Electric Fields

Introduction
This week we will be studying electric fields. Electric fields are created by charged
objects. During the course of this week we will study the electric field created by one or
more charged particles (point charges) and between two charged parallel plates. We
will study how electric fields create forces that act on charged objects and will introduce
Coulomb's law that allows us to determine the force between two point-charges. We will
also learn about electric potential energy and electric potential.

In this lecture we will look at electric fields and the forces they produce on charged
objects.

Electric Charge
The ancient Greeks knew that if a piece of amber was rubbed with a piece of silk they
could attract small pieces of dried leaves. We now would say that the amber had
become “charged”. Amber isn't the only material that becomes charged when it is
rubbed with a cloth. If a plastic ruler is rubbed with a cloth it also becomes “charged”, as
does a glass rod. In the 1700's scientists in Europe and America studied what happens
when different materials (such as glass, rubber and amber) are rubbed with cloths and
discovered there are two different types of charge.

They also discovered some important facts about how these charges behave:

 if two objects with the same type of charge are brought close together they will
repel each other,

 if two objects with opposite types of charge are brought close together they will
attract each other,

 charge cannot created or destroyed - it is conserved.

It was in the 1700's that the charges got their names. They were named by Benjamin
Franklin who decided:

 the charge on a glass rod that has been rubbed is a Positive charge,

 the charge on an amber rod (or plastic ruler) that has been rubbed is a Negative
charge.
The smallest charge seen in nature is that found on an electron proton. The magnitude
of the charge is 1.6 ×10−19C, however, the charge on the electron is negative and the
charge on the proton is positive. Therefore the electron has a charge of −1.6 ×10−19C
while the proton has a charge of +1.6 ×10−19C. So, electric charge is the property of
some elementary particles that gives rise to interactions between particles. The charge
on the particles may be positive or negative.

One of the important properties of electric charge is that it cannot be created or

destroyed. But what about when a plastic ruler is rubbed with a cloth? The plastic ruler
becomes negatively charged, so have we created a negative charge or not? The
answer to that question is we have not created negative charge. When we rub a ruler
with a cloth there are two objects being rubbed: the ruler and the cloth. The ruler
becomes negatively charged and the cloth becomes positively charged, both objects
have the same size charge. The total amount of positive and negative charge does not
change.

Ball between charged plates

When the uncharged ball on a string is held between the two charged plates nothing
happens. The ball stays in the same place.

When the ball on the string is touched by the negatively charged plate is will gain the
same type of charge as on plate.

So, the ball will be repelled by the negatively charged plate and attracted by the
positively charged plate.
When the ball on the string touches the positively charged plate it will become positively
charged. So, the ball will be repelled by the positively charged plate and attracted by the
negatively charged plate. It will then swing back and touch the negatively charged plate
again where it will become negatively charged and change direction again. This process
will be repeated until the plates become discharged.

When the ball is swinging between the two charged plates, the ball gains height as it
moves towards a plate. This implies that there must be a force acting on the ball to
overcome gravity. The force is due to the charge on the ball and on the plates and is a
result of the interaction of the electric field between the plates and the charge on the
ball.

The force between two charged objects

Consider an object with a charge +Q1 placed at a distance r from an object with a
charge +Q2

F +Q1 +Q2 F
r

Both charges will experience a force F of the same size. The force will act along the
imaginary line that joins the two charges. Since both charges are the same sign (they
both positive) the force will be repulsive.
Over 300 years ago Charles Coulomb studied forces between different charged objects
and found:

 The force is proportional to the product of their charges, F ∝ Q1 Q2.

1
 The force is inversely proportional to the square of the distance, F ∝ 2.
r

Q1 Q2
Taken together we get F ∝ 2 . Therefore,
r

k Q1 Q2
F= 2
r

where k is a constant and depends upon the medium the charges are situated in.
This is known as Coulomb’s Law.

Coulomb’s Law states:

Any two charged particles exert a force on each other that is proportional to the
product of their charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance
between them.

