - a + +2.0q

Figure 2.5: Charge configuration for Example 5.

So the electric field at P has magnitude

4kq 4q q
Enet = = =
a2 (4π0 )a2 π0a2
and points at an angle of 45◦ .

5. What are the magnitude and direction of the electric field at the center of
the square of Fig. 2.5 if q = 1.0 × 10−8 C and a = 5.0 cm? [HRW6 23-13]

The center of the square is equidistant from all the charges. This distance r is half the
diagonal of the square, hence
√ a (5.0 cm)
r = 12 ( 2a) = √ = √ = 3.55 × 10−2 m
2 2
Then we can find the magnitudes of the contributions to the E field from each of the charges.
The charges of magnitude q have contributions of magnitude
q N·m2 (1.0 × 10−8 C)
E1.0q = k = (8.99 × 109 C2
) = 7.13 × 104 N
C
r2 (3.55 × 10−2 m)2
The charges of magnitude 2.0q contribute with fields of twice this magnitude, namely
E2.0q = 2E1.0q = 1.43 × 105 N
C
2.2. WORKED EXAMPLES 23

+q + a - -2.0q +q + a - -2.0q +q + a - -2.0q +q + a - -2.0q

a a a a a a a a

-q - a + +2.0q -q - a + +2.0q -q - a + +2.0q -q - a + +2.0q

(a) (b) (c) (d)

Figure 2.6: Directions of E field√ at the center of the square due to three of the corner charges. (a) Upper
left charge is at distance r = a/ 2 from the center (as are the other charges). E field due to this charge
points away from charge, in −45◦ direction. (b) E field due to upper right charge points toward charge, in
+45◦ direction. (c) E field due to lower left charge points toward charge, in +225◦ direction. (d) E field due
to lower left charge points away from charge, in +135◦ direction.

The directions of the contributions to the total E field are shown in Fig. 2.6(a)–(d). The E
field due to the upper left charge points away from charge, which is in −45◦ direction (as
measured from the +x axis, as usual. The E field due to upper right charge points toward
the charge, in +45◦ direction. The E field due to lower left charge points toward that charge,
in 180◦ + 45◦ = +225◦ direction. Finally, E field due to lower right charge points away from
charge, in 180◦ − 45◦ = +135◦ direction.
So we now have the magnitudes and directions of four vectors. Can we add them together?
Sure we can!
ETotal = (7.13 × 104 N
C
)(cos(−45◦ )i + sin(−45◦ )j)
+ (1.43 × 105 N
C
)(cos(+45◦ )i + sin(45◦ )j)
+ (7.13 × 104 N
C
)(cos(225◦ )i + sin(225◦ )j)
+ (1.43 × 105 N
C
)(cos(+135◦ )i + sin(135◦ )j)
(I know, this is the clumsy way of doing it, but I’ll get to that.) The sum gives:
ETotal = 0.0i + (1.02 × 105 N
C
)j
N
So the magnitude of ETotal is 1.02 × 105 C and it points in the +y direction.
This particular problem can be made easier by noting the cancellation of the E’s con-
tributed by the charges on opposite corners of the square. For example, a +q charge in the
upper left and a +2.0q charge in the lower right is equivalent to a single charge +q in the
lower right (as far as this problem is concerned).

2.2.2 Electric Fields from Particular Charge Distributions

6. Electric Quadrupole Fig. 2.7 shows an electric quadrupole. It consists of two

dipole moments that are equal in magnitude but opposite in direction. Show
that the value of E on the axis of the quadrupole for points a distance z from its
center (assume z  d) is given by
3Q
E= ,
4π0 z 4
24 CHAPTER 2. ELECTRIC FIELDS

z
d d

+q -q -q +q P

-p +p

Figure 2.7: Charges forming electric quadrupole in Example 6.

in which Q (defined by Q ≡ 2qd2 ) is known as the quadrupole moment of the charge

distribution. [HRW6 23-17]

