Electromagnetics

ELEC 325

Part-2: Electrostatic

Chapter 4 – Part1
Electrostatic Field

1
 Topics and Objectives
» 4.1 Introduction
» 4.2 Coulomb’s Law and Field Intensity
» 4.3 Electric Field Due to Continuous Charge Distributions.
» 4.4 Electric Flux Density.
» 4.5 Gauss’s Law (Maxwell’s Equation)
» 4.6 Applications of Gauss’s Law
» 4.7 Electric Potential
» 4.8 Relationship between E and V (Maxwell’s Equation)
» 4.9 An Electric Dipole and Flux Lines
» 4.10 Energy Density and Electrostatic Field.
 4.1 Introduction

• Electromagnetism is concerned with the study of the

properties of charge, one of the fundamental properties of
nature.
• There are two types of charge; positive and negative.
• Charge can neither be created nor destroyed. However
positive and negative charges act to cancel each other.
• The unit of charge is the Coulomb (C) the usual
mathematical symbol is Q
• The movement of charge constitutes an electric current. If a
charge dQ passes a given point in a time dt then a current
I=dQ/dt is said to occur.
 4.1 Introduction
Definitions:
Point charge: Assumes all the charge is concentrated at a point having
zero volume (Q )

Line charge density: Charge is distributed along a line. ( l )

Coulomb/m

The total charge Q in a total length L is given by Q = 

L
L dl
 4.1 Introduction
Definitions;
Surface charge density: Charge is spread thinly over a surface or a
sheet. ( s Coulomb/m2)


The total charge Q i a whole surface S is given by: Q =  S ds
S
Volume charge density: Charge is spread over a finite volume.
(  v Coulomb/m3)
The total charge Q in a whole volume V is given by Q =   v dv
v

….so that the charge contained within a volume is

Example:
Find the charge contained within a 2-cm length of the electron beam shown below,
in which the charge density is
Example (Cont...) :

Q
 4.2 Coulomb's Law and Field Intensity
The force of attraction or repulsion between two point
charges Q1 and Q2 is directly proportional to the product
of their charges and inversely proportional to the square
of the distance between them.

kQ1Q2
F= (Scalar form)
R2
1
k=  9 109 m / F
4 0
−9
10
 0 = 8.854 10−12  F /m
36
Coulomb Force with Charges Off-Origin
 Coulomb Force with Charges Off-Origin

The force on Q2 due to Q1 is F12

Q1Q2 Q1
F12 = a F21

4 0 R 2 R12 R12

Q2

R12 = r2 − r1 r1
(Vector form)
R = R12
F12
r2

O
R12 R12
aR12 = =
R12 R
Thus; Q1Q2 Q1Q2 (r2 − r1 )
F12 = R =
4 0 R 3 12
4 0 r2 − r1
3

F12 = − F21 ( why ?)

 Coulomb Force with Charges Off-Origin
Practice Exercise 4.1:
Point charge 5 nC and -2 nC are located at (2,0,4) and (-3,0,5), respectively.
Determine the force on a 1 nC point charge located at (1,-3,7).

Q1
F21
R12
Q2

r1
F12
r2

Q1Q2 Q1Q2 (r2 − r1 )

F12 = R =
4 0 R 3 4 0 r2 − r1
12 3

F12 = − F21 ( why ?)

 Electric Field Intensity

Consider the force acting on a test charge, Qt , arising from charge Q1:

where a1t is the unit vector directed from Q1 to Qt

The electric field intensity is defined as the force per unit test charge, or

N/C

A more convenient unit for electric field is V/m, as will be shown.

2-
12
Electric Field of a Charge Off-Origin
 Electric Field of a Charge Off-Origin

Practice Exercise 4.1: (Cont…)

Point charge 5 nC and -2 nC are located at (2,0,4) and (-3,0,5),
respectively. Determine the electric field at (1,-3,7).

