Chapter 2.

Coulombs Law and Electric Field Intensity

The Experimental Law of Coulomb
Coulombs Law
The magnitude of force between two very small objects
separated in free space by a distance which is large compared to
their size is given by

Q1Q2
F=
4 0R 2
Q1 and Q2: positive or negative quantities of charge (coulomb)
R: separation (meters)
0: permittivity of free space = 8.854 x 10-12 F/m
= 1/36 x 10-9 F/m
1/40 9 x 109

In vector form:
If Q1 is in r1 and Q2 is in r2, then R12 = r2 - r1 is the directed line
segment from Q1 to Q2.
z
F2 = force experienced by Q2:
F2
Q1Q2
R12
F2 =
a
12
Q
2
1
4 0R12
Q2
r2
F1
r1

a12 is the unit vector in the direction of R12 =

F1 = F2 =

Q1Q2
4 0R12

a =
2 12

r2 r1
| r2 r1 |

Q2Q1
4 0R 21

a21

Electric Field Intensity

Consider a charge Qi located at Pi, and another charge Qt situated in
the vicinity of Qi. The position of Qt with respect to Qi is Pit. At
any position Pit, Qt experiences a force due to Qi

Ft =

Qi Q t
4 0Pit

Qt

ait

The force exerted by Qi per unit

charge is

Ft
Qi
a
=
2 it
Q t 4 0Pit

Ft

Pit
Qi

The right side of the equation is a vector field called the electric field
intensity due to Qi.
The unit of electric field intensity E is N/C, or V/m

For a charge Q at the origin and using the spherical coordinate

system, the electric field E at any given point is given by

Q
E=
a
2 r
4 0r
z

Note: If Q is positive, E radiates from

the charge. If Q is negative, E points
into the charge.
For a charge at rm, E at r is

E=

Q
a
2 m
4 0 | r rm |

am is a unit vector in the direction

of r - rm

y
rm
x

In there an n charges, the electric field at r is

n

Qi
a
2 i
i=1 4 0 | r ri |

E(r ) =

Example:
A 1uC charge is at the origin and a 2uC charge is at P(0,10,0). What
is the electric field at Q(6,4,5)? If a 0.5 uC charge is placed at Q,
how much force would it experience?
ROQ
1 uC

ROQ = <6,4,5>

RPQ

P
2 uC

RPQ = <6,4,5> - <0,10,0> = <6,-6,5>

R OQ = 6 2 + 4 2 + 52 = 77 = 8.775
R PQ = 6 2 + (6) 2 + 52 = 97 = 9.849

aOQ =
aPQ =

EQO

R OQ
R OQ
R PQ
R PQ

=
=

6a x + 4 a y + 5z
8.77
6a x 6a y + 5z
9.85

= 0.684a x + 0.456a y + 0.570z

= 0.609a x 0.609a y + 0.508z

1 10 6
=
(0.684a x + 0.456a y + 0.570az )
4 0 (77)

= 79.84 a x + 53.23a y + 66.53az V/m

E QP

2 10 6
=
(0.609a x 0.609a y + 0.508az )
4 0 (97)

= 112.91a x 112.91a y + 94.18az V/m

EQ = E QO + E QP =
= 192.75a x 59.68a y + 160.71az V/m

EQ
EOQ
FQ
1 uC

-0.5 uC

EPQ

P
2 uC

r
r F
v
v
Since E = , then F = QE :
Q
v
FQ = 0.5 10 6 (192.75a x 59.68a y + 160.71az )
= 96.38a x + 29.84a y 80.36az uN

Cathode Ray Tube

The electric fields

formed by the
parallel plates
deflect the electron
beam generated at
the back of the
tube.

Electric Field Due to a Continuous Charge Distribution

Define v = volume charge density = lim Q
v 0 v
v contains the charge Q
The total charge Q is

Q = dQ = v dv
vol

vol

Due to an incremental charge Q, the incremental electric field E is

E =

Q
r r'
v (r' )v
r r'
=
4 0 | r r'|2 | r r'| 4 0 | r r'|2 | r r'|

r = position of the point in question

r - r' E

r'

r = location of Q
To get the field at the point, add the
contribution of all Qs

origin

 v (r' )v

r r'
E =
4 0 | r r'|2 | r r'|
N

v (r' )v
r r'
2
i=1 4 0 | r r'| | r r'|

E(r ) =

If v is shrunk so it will approach zero (N will approach infinity), the

summation becomes an integral:
v (r' )dv
r r'
2
vol 4 0 | r r'| | r r'|

E(r ) =

Field of a Line Charge

Define L = line charge density (C/m)
Consider a uniform line charge along the z-axis:
z-axis
dQ1 = L dL

dE2

dE1

dQ2 = L dL

Due to symmetry, the electric

field is a function of and in the
a direction only.

