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Physics 2B Electric Forces and

Electric Fields, Ch. 18
2-4 September 2014
Assignment due 9/9/2014
Due next week
Read Chapter 18
F14 Problems 18.4, 18.10, 18.15, 18.21, 18.30, 18.37, 18.40, 18.47, 18.56,
18.59 (CJ 9
th
ed)
Problem 18.6 means Problem 6 at the end of Chapter 18
Some figures and examples are from Serway and Vuille, College Physics, Brooks / Cole
and Cutnell & Johnson, Physics, Wiley.
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Agenda
Electric Forces and Electric Fields
Background
Charged Objects and the Electric Force
Conductors and Insulators
Charging by Contact and Induction
Coulombs Law
Electric Field
Electric Field Lines
Gauss Law
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Background
Electric Charge e =1.60 x 10
-19
coulomb (C)
Positive charge (+e) for protons
Negative charge (-e) for electrons
Electrically Neutral: no net charge or number
of protons equals number of electrons
Electric charges are quantized.
Total charge q = Ne, N an integer
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Background (contd)
Law of Conservation of Electric Charge: net
electric charge of an isolated system remains
constant.
Example: Ebonite gains electrons while animal fur
loses electrons. Ebonite and animal fur are an
isolated system.
Electrically charged objects exert electrostatic
forces upon each other.
Unlike charges attract each other (a) and like
charges repel each other (b, c).
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3
Electrical Conduction / Insulation
Electric charges can move (conduct) through objects.
Electrical conductor charges flow readily
Electrical insulator charges flow poorly
Why? Outermost electrons (valence electrons) can be detached and
result in charge flow.
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Charging Objects
Methods of Charging Objects:
1. Charging by Contact: charging an object by
contacting another charged object
2. Charging by Induction: Giving an electric
charge to another object without touching it
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4
Coulombs Law
Particles exert attractive or
repulsive forces upon each other.
Coulombs Law: the electrostatic
force between two charges q
1
and
q
2
separated by a distance r is
given by
F = k
q
1
|q
2
|
r
2
k = 8.99 x 10
9
N-m
2
/ C
2
Note: k = 1 / (4
o
) where the
permittivity of free space
o
= 8.85 x
10
-12
C
2
/ (N-m
2
)
The electrostatic force is directed
along the line joining the charges.
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Attractive force: q
1
and q
2
have opposite signs
Repulsive force: q
1
and q
2
have same signs
If there are more than two charges, the net
force is the vector sum of the individual forces.
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Electrostatic Force Problem C18.14
The drawings show three charges that have the same magnitude but may have
different signs. In all cases the distance d between the charges is the same. The
magnitude of the charges is |q| = 8.6 C, and the distance between them is d =
3.8 mm. Determine the magnitude of the net force on charge 2 for each of the
three drawings.
Equations:
1. q = Ne, e =1.60 x 10
-19
C
2. F = k
q1 |q2|

2
k = 8.99 x 10
9
N-m
2
/ C
2
5
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Electrostatic Force Problem C18.22
An electrically neutral model airplane is flying in a horizontal circle on a 3.0-m
guideline, which is nearly parallel to the ground. The line breaks when the kinetic
energy of the plane is 50.0 J. Reconsider the same situation, except that now there
is a point charge of +q on the plane and a point charge of q at the other end of the
guideline. In this case, the line breaks when the kinetic energy of the plane is 51.8 J.
Find the magnitude of the charges.
Equations:
1. q = Ne, e =1.60 x 10
-19
C
2. F = k
q1 |q2|

2
k = 8.99 x 10
9
N-m
2
/ C
2
Electric Field
Consider the net electrostatic force
experienced by a charge q
o
placed close
to other charged objects.
Electric Field E: the net electrostatic
force F at a point experienced by a small
test charge q
o
at that point divided by the
charge itself.
F =
F
q
c
Electric field E is a vector.
Direction of electric field is the same as
the direction of the net force F acting on
a positive test charge. (In other words, it
points away from a positive charge).
SI unit: Newton per Coulomb (N / C)
10
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Electric Field Problem C18.43
A small object has a mass of 3.0 x 10
-3
kg and a charge of -34 C. It is placed at a
certain spot where there is an electric field. When released, the object experiences
an acceleration of 2.5 x 10
3
m/s
2
in the direction of the +x axis. Determine the
magnitude and direction of the electric field.
Equations:
1. q = Ne, e =1.60 x 10
-19
C
2. F = k
q1 |q2|