When using SI units,

1
k=
4 π ε0

where ε 0is the permittivity of free space ( 8.85 ×10−12 F /m ). Therefore,

Q1 Q2
F= 2
4 π ε0 r

Worked Example
Two protons are located 5.0 x 10-15 m apart when situated in an atomic nucleus.
Calculate the size of the electrical force. Is the force attractive or repulsive? The charge
on a proton is 1.6 x 10-19 C and ε0=8.85 x 10-12 C2 N-1 m-2.

Solution
The force experienced by two point-charges can be calculated using
Q1 Q2
F= 2
4 π ε0 r
So,
−19 −19
1.6 × 10 × 1.6 ×10
F= 2
=9.207608007
4 π ×8.85 ×10−12 × ( 5.0× 10−15 )
Therefore,
F=9.2 N

Worked Example
Charge Q1 is located 0.25 m away from charge Q2. Given that Q1 = 6.0 µC and the force
between the two charges is -2.5896 N, determine the value of the charge Q2. What
direction is the force?

Solution
The force experienced by two point-charges can be calculated using

Q1 Q2
F= 2
4 π ε0 r

This needs to be rearranged to make Q2 the subject.

2
F 4 π ε0 r
Q 2=
Q1
So,
(−2.5896 ) × 4 π ×8.85 ×10−12 × ( 0.25 )2
Q 2= −6
=−2.99995× 10−6
6.0 × 10

Therefore,
Q2=−3.0 μC

The force is negative, so it is an attractive force. Therefore, the force is towards charge
Q 1.

Electric Fields
We’ve seen that when two charged particles are brought close to each other they
experience a force. But what causes this force?

The charges experience a force due to the interaction of their charge with an electric
field.

Definition: An electric field is a region where an electric charge experiences a

force.
Electric fields are created by electric charges. Any object with an overall positive or
negative electric charge will create an electric field. If there is more than one electrically
charged object, the electric fields will combine in some manner to create an overall
electric field.

There are two types of electric fields:

 Uniform electric fields,

 non-uniform electric fields.

One of the most important type of non-uniform field is a radial field.

Uniform Fields
Uniform fields are usually present for cases when there are two parallel plates with
positive and negative charges or when the plates held at different potentials. Both these
cases are illustrated in the figures below.

In both images the direction of the electric field is in the same direction as the arrows.
This illustrates some of the conventions used when drawing uniform electric fields:

 The field lines go from positive charge to negative charge or from the higher
potential to the lower potential.

 The field lines are drawn equally spaced. This indicates that the field is the same
everywhere between the plates.

 The distance between the lines represents the field strength, the closer the lines
are to each other the stronger the field.

Non-Uniform Fields
The fields created around point charges are non-uniform fields, they spread out from the
charge in all directions. These are called radial fields and are shown below for a positive
charge +Q and for a negative charge -Q.
When drawing the field lines for point charges the following conventions are used:

 The arrows on the field lines point away from the positive charge.

 The arrows on the field lines point towards a negative charge.

 The field lines near the charges are drawn so that they are equally spaced
around the charge.

 The distance between the lines represents the field strength. Notice the lines are
closer together near the charge and spread out as the lines move away from the
charge, this indicates that the field is stronger closer to the charge and gets
weaker the further we go from the charge.

Electric Charge, Field and Force

The image below represents a uniform electric field with a field strength of E .

E
+¿¿
F

-+
−¿¿
F

If a positive charge was placed in this field, it would experience a force, F +¿¿. The
direction of the force would be in the same direction as the electric field. If a negative
charge was placed in this field, it would also experience a force, F−¿¿. The direction of
the force would be in the opposite direction to the electric field.

It has been found that:

 The larger the charge, Q, the larger the force, F.

 If the electric field strength, E, is increased, then the force, F, will also increase.

We can write,

F=QE
or

F
E=
Q

The electric field strength, E and is defined, at a point in space, as:

The force experienced per unit positive charge at that point.

Electrical Field Strength in a Uniform Field

The figure below shows a uniform field between two parallel plates.

