LESSON 2

BOOK CHAPTER 22

ELECTRIC FIELDS
 Electric Dipoles
An electric dipole is a pair of point charges with equal magnitude and opposite
sign (a positive charge +𝑞 and a negative charge −𝑞) separated by a small
distance 𝑑.

Fig.1
𝑑Ԧ Fig.2

The product of the charge 𝑞 and the

separation 𝑑 is the magnitude of a quantity
called the electric dipole moment, denoted
by 𝑝.
The pattern of electric field lines
𝑇ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑠, 𝑝 = 𝑞𝑑 around an electric dipole, with an
In vector form, 𝑝Ԧ = 𝑞𝑑Ԧ electric field vector 𝐸 shown
(Figure 2) at one point (tangent
The direction of 𝑝Ԧ is from negative charge to to the field line through that
positive charge as shown in figure 1. point).
 The Electric Field Due to an Electric Dipole:
The net magnitude of the electric field at point P is

𝐸 = 𝐸(+) − 𝐸(−)

1 𝑞 1 𝑞
𝐸= 2 − 2
4𝜋𝜀0 𝑟(+) 4𝜋𝜀0 𝑟(−)

𝑞 1 1
𝐸= −
4𝜋𝜀0 𝑑 2 𝑑 2
𝑧 −2 𝑧 +2

𝑞 1 1
𝐸= 2 − 2
4𝜋𝜀0 𝑧 1 − 𝑑 𝑧 1 𝑑
+ 2𝑧
2𝑧

𝑞 1 1
𝐸= −
4𝜋𝜀0 𝑧 2 𝑑 2 𝑑 2
1− 2𝑧 1 + 2𝑧
 𝑞 𝑑 −2 𝑑 −2 𝑑
For 𝑧 ≫ 𝑑, 𝑤𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 2𝑧
𝐸= 1− 2𝑧 − 1 + 2𝑧 ≪1
4𝜋𝜀0 𝑧 2
We use the form of binomial theorem,
𝑑
𝐻𝑒𝑟𝑒 2𝑧≪1 𝑛 𝑛𝑥 𝑛 𝑛−1 𝑥 2
1+𝑥 =1+ 1! + 2! + . . . (𝑥 2 <1)

𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒, 𝑤𝑒 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑤𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑒,

𝟏+𝒙 𝒏 ≈ 𝟏 + 𝒏𝒙 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒙 ≪ 𝟏
𝑞 2𝑑 2𝑑
𝐸= 1 + 2𝑧 − 1 − 2𝑧
4𝜋𝜀0 𝑧 2
𝑞 𝑑 𝑑
𝐸= 1 + 𝑧 −1 + 𝑧
4𝜋𝜀0 𝑧 2
𝑞 𝑑
𝐸= 2
2
4𝜋𝜀0 𝑧 𝑧
2𝑞𝑑 2𝑝 𝑝
𝐹𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦, 𝐸= 3
= 3
=
4𝜋𝜀0 𝑧 4𝜋𝜀0 𝑧 2𝜋𝜀0 𝑧 3
ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑝 = 𝑞𝑑 = 𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑐 𝑑𝑖𝑝𝑜𝑙𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡
Problem 9 (Book chapter 22)
In the adjacent figure shows two charged particles on an x axis: −𝑞 = −3.20 × 10−19 𝐶 at x
= - 3.00 m and +𝑞 = +3.2 × 10−19 𝐶 at x = + 3.00 m. What are the (a) magnitude and (b)
direction (relative to the positive direction of the x axis) of the net electric field produced at
point P at y = 4 m?

+y
Answer: E+
𝐸+ 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃
-x 𝐸+ 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃 +x
𝐸− 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃
𝐸𝑃 = 𝐸+ sin 𝜃 + 𝐸− sin 𝜃 E- 
𝐸− 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃
r r
= 2𝐸+ sin 𝜃

= 2 × 1.15 × 10−10 × 0.6

-y

= 1.38 × 10−10 𝑁/𝐶 𝑟= 32 + 42 = 5𝑚

sin 𝜃 = 3/5
1 𝑞 9
3.2 × 10−19
𝐸+ = 𝐸− = = 9 × 10
4𝜋𝜖𝑜 𝑟 2 52
= 1.15 × 10−10 𝑁/𝐶
Problem 7 (Book chapter 22)
In the adjacent figure, the four particles form a square
of edge length a = 5.00 cm and have charges 𝑞1 = +10 𝑛𝐶,
𝑞2 = −20 𝑛𝐶 , 𝑞3 = +20 𝑛𝐶, and 𝑞4 = −10 𝑛𝐶. In unit-vector
notation, what net electric field do the particles produce at the
square's center?