2
k = 8.99 x 10
9
N-m
2
/ C
2
3. E = F / q
o
Electric Field Point Charge
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Remember: the electric field E = F / |q
o
|.
However, Coulombs Law states that F = k |q
o
||q| / r
2
Therefore, the electric field due to a point charge is
E = k |q| / r
2
Consider two charges q
1
= +16 C and q
2
= +4 C. At what point
P between the two charges is the net electric field zero?
m
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Electric Field Parallel Plate Capacitor
Consider a parallel plate capacitor
consisting of two parallel metal plates, each
with area A, separated by a vacuum. One
metal plate has a net uniform charge of +q
and the other plate, -q.
We can show using Gauss Law (later) that
the electric field is given by
E = q / (
o
A) = /
o

o
is the permittivity of free space = 8.85 x
10
-12
C
2
/ (N-m
2
)
A is the area of the plate
is the charge density q / A
Note: the field is independent of the
location.
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14
Electric Field Problem C18.36
The membrane surrounding a living cell consists of an inner and
an outer wall that are separated by a small space. Assume that
the membrane acts like a parallel plate capacitor in which the
effective charge density on the inner and outer walls has a
magnitude of 7.1 x 10
-6
C/m
2
. (a) What is the magnitude of the
electric field within the cell membrane? (b) Find the magnitude
of the electric force that would be exerted on a potassium ion
placed inside the membrane.
Equations:
1. q = Ne, e =1.60 x 10
-19
C
2. F = k
q1 |q2|

2
k = 8.99 x 10
9
N-m
2
/ C
2
3. E = F / q
o
4. E = kq / r
2
point charge
5. E = q / (
o
A) parallel pl cp

o
= 8.85 x 10
-12
C
2
/(N-m
2
)
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Electric Field Lines
Electric Field Line: map of electric field (lines of force) in the
space surrounding electric charges.
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Positive point charge +q
Positive test charge at positions 1-8
Negative point charge -q
Positive test charge at positions 1-8
Electric Field Lines Comments
Electric field lines start at positive charges and
end at negative charges (point away from positive
charges).
Tangents to the field lines indicate direction of
electrostatic forces.
Electric field lines are closer to each other where
the electric field is stronger.
More electric field lines leave / enter a charge for
larger charge magnitudes. Example: three times
as many field lines leave a charge of +6q as
would leave a charge of +2q.
Electric field lines are in three-dimensions.
Parallel electric field lines indicate that the
electric field has the same direction and same
magnitude at all points in space. Example:
parallel plate capacitor.
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Electric Field Lines Conceptual Understanding
Consider again the electric field lines for one positive and one
negative point charge.
What happens to the electric field lines if both charges are positive?
What happens to the electric field lines if both charges are negative?
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There are three things wrong with part (a) of
the drawing. What are they?
Conceptual Example Drawing Electric Field
Lines
Start at positive charges and end
at negative charges.
Tangents to the field lines
indicate direction of electrostatic
forces.
Closer to each other where the
electric field is stronger.
More electric field lines leave /
enter a charge for larger charge
magnitudes.
Parallel electric field lines
indicate that the electric field has
the same direction and same
magnitude at all points in space.
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Electric Field Lines Problem C18.63
Charges of -4q are fixed to diagonally opposite corners of a square. A charge of
+5q is fixed to one of the remaining corners, and a charge of +3q is fixed to the
last corner. Assuming that ten electric field lines emerge from the +5q charge,
sketch the field lines in the vicinity of the four charges.
-4q
+3q -4q
+5q
Start at positive charges and end
at negative charges.
Tangents to the field lines
indicate direction of electrostatic
forces.
Closer to each other where the
electric field is stronger.
More electric field lines leave /
enter a charge for larger charge
magnitudes.
Parallel electric field lines
indicate that the electric field has
the same direction and same
magnitude at all points in space.
Electric Field Inside a Conductor
Consider a sphere composed of a conducting material
such as copper (a).
If there are excess negative charges (or positive) inside
the sphere, the charges would experience repulsion
and, therefore, travel to the surface of the sphere (b).
Therefore, the inside of the sphere would be
electrically neutral, and there would be no net
movement of the negative charges inside the sphere.
In other words, the electric field is zero at any point
inside the conducting sphere.
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Gauss Law
Electric fields are created by point charges.
What is the effect of distributed or multiple point
charges? Use Gauss Law.
Gausss Law: relationship between a charge
distribution and the resultant electric field
The product of the of the electric field E and the area
A perpendicular to the field is the electric flux
E
.

