GOAL 2 : STATIC ELECTRICITY
AND CONDUCTION
CONTENTS
• CHAPTER 1 : STATIC ELECTRICITY AND ITS
LAWS
• FORCE BETWEEN CHARGES
• COULOMB’S LAW
• ELECTRIC FIELDS
• ELECTRIC FIELD STRENGTH
• CHAPTER 2 : CONDUCTION OF ELECTRICITY
IN SOLIDS, LIQUIDS, GASES AND A VACUU
M
CHAPTER 1 : STATIC ELECTRICITY
AND ITS LAWS
• Electric charge is all around us. Indeed, many of the everyday items that we
use in the home and at work rely for their operation on the existence of
electric charge and the ability to make that charge do something useful.
Electric charge is also present in the natural world and anyone who has
experienced an electric storm cannot fail to have been awed by its effects.
In this section we begin by explaining what electric charge is and how it can
be used to produce conduction in solids, liquids and gases.
• We have already found that, if a conductor has a deficit of electrons, it will
exhibit a net positive charge. On the other hand, if it has a surplus of
electrons, it will exhibit a net negative charge. An imbalance in charge can
be produced by friction (removing or depositing electrons using materials,
such as silk and fur, respectively) or induction (by attracting or repelling
electrons using a second body which is, respectively, positively or
negatively charged).
QCAR SYLLABUS
• QCAR Syllabus 3.2
• Static electricity and distribution of electrostatic charges; Electrostatic laws
of attraction and repulsion; Units of charge, Coulomb's law; Conduction of
electricity in solids, liquids, gases and a vacuum.
FORCE BETWEEN CHARGES
• Consider two small charged bodies of negligible weight are suspended as
shown If the two bodies have charges with the same polarity (i.e. either both
positively or both negatively charged) the two bodies will move apart,
indicating that a force of repulsion exists between them. On the other hand,
if the charges on the two bodies are unlike (i.e. one positively charged and
one negatively charged), the two bodies will move together indicating that a
force of attraction exists between them. From this we can conclude that like
charges repel and unlike charges attract.
Key points
1) there are two kinds of electrostatic charge,
positive and negative
2) like charges repel, unlike charges attract
3) positive charge comes from having more
protons than electrons; negative charge comes
from having more electrons than protons
4) charge is quantized, meaning that charge
comes in integer multiples of the elementary
charge e
5) charge is conserved
COULOMB’S LAW
• Coulomb's law states that if charged bodies exist at two points, the force of
attraction (if the charges are of opposite charge) or repulsion (if of like
charge) will be proportional to the product of the magnitude of the charges
divided by the square of their distance apart.
kQ1Q2
F =
d 2
k is a constant depending upon the medium in which the charges exist.
Force F is, of course in NEWTONS
The meaning of k and
• The value of k is fixed for any given medium is a fixed measurable value.
• The value of k is different for media (vacuum, air, mica, plastic, paper etc)
• These values of k for different media, when compared, vary according to
some property of the media itself.
• This property of media is referred to as its PERMITIVITY symbol (e)
• Permittivity is the variable part of k
By experiment (empirically) it was found that the constant k for any material
could be expressed in terms of this permittivity thus:
1
k =
4Πε
The meaning of k, , and 0
By convention the permittivity of free space is given the symbol 0.
• By experiment (empirically) its
value has been has been
0 = 8.854 x 10-12 C/Nm2
determined to be equal to:
1
k =
• Thus the value of k for a vacuum 4Πε0
is found from
1
k =
• Expanding 4 x 3.142 x 8.854 x 10 _ 12
• Simplifying k = 9 x 109
Thus the force between two charges in space is found from the product of the
charges multiplied by 9 x 109 divided by the square of the distance between
the charges kQ1Q2
F =
d2
The meaning of k, , 0 and r
• A common definition of permitivitty of any medium is
• The permittivity of a substance is a characteristic which describes how it
affects any electric field set up in it. A high permittivity tends to reduce any
electric field present.
• We can increase the capacitance of a capacitor by increasing the permittivity
of the dielectric material.
• All materials permit/transmit electric fields even a vacuum.
• When the absolute (actual) permittivity of a material is divided by the
permittivity of a vacuum 0 a value called the RELATIVE PERMEABILITY r
of that material is obtained. Thus = 0r
k =
1 (9 × 10 9 ) Q1Q2
4Πε0 εr • F =
d2 × εr
Q1 Q2
F =
d2 × 4Π × ε0 εr
ELECTRIC FIELDS
• The force exerted on a charged
particle demonstrates the
existence of an electric field.
• The electric field defines the
direction and magnitude of a
force on a charged object.
• The field itself is invisible to the
human eye but can be drawn by
constructing lines which indicate
the motion of a free positive
charge within the field; the
number of field lines in a particular
region being used to indicate the
relative strength of the field at
the point in question.
ELECTRIC FIELDS
UNLIKE charges ATTRACT
ELECTRIC FIELDS
LIKE charges REPEL
ELECTRIC FIELD STRENGTH
• A charge in an electric field experiences
an electric force
• Work is done BY the electric field if the
electric force acting on the charge
causes it to move from one point to
another in that field.
• These two points differ in their electric
potential.