Answer:

The net electric field at the center of the square along +𝒚

x-axis is 𝑞1 = +10 𝑛𝐶 𝑞2 = −20 𝑛𝐶

𝐸𝑥 = 𝐸2 𝑐𝑜𝑠450 + 𝐸1 𝑐𝑜𝑠450 − (𝐸3 𝑐𝑜𝑠450 + 𝐸4 𝑐𝑜𝑠450 ) 𝑟 𝑟

𝐸3 𝐸2
−𝒙 +𝒙
Here,
𝑟 𝐸 𝐸1 𝑟
1 10 × 10−9 1 20 × 10−9 4

𝐸1 = 𝐸4 = And 𝐸3 = 𝐸2 =
4𝜋𝜀0 𝑟2 4𝜋𝜀0 𝑟2 𝑞4 = −10 𝑛𝐶 𝑞3 = +20 𝑛𝐶
−𝒚
𝐸𝑥 = 𝐸2 𝑐𝑜𝑠450 + 𝐸1 𝑐𝑜𝑠450 − 𝐸2 𝑐𝑜𝑠450 − 𝐸1 𝑐𝑜𝑠450

𝐸𝑥 =0 N/C
The net electric field at the center of the square along
y-axis is +𝒚
𝑞1 = +10 𝑛𝐶 𝑞2 = −20 𝑛𝐶

𝐸𝑦 = 𝐸2 𝑐𝑜𝑠450 + 𝐸3 𝑐𝑜𝑠450 − (𝐸1 𝑐𝑜𝑠450 + 𝐸4 𝑐𝑜𝑠450 ) 𝑟

𝑟
𝐸3 𝐸2
−𝒙 +𝒙
𝐸𝑦 = 𝐸2 𝑐𝑜𝑠450 + 𝐸2 𝑐𝑜𝑠450 − (𝐸1 𝑐𝑜𝑠450 + 𝐸1 𝑐𝑜𝑠450 ) 𝑟 𝐸
4
𝐸1 𝑟

𝑞4 = −10 𝑛𝐶 𝑞3 = +20 𝑛𝐶
−𝒚
𝐸𝑦 = 2𝐸2 𝑐𝑜𝑠450 − 2𝐸1 𝑐𝑜𝑠450

2 × 9 × 109 × 20 × 10−9 × 0.707 2 × 9 × 109 × 10 × 10−9 × 0.707

𝐸𝑦 = −
𝑟2 𝑟2

𝑎2 𝑎2 2𝑎2
𝑟= + =
127.26 127.26 4 4 4
𝐸𝑦 = 2 = 2 = 101.55 × 103 𝑁/𝐶
𝑟 (0.0354)
𝑎 0.05
𝑟= = = 0.0354 𝑚
𝐸 = 𝐸𝑥 𝑖Ƹ + 𝐸𝑦 𝑗Ƹ = 0 + 101.55 × 103 𝑗Ƹ 2 1.414

3
𝑁
= 101.55 × 10 𝑗Ƹ
𝐶
Linear charge density:
When charge is distributed along a line (such as a long, thin, charged plastic rod), we
use (the Greek letter lambda λ) to represent the charge per unit length known as
linear charge density.
That is
𝐴𝑚𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑏𝑢𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑜𝑑
𝜆= [For uniform linear charge density]
𝐿𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑜𝑑

The SI unit of λ is Coulomb/meter;

simply, we use C/m.

Note:
Analytical problem:
For charge that is distributed uniformly over a ring, determine
the net electric field at a given point on the axis of the ring (at a
distance z from the center of the ring).