We note that as the problem is given we really have three separate charges in this con-
figuration: A charge −2q at the origin, a charge +q at z = −d and a charge +q at z = +d.
(Again, see Fig. 2.7.)
We are assuming that q is positive; for now let us also assume that the point P (for which
we want the electric field) is located on the z axis at some positive value of z, as indicated
in Fig. 2.7. We will now find the contribution to the electric field at P for each of the three
charges.
The center charge (−2q) lies at a distance z from the point P . So then the magnitude of
the E field due to this charge is k 2q
z2
, but since the charge is negative the field points toward
the charge, which in this case in the −z direction. So then the contribution Ez (at point P )
by the center charge is
2q
Ez(center) = −k 2
z
The charge on the left (+q) lies at a distance z + d from the point P . So then the
q
magnitude of the E field due to this charge is k (z+d) 2 . Since this charge is positive, this field

points away from the charge, namely in the +z direction. So the contribution to Ez by the
left charge is
q
Ez(left) = +k
(z + d)2
The charge on the right (+q) lies at a distance z − d from the point P . The magnitude of
q
the field due to this charge is k (z−d) 2 and this charge is also positive so we get a contribution

q
Ez(right) = +k
(z − d)2

The field at point P is the sum of the three contributions. We factor out kq from each
term to get: " #
2 1 1
Ez = kq − 2 + + .
z (z + d)2 (z − d)2
At this point we are really done with the physics of the problem; the rest of the work is
doing the mathematical steps to get a simpler (approximate) expression for Ez .
2.2. WORKED EXAMPLES 25

We can remove a factor of z 2 from the denominator of each term. We choose z because
it is much larger than d and later this will allow us to use the binomial expansion. We get:
 
2 1 1
Ez = kq − +  2 +
 
2 2 
z

d d
z2 1 + z z2 1 − z
 
kq  1 1
= −2 +  2 + 

2
2 
z 1 + dz 1 − zd
 !−2 !−2 
kq d d
= 2 −2 + 1 + + 1−  (2.10)
z z z

At this point the expression for Ez is exact, but it is useful to get an approximate
expression for the case where z is much larger than the size of the quadrupole: z  d. For
this we can make use of the binomial expansion (another name for the Taylor expansion of
(1 + x)n about x = 0):

nx n(n − 1)x2 n(n − 1)(n − 2)x3

(1 + x)n = 1 + + + + ··· valid for x2 < 1
1! 2! 3!
The formula is especially useful when x is small in absolute value; then the first several
terms of the expansion will give a good approximation. We will use the binomial expansion
to simplify our last expression by associating ± dz with x (because it is small), using n = −2,
and just to be safe, we’ll use the first three terms. This give us the approximations:
!−2 ! !2 !2
d d 6 d 2d d
1+ ≈1−2 + =1− +3
z z 2 z z z
!−2 ! !2 !2
d d 6 d 2d d
1− ≈1+2 + = 1+ +3
z z 2 z z z
Now putting these results into Eq. 2.10 we find:
 !2 !2 
kq 2d d 2d d
Ez ≈ 2 −2 + 1 − +3 +1+ +3 
z z z z z
 !2 
kq  d
= 6 
z2 z
6kqd2
=
z4
1
Using the definition Q ≡ 2qd2 , and also k = 4π0
we can also write this result as

3kQ 3Q
Ez = = .
z4 4π0z 4
2.2. WORKED EXAMPLES 27

This expression for the force on the electron is rather messy; it is a restoring force since its
direction is opposite the displacement of the electron from the center, but it is not linear ,
that is, it is not simply proportional to z. (Our work on harmonic motion assumed a
linear restoring force.) We will assume that the oscillations are small in the sense that the
maximum value of |z| is much smaller than R. If that is true, then in the denominator of
Eq. 2.11 we can approximate:
 3/2
(z 2 + R2 )3/2 ≈ R2 = R3

Making this replacement in Eq. 2.11, we find:

−eqz eq
 
Fz ≈ 3
=− z
4π0R 4π0R3
This is a force “law” which just like the Hooke’s Law, Fz = −kz with the role of the spring
constant k being played by
eq
k⇔ (2.12)
4π0R3
By analogy with the harmonic motion of a mass m on the q end of a spring of force
k
constant k, where the result for the angular frequency was ω = m , using Eq. 2.12 we find
that angular frequency for the electron’s motion is
s
eq
ω=
4π0R3 m

8. A thin nonconducting rod of finite length L has a charge q spread uniformly

along it. Show that the magnitude E of the electric field at point P on the
perpendicular bisector of the rod (see Fig. 2.9) is given by
q 1
E= .
2π0y (L + 4y 2)1/2
2