z
(0, 0, z)

r = a
r = z az

dQ = L dz

R = r - r = a - z az
a zaz
L dz
dE =
4 0 (2 + z2 ) 2 + z2

R = r - r'

r'

Since E is directed along a only, the

z-component may be ignored when
solving for the total electric field:

r
dE
x

dEz

dE

dE =

L dz
2

2 3/2

4 0 ( + z )

dE =

L dz
4 0 (2 + z 2 ) 3 / 2

L dz
a
2
2 3/2
4 0 ( + z )

E = E =

Evaluate the integral using change of variable:

Let z = tan -> dz = sec2 d

L ( sec 2 )d
E=
a
2
2
2
3/2
/ 2 4 0 ( + tan )
/2

tan = z/

= L
4 0

L / 2 sec 2
sec 2
da =
da

3
2
3/2
4 0 / 2 sec
/ 2 (1 + tan )
/2

L / 2
L
L
/2
=
cos

a
=
a
sin

=
a

/
2
4 0 / 2
4 0
20

Therefore, the electric field due to a uniform line charge along

the z-axis is equal to
E=

L
a
20

Note:
1. The electric field due to an infinite line of charge is directed radially
outward or into to the line charge.
2. The electric field varies inversely with the distance from the line
charge
3. If the line charge density is positive, the electric field emanates
from the charge. If the line charge density is negative, the electric
field converges to the line charge.

Field of a Sheet of Charge

Define S = surface charge density
dy

s
y

(x, 0, 0)

Ex

Due to symmetry, the electric

field at a point is not a function
of y and z, and does not have
components parallel to the y-z
plane.
To simplify the solution, treat
the vertical strip as a uniform
line charge. The sheet of
charge may now be regarded as
an infinite number of line
charges placed beside each
other.

If the surface charge density is s, the line charge density of a

vertical strip is s dy

dy

Therefore:
y

(x, 0, 0)

For a line charge in the z-axis,

recall that
L
E=
a
20

dE x =
=

S dy
2

20 x + y
S dy
2

20 x + y

dEx

cos ax

x
2

x +y

S xdy
ax
2
2
20 ( x + y )

ax


S x
1
Ex = E =
ax 2
dy
2
20
x + y

xdy
dE x = S 2
ax
2
20 x + y

Note:

du
1
1 u
=
tan
+C
2
2
a
a
a +u
y = +
S x 1
S

1 y

E=
tan
ax =
( ) a x
20 x
x y =
20 2
2

E=

S
ax
20

At the negative x-axis (or at the back of the sheet of charge),

E=

S
ax
20

In general, the electric field due to an infinite sheet of charge is equal to

S
E=
aN
2 0
Notes:
1. aN is a unit vector perpendicular and pointing away from the
surface
2. The electric field intensity is constant.
3. If the surface charge density is positive, the electric field
emanates from the sheet of charge. If the line charge density is
negative, the electric field is into to the surface charge.

Example:
A line charge with charge density equal to 10 nC/m is at x = 4, z = 3. A
sheet of charge with surface charge density equal to -1 nC/m2 is at the xyplane. What is the electric field at P(2,3,5)?

EL

EL

Side view:

z
ES

x
x

ES

EL
z
D

ES

D = 2a x + 2az
D = (2) 2 + 2 2 = 2.828
2a x + 2a z
aD =
= 0.707a x + 0.707az
2.828

x
10 10 9
EL =
(0.707a x + 0.707az ) = 44.939a x + 44.939az V/m
20 (2.828)
1 10 9
ES =
az = 56.472 az V/m
2 0

EP = EL + ES = 44.94a x 11.53az V/m

Streamlines and Sketches of Fields

Given an expression of E, how will one draw (sketch) the field?
Take, for example, a point charge.

The arrows show the direction of the field at every point along the
line, and the separation of the lines is inversely proportional to the
strength of the field.
The lines are called streamlines.

Given a two dimensional field (Ez = 0), the equation of a streamline is

obtained by solving the differential equation
Ey
Ex

dy
dx

Ey

E
y

Ex
x

Example. The electric field intensity is given as

E = 5e-2x (sin 2y ax - cos 2y ay) V/m
Find the equation of the streamline passing through the point P(0.5,
/10, 0).
Solution: Solving the differential equation
dy 5e 2 x cos 2y
=
= cot 2 y

2
x
dx
5e
sin 2y

Ey
Ex

dy
:
dx

dx = tan 2 ydy
dx = tan 2ydy
1
x = ln(sec 2 y) + C
2
2 x + C' = ln(sec 2y )
e 2 x + C' = K ' e 2 x = sec 2y
Ke 2 x = cos 2 y

To solve for K, use the fact that the streamline passes through P (0.5,
/10, 0):
Ke 2 x = cos 2 y
Ke2(0.5) = cos /5
K = 0.298
Therefore, the equation of the streamline through P is
0.298 e2x = cos 2y