Fig. The electric fields set up at P by a

charge element and its symmetric
partner (on the opposite side of the
ring). The components perpendicular
to the z axis cancel; the parallel
components add.

Let ds be the (arc) length of any differential element

of the ring. Since λ is the charge per unit (arc)
length, the element has a charge of magnitude

𝑑𝑞 = 𝜆𝑑𝑠
This differential charge (𝑑𝑞) sets up a differential electric field d𝐸 at point P,
which is a distance r from the element. Treating the element as a point
charge.

Hence, we can write the magnitude of d𝐸 as

1 𝑑𝑞 1 𝜆𝑑𝑠 1 𝜆𝑑𝑠
𝑑𝐸 = 2
= 2
= 2
4𝜋𝜀0 𝑟 4𝜋𝜀0 𝑟 4𝜋𝜀0 𝑧2 + 𝑅2

Since the components perpendicular to the z axis cancel and the parallel components
add, the net electric field along z-axis is
𝐹𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑖𝑔𝑢𝑟𝑒,
1 𝜆𝑑𝑠 𝑧 we can write
𝐸𝑧 = 𝐸 = න 𝑑𝐸 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃 = න
4𝜋𝜀0 𝑧 2 + 𝑅2 𝑧 2 + 𝑅2 𝑧 𝑧
𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃 = =
𝑟 𝑧 2 + 𝑅2
𝑠=2𝜋𝑅
𝜆𝑧 𝜆𝑧 2𝜋𝑅
𝐸= 3ൗ න 𝑑𝑠 = 3ൗ 𝑠 0
4𝜋𝜀0 𝑧2 + 𝑅 2 2
𝑠=0
4𝜋𝜀0 𝑧2 +𝑅 2 2
 𝜆 2𝜋𝑅 𝑧 𝑞𝑧
𝐸= 3ൗ = 3ൗ
2
4𝜋𝜀0 𝑧 + 𝑅 2 2 4𝜋𝜀0 𝑧2 +𝑅 2 2

Finally,

𝑞𝑧
𝐸= 3ൗ
4𝜋𝜀0 𝑧2 +𝑅 2 2
Problem 30 (Book chapter 22)
Figure shows two concentric rings, of radii R and
𝑅′ = 3𝑅, that lie on the same plane. Point P lies on the central z
axis, at distance 𝐷 = 2𝑅 from the center of the rings. The smaller
ring has uniformly distributed charge
+𝑄. In terms of Q, what is the uniformly distributed charge on the
larger ring if the net electric field at P is zero?
𝑬+𝑸
Answer:
According to the statement of the problem,
𝑬−𝒒

𝐸+𝑄 − 𝐸−𝑞 = 0
+𝑸 −𝒒
𝐸+𝑄 = 𝐸−𝑞
𝑄𝐷 𝑞𝐷
3 = 3 3
4𝜋𝜀0 𝐷2 + 𝑅2 ൗ2 4𝜋𝜀0 𝐷2 + 3𝑅 2 3ൗ2 2 2
𝑄 13𝑅 2 13
𝑞= 3 = 𝑄 = 4.19𝑄
2 5
𝑄 𝑞 5𝑅 2
3 = 3ൗ
4𝑅2 + 𝑅2 ൗ2 4𝑅2 + 9𝑅 2 2
That is 𝑞 = −4.19𝑄
 Let’s try !!!
1. Calculate electric dipole moment for the adjacent
figure.

2. [Problem 23]: The adjacent Figure shows two parallel

nonconducting rings with their central axes along a
common line. Ring 1 has uniform charge q1 and radius R;
ring 2 has uniform charge q2 and the same radius R. The
rings are separated by distance d = 3.00R. The net electric
field at point P on the common line, at distance R from ring
1, is zero. What is the ratio q1/q2?

3. [Problem 24]: A thin nonconducting rod with a uniform

distribution of positive charge Q is bent into a complete
circle of radius R. The central perpendicular axis through
the ring is a z axis, with the origin at the center of the ring.
What is the magnitude of the electric field due to the rod at
(a) z = 0 and (b) z =  ? (c) In terms of R, at what positive
value of z is that magnitude maximum?
THANK YOU