[HRW6 23-24]

We first set up a coordinate system with which to do our calculation. Let the origin be
at the center of the rod and let the x axis extend along the rod. In this system, the point P
is located at (0, y) and the ends of the rod are at (−L/2, 0) and (+L/2, 0).
If the charge q is spread uniformly over the rod, then it has a linear charge density of
q
λ= .
L
Then if we take a section of the rod of length dx, it will contain a charge λdx.
Next, we consider how a tiny bit of the rod will contribute to the electric field at P . This
is shown in Fig. 2.10. We consider a piece of the rod of length dx, centered at the coordinate
28 CHAPTER 2. ELECTRIC FIELDS

+ + + + + + + +
L

Figure 2.9: Charged rod and geometry for Example 8.

dE q
P

q
y r

x
dx

Figure 2.10: An element of the rod of length dx located at x gives a contribution to the electric field at
point P .
2.2. WORKED EXAMPLES 29

x. This element is small enough that we can treat it as a point charge. . . and we know how
to find the electric field due to a point charge.
The distance of this small piece from the point P is
q
r= x2 + y 2

and the amount of electric charge contained in the piece is

dq = λdx

Therefore the electric charge in this little bit of the rod gives an electric field of magnitude
dq kλdx
dE = k 2
= 2
r (x + y 2)
This little bit of electric field dE points at an angle θ away from the y axis, as shown in
Fig. 2.10.
Eventually we will have to add up all the little bits of electric field dE due to each little
bit of the rod. In doing so we will be adding vectors and so we will need the components of
the dE’s. As can be seen from Fig. 2.10, the components are:
kλdx kλdx
dEx = dE sin θ = − sin θ and dEy = cos θ dE = cos θ (2.13)
(x2 + y 2) (x2 + y 2 )
Also, some basic trigonometry gives us:
x x y y
sin θ = = 2 cos θ = = 2
r (x + y 2)1/2 r (x + y 2)1/2
Using these in Eqs. 2.13 gives:
kxλdx kyλdx
dEx = − dEy = (2.14)
(x2+ y 2)3/2 (x2+ y 2 )3/2
The next step is to add up all the individual dEx ’s and dEy ’s. The result for the sum of
the dEx ’s is easy: It must be zero! By considering all of the little bits of the rod, we can see
that dEx will be positive just as often as it is negative, and when the sum is taken the result
is zero. (We sometimes say that this result follows “from symmetry”.) The same is not true
for the dEy ’s; they are always positive and we will have to do some work to add them up.
Eq. 2.14 gives the contribution to Ey arising from an element of length dx centered on x.
The bits of the rod extend from x = −L/2 to x = +L/2, so to get the sum of all the little
bits we do the integral:
kyλdx
Z Z +L/2
Ey = dEy = (2.15)
rod −L/2 (x2 + y 2 )3/2

Eq. 2.15 gives the result for the E field at P (which is what the problem asks for) so
we are now done with the physics of the problem. All that remains is some mathematics to
work out the integral in Eq. 2.15.
30 CHAPTER 2. ELECTRIC FIELDS

First, since k, λ and y are constants as far as the integral is concerned, they can be taken
outside the integral sign:
1
Z +L/2
Ey = kyλ dx
−L/2 (x + y 2 )3/2
2

The integral here is not difficult; it can be looked up in a table or evaluated by computer.
We find:
+L
x 2
Ey = kλy 2√ 2
y x + y2 − L
2

Evaluate!
 
L/2 (−L/2)

 

Ey = kλy  1/2 −  1/2 
 y2 L2 L2
+ y2 y2 + y2
 
4 4
L
= kλy  1/2
L2
y2 4
+ y2
1
We can cancel a factor of y; also, make the replacements k = 4π0
and λ = q/L. This gives:

1 q L
Ey =
4π0 L y L + y 2 1/2
 2 
4
q 1
=
4π0 y L + y 2 1/2
 2 
4

We’re getting close! We can make the expression look a little neater by pulling a factor
1
of out of the parentheses in the denominator. Use:
4
!1/2
L2 1 2 1/2
+ y2 = L + 4y 2
4 2

in our last expression and finally get:

q 2
Ey =
4π0 y (L2 + 4y 2)1/2
q 1
=
2π0y (L2 + 4y 2 )1/2

Since at point P , E has no x component, the magnitude of the E field is

q 1
E=
2π0y (L2 + 4y 2 )1/2

(and the field points in the +y direction for positive q.)

