Lecture 3 - Electric Field

Chapter 26 - Tuesday January 16th

•Electric fields
•Discrete charge distributions
•Continuous charge distributions
•Electric field lines
•Motion of charges in electric fields
•Point charges
•Dipoles
•Determination of the fundamental unit of charge

Reading: pages 587 thru 603 (chapter 26) in HRK

Read and understand the sample problems
WebAssign Hwk: set 1, due Thur. 18th at 11:59pm
Graded problems: Ch. 26 – Ex. 8, 13, 18, 36; Prob. 10
Practice problems: Ch. 26 - Ex. 27, 35, 37; Prob. 11,15
 Electric field - Chapter 26
G GMm
Analogy with gravitation m F = − 2 rˆ
r
•Problem:
Force depends on test mass!

•But:
G
G G G F
F = mg or g =
m
G GM
g = − 2 rˆ
r
• Same for all masses.
• Represents the gravitational
influence (field) of the mass M.
 Electric field - Chapter 26
G qq
Analogy with gravitation q0 + F = K 20 rˆ
r
•Problem:
Force depends on test charge!

•Definition: G
G G G F
F = q0E or E =
q0 source charge
G
E=
1 q
rˆ
q = −Q
4πε o r 2

• Same for all test charges.

• Represents the electrostatic
influence (field) of the charge q.
 Electric field - Chapter 26
Newton’s law for electrostatics:

G G
F = q0E

There’s really no need for the “test charge”

G G
F = qE
G
This is the force on a charge q in an electric field E
Units for E are N/C in this chapter
(later we shall use volts per meter)
 Electric field - Chapter 26
Coulomb’s law:
G 1 q
E= ˆ
r
4πε o r 2

•Note that the force may be directed both towards and

away from the source charge, since this charge may be
either positive or negative. G
•Length of arrow signifies magnitude of E

Of course, superposition principle still holds:

G G G G G G
E = E1 + E2 + E3 + ...Ei = ∑ Ei
i
G G
E = ∫ dE = iˆ ∫ dE x + ˆj ∫ dE y + kˆ ∫ dE z
Electric field - Chapter 26

(V/m)

Units for E are N/C in this chapter

(later we shall use volts per meter)
 Charge densities
In 1D (a line or wire): Q
λ= , or λ=
dQ
L dL
λ is the line charge density, or charge per unit length, in Coulombs
per meter. L represents length, and Q is charge.
In 2D (a surface or sheet): σ = Q , or σ=
dQ
A dA
σ is the surface charge density, or charge per unit area in Coulombs
per meter2; A represents area, and Q is charge.

In 3D (a solid object): Q
ρ= , or ρ=
dQ
V dV
ρ is the volume charge density, or charge per unit volume in
Coulombs per meter3. V represents volume, and Q is charge.
 Electric field lines

• The tangent to an electric field line at a point in space

gives the direction of the electric field at that point.
• The magnitude of the electric field at any point is
proportional to the number of field lines per unit cross-
sectional area perpendicular to the lines.
 Electric field lines

• Electric field lines start on positive charges and end on

negative charges (can also start/end at infinity).
• The symmetry of the problem dictates the directions in
which field lines radiate from charges.
 Electric field lines

• The number of field lines radiating from a charge is

proportional to the charge.
 The Electric Dipole

G G
Dipole moment: p = qd or p = qd
1p
On the median plane (along x axis): E z = − ( x >> d )
4πε o x 3
1 p
On the dipole axis (along z axis): Ez = ( z >> d )
2πε o z 3
Motion of charges in electric fields
G G G
F = qE = ma
G q G
⇒ a= E
m
Motion of charges in electric fields
G 2060G or 2048)
Projectile motion (PHY G
F = qE = ma
G q G
⇒ a= E
m

y − y0 = v0 y t + 12 at 2 x − x0 = v0 x t

v y = v0 y + at v x = v0 x
 A Dipole in an Electric Field
τ = Fd sin θ
= qdE sin θ

= pE sin θ
G G
= p×E

U = − pE cos θ
G G
= −p ⋅ E
Force = gradient in the potential energy
Discovery of the electron: J. J. Thompson's experiment
Cathode ray tube - or CRT
Charged particles Electric field between
evaporate from D and E used to deflect beam.
heated cathode C.
Negative charges Phosphorescent
accelerate in electric screen used to
field between the detect the cathode
cathode and anode A. ray.

Well focused beam of Thompson also applied a

negative particles passes magnetic field into the page,
through the slit B. which also deflected the ray.
Basis for so much technology: TV, oscilloscope, mass spectrometer, etc...
q
F = qE = ma ⇒ a= E
m
In order to measure q/m it is essential to know the velocity of the beam.
The rest is simply E and M

vy
vx vx

•vx is obtained by nulling the deflection with both electric and

magnetic fields (we will discuss the magnetic part in later chapters).
•Thompson then switched off the magnetic field, and measured the ray
deflection due to the electric field between D & E.
•The deflection depends on vx, the dimensions of the apparatus (x1, x2,
y1 and y2, etc..), and on the ratio of q/m.
 Millikan's oil drop experiment
http://www.whfreeman.com/modphysics/PDF/3-1bw.pdf

Most drops
carry a charge

Electric field applied

between capacitor plates
to provide upwards force
on some charged oil drops
A source of X-rays was also used in the
experiment. X-rays were found to knock
charges off from the oil drops, thereby
altering the total charge on the drops.
Determining e....
•In the absence of an E field: F = mg − bvd = m(dv/dt)
The term bvd is due to air resistance; vd is the downward velocity of the drop.
•The drop rapidly reaches terminal velocity such that: vd = mg/b
•In the presence of an E field: F = qE − mg − bvu
This assumes vu to be the upward velocity of the drop.
•Thus qE − mg
vu =
b
Millikan cleverly eliminated the mass from the problem by timing the
rise and fall of many particles (of different charge) by switching the E
field on and off - a truly painstaking experiment!!
He noted that the total charge on the drops always occurred in integral
multiples of a fundamental unit e, which he determined to be:
−1.601 × 10−19 C