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ELECTROSTATICS

Electrostatics or static electricity involves charges that


are not flowing.
These charges only moves momentarily then stop.
This is unlike electric current where charges flows
continuously provided the circuit is closed.
What is charge?
Objects may be charged by friction.
Charged objects may attract or repel each other.
Charge is either positive or negative.



Positive charge negative charge
+
-
THE ELECTRIC FIELD
If a conductor is charged, the charge distributes itself over
the whole outer surface of the conductor.
If the conductor is spherical (i.e. round in shape like a
soccer ball), the charge will be uniformly distributed.
A non-conductor may also be charged but the charges do
not distribute themselves over the surface of the non-
conductor. They remain at the point where they were put.
Because of the charge on an object, an electric field exists
around the charged object.
This is a region in space in which an electric charge
will experience a force.
An electric field is imaginary and is therefore represented
by a pattern of lines (just like a magnetic field).
THE ELECTRIC FIELD LINES
An electric field line is a line drawn in such a way
that, at any point on the line, a small positive test
charge placed at that point will experience a force in
the direction of the tangent to the line.





+ -
THE ELECTRIC FIELD LINES
THE ELECTRIC FIELD LINES
THE ELECTRIC FIELD LINES
THE ELECTRIC FIELD LINES
THE ELECTRIC FIELD LINES
Properties of electric field lines:
Field lines start on positive charges and end on negative
charges.
Field lines never cross.
Field line always begin and perpendicularly to the charged
surface.
When field patterns are drawn on paper, the lines are
limited to those in the plane of the paper. The field line
actually surround the charged object in three dimensions.
An electric field is continuous. However, only a limited
number of lines are drawn to represent this continuous
field.
Field lines are closer together in regions where the field is
strong and further apart where the field is weak.
CONSERVATION OF CHARGE
Charge can never be created or destroyed, but could be
transferred from one object to the other.
OR
The algebraic sum of the electric charge in a closed
system remains constant.
Examples:
2. Two metal spheres of equal size carry charges of +2x10
-10
C and
-8x10
-11
C respectively. They are brought into contact, then
separated. What is the charge on each sphere?
COULOMBS LAW
Charles-Augustine de Coulomb (1736-1806)
COULOMBS LAW
Coulomb was the first to be able to measure the small
forces which exist between charges.
He discovered that the force between charges is directly
proportional to the product of the charges:
F Q
1
Q
2
where Q
1
and Q
2
are charges on two objects.
He discovered that the force is inversely proportional to the
distance between the centres of the two charges:
F 1/r
2
where r is the distance between the two charges.
Coulombs Law states: The force of attraction or repulsion
between two electric charges at rest is directly proportional
to the product of the charges, and inversely proportional to
the square of the distance between them.
COULOMBS LAW
Continued from previous slide:
F Q
1
Q
2
r
2

Changing this to an equation gives:
F = k Q
1
Q
2
where k is coulomb's constant with

r
2
value 9x10
9
N.m
2
.C
-2

Exercises:
1. Using the equation for Coulombs Law, derive a
unit for the constant k.
2. What is the force of attraction between a negative charge
of 3 C and a positive charge of 7 C placed a distance of
300 mm apart?
COULOMBS LAW
3. Two unlike point charges of equal magnitudes,
exerts a force of 10
-3
N on each other.
3.1 Will the charge exert attractive or repelling
forces on each other? Give a reason for your
answer.
3.2 If the distance between the two charges is
9m, calculate the size of the charge.

ELECTRIC FIELD STRENGTH
Electric field strength (E) at a point in an electric field
is defined as the force experienced per unit positive
charge placed at that point.
E = F/Q
The units for electric field strength is N.C
-1
. (Can you
derive this unit from the above equation?)
E is a vector quantity having the direction of the
electric field line.
If E is negative, the charge is negative and if it is
positive then the charge is also positive.
ELECTRIC FIELD STRENGTH
Exercises:
1. Calculate the magnitude of the force exerted on a
charge of 8 C placed in an electric field of strength
4x10
4
N.C
-1
.
2. A charge of 3x10
-4
C is at a point in a field where the
field strength is 3x10
7
N.C
-1
. Calculate the force F
which is exerted on the charge.
3. A charge of 6 C experiences a force of 0,009 N at a
specific point in an electric field. Calculate the
magnitude of the electric field at that point.

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