2.2. WORKED EXAMPLES 31

12 cm
s = 5.3 mC/m2

2.5 cm

Figure 2.11: Geometry for Example 9.

µC
9. A disk of radius 2.5 cm has a surface charge density of 5.3 m 2 on its upper face.

What is the magnitude of the electric field produced by the disk at a point on
its central axis at distance z = 12 cm from the disk? [HRW6 23-26]

The geometry for this problem is shown in Fig. 2.11. Here we do have a formula we can
µC
use, Eq. 2.6. With r = 2.5 × 10−2 m, σ = 5.3 m2 and z = 12 × 10
−2
m we find:
!
σ z
E = 1− √ 2
20 z + r2
 
(5.3 µC
m2
) (12 × 10−2 m)
= 
C2
 1 − q 
2 8.85 × 10−12 N·m2 (12 × 10−2 m)2 + (2.5 × 10−2 m)2
= 629 N
C

At the given point, the E field has magnitude 629 N

C
and points away from the disk.

2.2.3 Forces on Charges in Electric Fields

10. An electron and a proton are each placed at rest in an electric field of 520 N/C.
Calculate the speed of each particle 48 ns after being released. [Ser4 23-44]

Consider the electron. From F = qE, and the fact that the magnitude of the electron’s
charge is 1.60 × 10−19 C, the magnitude of the force on the electron is

F = |q|E = (1.60 × 10−19 C)(520 N/C) = 8.32 × 10−17 N

and since the mass of the electron is me = 9.11 × 10−31 kg, from Newton’s 2nd Law, the
magnitude of its acceleration is

F (8.32 × 10−17 N)
a= = = 9.13 × 1013 m
s2
me (9.11 × 10−31 kg)
32 CHAPTER 2. ELECTRIC FIELDS

Since the electron starts from rest (v0 = 0), we have v = at and so the magnitude of its
velocity 48 ns after being released is

v = at = (9.13 × 1013 m
s2
)(48 × 10−9 s) = 4.4 × 106 m
s
.

So the final speed of the electron is 4.4 × 106 ms .

We do a similar calculation for the proton; the only difference is its larger mass. Since
the magnitude of the proton’s charge is the same as that of the electron, the magnitude of
the force will be the same:
F = 8.32 × 10−17 N
But as the proton mass is 1.67 × 10−27 kg, its acceleration has magnitude
F (8.32 × 10−17 N)
a= = = 4.98 × 1010 m
s2
m (1.67 × 10−27 kg)
And then the magnitude of the velocity 48 ns after being released is

v = at = (4.98 × 1010 m
s2
)(48 × 10−9 s) = 2.4 × 103 m
s
.
m
So the proton’s final speed is 2.4 × 103 s
.

11. Beams of high–speed protons can be produced in “guns” using electric fields
to accelerate the protons. (a) What acceleration would a proton experience if
N
the gun’s electric field were 2.00× 104 C ? (b) What speed would the proton attain
if the field accelerated the proton through a distance of 1.00 cm? [HRW6 23-35]

(a) The proton has charge +e = 1.60 × 10−19 C so in the given (uniform) electric field, the
force on the protons has magnitude

F = |q|E = eE = (1.60 × 10−19 C)(2.00 × 104 N

C
) = 3.20 × 10−15 N

Then we use Newton’s second law to get the magnitude of the protons’ acceleration. Using
the mass of the proton, mp = 1.67 × 10−27 kg,

F (3.20 × 10−15 N)
a= = = 1.92 × 1012 m
s2
mp (1.67 × 10 kg)
−27

(b) The protons start from rest (this is assumed) and move in one dimension, accelerating
with ax = 1.92 × 1012 sm2 . If they move through a displacement x − x0 = 1.00 cm, then one of
our favorite equations of one–dimensional kinematics gives us:
m2
vx2 = vx0
2
+ 2ax (x − x0) = 02 + 2(1.92 × 1012 m
s2
)(1.00 × 10−2 m) = 3.83 × 1010 s2

so that the final velocity (and speed) is

vx = 1.96 × 105 m
s