Lecture 1 Electrostatics:

Coulombs law and electric field

(E-field)
Electromagnetism study of the properties of
charge, one of the fundamental properties of nature.
Two types of charge; positive and negative.
Charge can neither be created or destroyed but
positive and negative charges can act to cancel each
other.
Unit of charge is the Coulomb (C) the usual
mathematical symbol is Q
The movement of charge constitutes an electric
current. If a charge dQ passes a given point in a time
dt then a current is said to occur.
Introduction
d
d
Q
I
t
=
Definitions
The point charge. Assumes all the charge is
concentrated at a point having zero volume. If
charge is spread over a finite volume then it
approximates to a point charge if its physical
extent is small compared to the distance(s) to
other charges.
Volume charge density. Charge spread over a
finite volume. Density at a given point is
(units Cm
-3
). is not necessary constant. The
total charge Q contained within a volume t is
given by
d Q
t
t =
}
where the integral is performed over the volume t.
Surface charge density. Charge is spread thinly
over a surface or a sheet. The density at a given
point is o (units Cm
-2
). The total charge Q on a
whole surface S is given by:
d
S
Q S o =
}
where the integral is performed over the surface S.
Line charge density. Charge is distributed along a
line. The density at a given point is (units Cm
-1
).
The total charge Q in a total length L is given by

where the integral is performed along the line L.
d
L
Q L =
}
Electrostatics.
Concerned with the properties of charges which
are stationary. Although we will need to move
charges when deriving equations for potential
energy etc, the charges can always be taken to
move infinitesimally slowly.
Forces between stationary charges (in vacuo)
Coulombs law Electrostatic Force

Experiments show that an electric force exists
between two charges.
The size of this force is proportional to the product
of the magnitudes of the two charges and is
inversely proportional to the square of their
separation.
The force acts along the line joining the charges
It is repulsive for charges of identical (like) sign
and attractive for opposite sign charges.

For two point charges Q
1
and Q
2
separated by
a distance r in a vacuum, the electric force is
described by Coulombs law
Q
1
Q
2
r
F F
1 2
2
0
4
QQ
F
r tc
=
(scalar form) in magnitude, along r in
direction.

1 2
2
0
4
QQ
r tc
=
r
F
(vector form) where is a unit
vector along r direction

r
c
0
is a constant which gives the strength of the
electric force.
c
0
is known as the permittivity of free space.
c
0
=8.8542x10
-12
C
2
m
-2
N
-1
or Fm
-1
.

Alternative vector form
1 2
3
0
4
r
F
QQ
r tc
=
Principle of superposition

For a system consisting of three or more
charges, the electric force acting on any one
charge is given by the vector summation of the
individual forces due to all the other charges.
Worked Problem
5cm
10cm
+3C
-5C
+2C
Calculate the total force acting on the +2C charge
The electric field (E-field)

Frequently we wish to investigate the force (and
subsequent motion) on an arbitrary charge due to a
set of other known fixed charges.
Although Coulombs law can be used it is generally
more convenient to think of the fixed charges as
producing a field, the electric or E-field, which then
exerts a force on any charge placed in the field.
Splits the physics into two parts charges produce
an electric field and then other charges interact with
this field.
If a test charge Q
t
, placed at some position in
space, experiences an electric force F then the
E-field at that point is given by



where the limit Q
t
0 is required so that Q
t
does
not perturb the charges which produce F and E.
The units of E are NC
-1
or more usual Vm
-1
.

0
lim /
t
t
Q
Q

= E F
Definition of the E-field
Force, F, on charge, q, placed in field, E, is F=qE
as long as q is sufficiently small.
E-field due to a point charge

For a single point charge Q


field points radially outwards from a positive charge
and radially inwards towards a negative charge.
2
0

4
Q
r tc
= E r
+Q
For a collection of two or more point charges the
principle of superposition can be applied to find
the total E-field at a given point.
For continuous charge distributions the
distribution is split up into an infinite number of
infinitesimally small, equivalent point charges with
the E-field then being given by a suitable
integration (see 1st Year notes for a number of
examples).
Other techniques for finding the E-field will be
developed later in this course.

Worked Problem
Find the E-field at a point P which is a distance a
from an infinite flat sheet of charge having a
charge density o.
a
P
r
x
dx
dE
dE
Z
u
u
dS
Electric Field Lines
Allow the form of the E-field to be visualised in a
limited sense.






The lines have the following properties
The tangent to the lines at any point gives the
direction of the E-field at that point.
Lines start on positive charges and finish on
negative ones.
The density of lines gives an indication of the field
strength at a given point.
Point charge
Q
+
>Q
-

Conclusions

Charge and relationship to current
Definitions of point, volume, surface and line
charges
Coulombs law for two point charges
Superposition and forces between >2 point
charges
Definition of E-field
E-fields resulting from one or more point charges
E-fields due to continuous charge distributions
E-field line diagrams.