Consider a positively charged particle, Q , initially at rest, placed near the positive plate.
It would experience a force, F , and would move in a straight line from the positive plate
to the negative plate a distance d away. The electric field is doing work on the charged
particle to move it between the plates. To calculate the work done on the charged
particle we can use either:

work done=F × d

or

work done=∆ V × Q
where ∆ V is the potential difference between the plates. So, we can write:

F × d=∆V ×Q

If we divide both sides by d and Q we obtain

F ∆V
=
Q d

F
However, we know, from the equation for the electric field, that is the electric field
Q
strength E.

Therefore, the magnitude of the electric field strength between two parallel charged
plates can be calculated using:

∆V
E=
d

The units of the electric field are V/m.

From the equation it can be seen that the electric field can be increased either by
increasing the potential difference, ∆ V , across the plates or by decreasing the distance,
d , between the plates (or both).

The above equation is a form of a potential gradient, this approach can be generalised
to determine the electric field between two points at different potentials. The to calculate
the electric field between two points we use the equation:

∆V
E=
∆x

where ∆ V is the change in potential and ∆ x is the distance between the two points.
Worked Example
A negative ion with a charge of -3e is free to move in a uniform electric field.

When the ion is accelerated by the field through a distance of 63 mm parallel to the field
lines its kinetic energy increases by 4.0 x 10-16 J.
(a) Calculate the magnitude of the electrostatic force acting on the ion. [2]
(b) Calculate the electric field strength. [2]

Solution
(a) The increase in KE is equal to the work done on the ion as it moves in the electric
field. Also, the work done on the ion is equal to the force in the ion multiplied by the
distance the ion moves. So,

F × d=Kinetic energy

Which means:
−15
Kinetic energy 4.0 ×10 −15
F= = −3
=6.34920649 × 10
d 63 ×10

Therefore,
−15
F=6.3 ×10 N

(b) Since the force on a charge in an electric field is

F=EQ

We can write:

F
E=
Q
So,
−15
6.34920649 ×10
E= −19
=−13227.51323
−3 ×1.6 × 10

Therefore,

E=−13000 N /C

Electrical Field Strength in a Radial Field

A single point charge, Q2, has a radial field with a field strength, E , around it. If another
positive charge, Q1, is placed into the radial field of charge Q2there will be a force on it.

The size of the force on Q1 can be calculated using:

F=Q1 E

However, we know, from Coulomb's Law, that the force between the two charges is:

Q1 Q2
F= 2
4 π ε0 r

This is the same force, so we can write:

Q1 Q2
Q1 E= 2
4 π ε 0r
Dividing both sides by Q1 gives us:

Q2
E= 2
4 π ε0 r

Where E is the electric field strength created by charge Q2 and at a distance r from Q2.
More generally, the electric strength at a distance r from any charge, Q , is given by:

Q
E= 2
4 π ε0 r

Questions to attempt.
Question 1
A gold nucleus has 79 protons and an alpha particle has 2 protons. If the closest
distance is 5.0 x 10-14 m calculate the electrical force acting on the alpha particle.

Question 2
Two metal parallel plates 0.20 m apart have potentials of 15 kV and 0 V.
(a) Calculate the size of the electric field between the plates. [2]
(b) Determine the size of the force on a proton with a charge of 1.6 x 10 -19 C placed
between the plates. [2]
(c) If the proton is initially at rest mid-way between the plates determine the velocity of
the proton when it reaches the 0 V plate. The mass of a proton is 1.67 x 10 -27 kg. [4]

Question 3
The figure below shows a simplified diagram of two horizontal plates. The upper plate
is held at a positive potential V while the lower plate is at a potential of 0V. The
potential difference between the plates creates a vertical electric field, E, of 100000V/m.
An oil drop, with charge Q and mass m, is held stationary between the plates.

Q
(a) Determine the magnitude of the ratio . [3]
m
(b) If the mass of the oil drop is 1.6 x 10-15 kg determine the size of the charge. [3].