Work done
Electrical Potential Difference ( p .d .) =
Ch arg e moved
Joules
p .d . in Volts = Thus 1 volt is equal to 1 joule per
Coulombs coulomb
Therefore the magnitude of the work done (energy expended) on the
charge by the electric field is a measure of the difference in potential
SOME UNITS
• The electrical potential difference V is the work done per unit charge as a
charge is moved between two points in an electric field
• Although we will deal with it later it follows that
• Work done in joules = Charge in Coulombs x p.d in Volts
• Dividing both sides of equation by time we have that
Work done in Joules Ch arg e in Coulombs
= x p .d . in Volts
time in sec onds time in sec onds
Power in Watts = Current flow in Amperes x p .d . in Volts
(This formula i.e Electrical Power = Volts x Amps (P = VI) will be used in goal 9)
ELECTRIC FIELD STRENGTH
• The strength of an electric field (E) is proportional to the applied p.d. V and
inversely proportional to the distance between the two conductors d
• Where E is the electric field strength (in V/m), V is the applied p.d. (in V)
and d is the distance (in m).
V
E =
d
• EXAMPLE
• Two charged bodies are separated by a distance of 2.5 mm. Calculate the force
between the two charges if one has a positive charge of 0.25 µC and the other
has a negative charge of 0.4µC. What will the magnitude of the force be?
Where Q1 = 0.25µC = 0.25 x 10-6 C
Q2 = 0.4µC = 0.4 x 10-6 C
( 9 x 10 9 ) x Q1 Q2 And d = 2.5mm = 2.5 x 10 -3 m
F = Newtons
d2
( 9 x 10 9 ) x ( 0.25 x 10 _ 6 x 0.4 x 10 _ 6 )
F = Newtons
2.5 x 10 _ 3 x 2.5 x 10 _ 3
(_ 6 _ 6 +9 +3 +3 )
9 x 0.1 x 10
F =
6.25
0.9 x 10 3
F = Newtons
6.25
F = 1.44 x 10 2 Newtons
Force between the charges is 144 Newtons
EXAMPLE
Two charged particles have the same positive charge and are separated by a
distance of 10mm. If the force between them is 0.1N, determine the charge
present.
( 9 x 10 ) x Q1 Q2
9
F = Newtons
d2
F xd2 Where F = 0.1 Newton
Making Q the subject Q 2
= d = 0.01 meter
9 x 10 9 Q1 = Q2
0.1 x 0.01 x 0.01
Q =
9 x 10 9
( _1 _2 _2 _9 )
1 x 10
Q =
9
Q = 0.11 x 10 _ 14
= 3.33 x 10 8
The charge present is 0.033Coulombs
EXAMPLE
Two parallel conductors are separated by a distance of 25 mm. Determine the
electric field strength if they are fed from a 600 V direct current (DC) supply.
V where V = 600V
E = and d = 25mm = 0.025m,
d
600 Volts
E =
0.025 metre
= 24 000 V/m
Electric field strength is 24kV/m
EXAMPLE
The field strength between the two parallel plates in a cathode ray tube is 18
kV/m. If the plates are separated by a distance of 21 mm, determine the p.d.
that exists between the plates.
V
E =
d
where E = 18kV/m
V =E x d And d = 21mm
V = 18 000 x 0.021
Potential difference across the plates is 378 volts
CHAPTER 2 : CONDUCTION OF ELECTRICITY
IN SOLIDS, LIQUIDS, GASES AND A VACUUM
In order to conduct an electric current a material must contain charged
particles.
In solids (such as copper, lead, aluminium and carbon) it is the negatively
charged electrons that are in motion.
In liquids and gases, the current is carried by the part of a molecule that has
acquired an electric charge. These are called ions and they can possess
either a positive or a negative charge. Examples include hydrogen ions (H+),
copper ions (Cu++) and hydroxyl ions (OH-). It is worth noting that pure
distilled water contains no ions and is thus a poor conductor of electricity
whereas salt water contains ions and is therefore a relatively good conductor
of electricity.
Finally, you might be surprised to learn that an electric current can pass
through a vacuum. It does this in the form of a stream of electrons liberated
from a hot metal surface that can be made to travel from a point that has a
negative potential (known as a cathode) towards another point which has a
high positive potential (known as an anode). This is the principle of the
cathode ray tube that you find in your television set or computer display
Key point
• Current flow in liquids and gases is made possible by means of
positively or negatively charged molecules called ions. In a vacuum,
current flow is made possible by means of a moving stream of
negatively charged electrons, as in the cathode ray tube.
•
1 If a body has a shortage of electrons it will exhibit a ______________ charge
2 Isolated charges having the same polarity will ________________ one
another
3 List the factors that determine the force that exists between to charges.
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
4 Two charges are separated by a distance of 1 mm. If the distance increases to
2 mm whilst the charges remain unchanged, by how much will the force
between them change? _________________________________________
5 Two plates are separated by a distance of 100 mm. If the p.d. between the
plates is 200V what will the electric field strength be? __________________
6 The electric field between two parallel plates is 2 kV/m. If the plates are
separated by a distance of 4 mm, determine the p.d. between the plates.
____________________________________________________________
7 Two charged particles have the same positive charge and are separated by a
distance of 2 mm. If the force between them is 0.4 N, determine the charge
present. ____________________________________________________
8 In liquids and gases electric current is carried by ______________________
9 An electric current can be made to pass through a vacuum by means of a
stream of ______________charged ____________________
10 Explain why salt water conducts electricity whilst pure distilled water does
not.________________________________________________________
11 Fill in the missing values in the picture below. (All charges are equal).
d
+ Force = 1 -
2d
+ Force = +
3d
+ Force = -
d/2
- - Quiz [Link]
Force =