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The Stored Energy of Charge Distributions

The document discusses the stored energy of charge distributions. It shows that the work required to construct a charge distribution is equal to the potential energy stored by that distribution. For a point charge Q located a distance r from another charge, the stored energy is Q/4πεr. More generally, the stored energy of a charge distribution ρv(r) is the integral of ρv(r) multiplied by the potential V(r). Alternatively, the stored energy can be written in terms of the electric field E(r) and electric flux density D(r). The stored energy can be attributed to either the charges and charge distribution or to the electric fields they generate.

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Ephrem Yimenu
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41 views4 pages

The Stored Energy of Charge Distributions

The document discusses the stored energy of charge distributions. It shows that the work required to construct a charge distribution is equal to the potential energy stored by that distribution. For a point charge Q located a distance r from another charge, the stored energy is Q/4πεr. More generally, the stored energy of a charge distribution ρv(r) is the integral of ρv(r) multiplied by the potential V(r). Alternatively, the stored energy can be written in terms of the electric field E(r) and electric flux density D(r). The stored energy can be attributed to either the charges and charge distribution or to the electric fields they generate.

Uploaded by

Ephrem Yimenu
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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11/11/2004 The Stored Energy of Charge Distributions.

doc 1/4

The Stored Energy of


Charge Distributions
Consider the case where a 1 Coulomb point charge is located at
the origin. A second charge Q is moved to a distance r from the
origin.

Q: How much energy is stored in this simple charge


distribution?

A: Precisely the amount of work required to construct


it !

Recall the amount of work required to move a charge Q through


an electric field is:
W = −Q ∫ E ( r ) ⋅ d A
C

The work required to move the a charge from infinity to a


distance r from the origin is therefore:

r
W = −Q ∫ E ( r ) ⋅ ˆar dr
∞

The 1 Coulomb charge at the origin of course produces the


electric field:
ˆar
E (r ) =
4πε r 2

Jim Stiles The Univ. of Kansas Dept. of EECS


11/11/2004 The Stored Energy of Charge Distributions.doc 2/4

And produces the electric potential field:

1
V (r ) =
4πε r

The work required to move charge Q to a distance r in these


fields is:
r
W = −Q ∫ E ( r ) ⋅ ˆar dr
∞
r
1
= −Q ∫ ˆar ⋅ ˆar dr
∞
4πε r 2
Q r 1
dr
4πε ∞∫ r 2
=−

Q 1
=
4πε r

If we examine this result, we see that it is simply the product


of the charge Q and the electric potential field V ( r ) .

Q 1
W=
4πε r
1
=Q
4πε r
= Q V (r )

This seems to make sense! The units of electric potential are


Joules/Coulomb, and the units of charge are of course
Coulombs. The product of these two is therefore energy.

Jim Stiles The Univ. of Kansas Dept. of EECS


11/11/2004 The Stored Energy of Charge Distributions.doc 3/4

For a more general case, we find the work required to construct


a charge distribution ρv ( r ) is:

1
ρv ( r )V ( r ) dv
2 ∫∫∫
We =
V

This equation, therefore, is also equal to the (potential) energy


stored by this charge distribution!

We = potential energy stored by a charge distribution

Recall that charge density is related to electric flux density via


the point form of Gauss’s Law:

∇ ⋅ D ( r ) = ρv ( r )

Likewise, the electric field is related to the electric potential


as:
E ( r ) = −∇V ( r )

As shown on page 198, we can use these expressions to rewrite


the stored energy in terms of the electric field and the electric
flux density:

Jim Stiles The Univ. of Kansas Dept. of EECS


11/11/2004 The Stored Energy of Charge Distributions.doc 4/4

1
D ( r ) ⋅ E ( r ) dv
2 ∫∫∫
We =
V

What these expressions mean is that it takes energy to


assemble a charge distribution ρv ( r ) , or equivalently, an
electric field E ( r ) . This energy is stored until it is released—
the charge density returns to zero.

Q: Is this energy stored in the fields E ( r ) and D ( r ) , or by


the charge ρv ( r ) ??

A: One equation for We would suggest that the energy is


stored by the fields, while the other by the charge.

In turns out, either interpretation is correct! The fields


E ( r ) and D ( r ) cannot exist without a charge density ρv ( r ) ,
and knowledge of the fields allow us to determine completely
the charge density.

In other words, charges and the fields they create are


“inseparable pairs”, since both must be present, we can
attribute the stored energy to either quantity.

Jim Stiles The Univ. of Kansas Dept. of EECS

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