E
= (E cos ) A = Q /
o
Q is the net charge enclosed by a Gaussian
surface
Gaussian surface: a closed surface (e.g., complete
egg shell)
A is the surface area of the Gaussian surface
is the angle between the normal to the surface A
and the electric field vector E

o
= 8.85 x 10
-12
C
2
/ (N-m
2
) the permittivity of
free space
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Application: Gauss Law for a Positive Point
Charge and Spherical Gaussian Surface
Gauss Law:
E
= (E cos ) A = Q /
o
Remember: E = kq / r
2
= q / (4
o
r
2
)
However, for a sphere, A = 4 r
2
Therefore, E = q / (A
o
)
Or, EA = q /
o

o
= 8.85 x 10
-12
C
2
/ (N-m
2
)
Or, for a sphere, electric flux
E
= EA = q /
o
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Gauss Law Problem C18.54
A spherical surface completely surrounds a collection of
charges. Find the electric flux through the surface if the
collection consists of (a) a single +3.5 x 10
-6
C charge, (b) a
single -2.3 x 10
-6
C charge, and (c) both of the charges in (a)
and (b).
Equations:
1. q = Ne, e =1.60 x 10
-19
C
2. F = k
q1 |q2|

2
k = 8.99 x 10
9
N-m
2
/ C
2
3. E = F / q
o
4. E = kq / r
2
point charge
5. E = q / (
o
A) parallel pl cap

o
= 8.85 x 10
-12
C
2
/(N-m
2
)
6.
E
= (E cos ) A = Q /
o
Gauss Law for a Parallel Plate
Capacitor
Remember, for a charge distribution and
arbitrary Gaussian surface,
Electric flux
E
= (E cos ) A = Q /
o
Example: Parallel Plate Capacitor
Choose the Gaussian surface to be a closed cylinder
that starts within the left plate and ends between the
plates.
Then,
E
=
E1
+
E2
+
E3
Or,
E
= 0 (no field within plate) + 0 (since = 90
o
)
+ (E cos ) A
Or,
E
= (E cos 0) A = E*1*A = EA
Or, EA = Q /
o
E = (Q / A) /
o
Or, E = /
o
(as stated earlier on slide 13)
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Gauss Law Problem C18.58
A charge Q is located inside a rectangular box. The electric
flux through each of the six surfaces of the box is:
1
= +1500
N-m
2
/C,
2
= +2200 N-m
2
/C,
3
= +4600 N-m
2
/C,
4
= -1800
N-m
2
/C,
5
= -3500 N-m
2
/C, and
6
= -5400 N-m
2
/C. What is
Q?
Equations:
1. q = Ne, e =1.60 x 10
-19
C
2. F = k
q1 |q2|

2
3. k = 8.99 x 10
9
N-m
2
/ C
2
4. E = F / q
o
5. E = kq / r
2
6. E = q / (
o
A)

o
= 8.85 x 10
-12
C
2
/(N-m
2
)
7.
E
= (E cos ) A = Q /
o
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Summary
Electric Forces and Electric Fields
Background q = Ne
Charged Objects and the Electric Force
Conductors and Insulators
Charging by Contact and Induction
Coulombs Law F = k
q
1
|q
2
|
r
2
Electric Fields F =
F
q
c
= k |q| / r
2
point charge, E = q /
(
o
A) = /
o
parallel plate capacitor
Electric Field Lines
Gauss Law
E
= (E cos ) A = Q /
o