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.