2-
14
Superposition of Fields From Two Point Charges

For n charges:

2-15
 Example:

Find E at P, using

𝑄 = 𝑄1 = 𝑄2 = 𝑄3 = 𝑄4 = 3 𝑛𝐶

First, find the vectors:

Then:

2-
16
Example (cont…) :

Find E at P, using

where

Now:

so that:

2-17
 Line Charge Electric Field

dQ =  L dl  Q =   L dl
L
× ×
×× L
dQ  L dl × ×
× ×
dE = a = a × ×
4 0 R 2 R
4 0 R 2 R L ×

 L dl
E= a
4 0 R 2 R

2-18
 Line Charge Electric Field
Example: Consider a line charge with uniform charge density  L
extending from A to B along the z-axis as shown. The charge
element dQ associated with dl = dz element of the line.
Find the electric field E at an arbitrary point P(x,y,z).

2-19
 Line Charge Electric Field

Solution:
dQ =  L dl =  L dz
zB

Q =   L dz
zA

dQ  L dl
dE = a = a
4 0 R 2 R
4 0 R 2 R

 L dl
E= a
4 0 R 2 R

The Field point will be denoted by (x,y,z)

The Source point will be denoted by (x,y,z’)
2-20
 Line Charge Electric Field
Solution:

Then dl = dz 
R = ( x, y, z ) − (0,0, z )
= xa x + ya y + ( z − z )a z ,
or R = a  + ( z − z )a z
R 2 = R = x 2 + y 2 + ( z − z ) 2
2

=  2 + ( z − z ) 2
aR R a  + ( z − z )a z
and 2 = 3 = 2
R R  + ( z − z ) 
 2 3/ 2

 L a  + ( z − z )a z
E=  dz 
4 0  + ( z − z ) 
2 2 3/ 2

2-21
 Line Charge Electric Field
Solution:


R =  2 + ( z − z ) 2 
1/ 2
=  sec  ,
z  = OT −  tan  , dz  = −  sec 2 d
− L
2
 sec2  cosa + sin a z d
E=
4 0   2 sec2 
1

2
− L
=
4 0  cosa + sin a d z
1

 L − (sin  2 − sin 1 )a 

E=  
4 0  + (cos 2 − cos1 )a z 

For an infinite line,

  L
1    − E= a
2 and Then 2 0 
2
2
2-22
 Off-Axis Line Charge
Example:

With the line displaced to (6,8), the field becomes:

where

Finally:

2-
23
 Sheet Charge Field

dQ =  S dS  Q =   S dS s
S

dQ  S dS
dE = a = a
4 0 R 2 R
4 0 R 2 R

 S dS
E= a
4 0 R 2 R

2-24
 Sheet Charge Field
Now consider an infinite sheet of charge in the xy-plane
with uniform charge density  S
find the E field at pint P(0,0,h) as shown
 S dS
dE = a
4 0 R 2 R

R =  (−a  ) + ha z , R = R =  2 + h 2  ,
1/ 2

R − a  + ha z
 aR = = 2
R  + h 2 
3/ 2

 S dd − a  + ha z  S
dE = E= az
4 0  2 + h 2  2 0
3/ 2

2-25
 Volume Charge Field

Assume a sphere of charges, and then the charge dQ

associated with the elemental volume dv is,

dQ = v dv,
the total charge  Q =  v dv
S

Thus, the electric field at

P (0,0,z)

Q
E= az
4 0 z 2

2-26
 Volume Charge Field
Find the electric field at a distance h above the center of a
circular loop of radius a, which carries a uniform line charge  L
dQ  L dl
dE = a = aR
4 0 R 4 0 R
2 R 2

dl = ad , and R = a (−a  ) + ha z


R = R = a 2 + h2 1/ 2
, thus aR =
R
R
aR R − aa + haz
= 3=
R 2
R a +h
2

2 3/ 2

Hence
2
 − aa + haz
E= L
4 0  a
0
2
+h 
2 3/ 2
ad

By symmetry, the a components add up to zero, leaving:

2
 L aha z  L aha z
Ez =

4 0 a + h
2
  d =
2 3/ 2
02 a 2
+h 
2 3/ 2 2-27
0
Example 4.6:
Planes x=2 and y=-3, respectively, carry charges 10 nC/m2 and 15 nC/m2.
If the line x=0, z=2 carries a charge 10π nC/m, calculate E at (1, 1, -1)
due to the three charge distributions.

Solution:

Let: E= E1+ E2+ E3

E1= electric field due to sheet at x=2

E2= electric field due to sheet at y=-3
E3= electric field due to line at x=0 and z=2
2-28