Topic 18 Electric Fields 18.

5 Electric potential
Candidates should be able to:
18.1 Electric fields and field lines
1 define electric potential at a point as the work
Candidates should be able to:
done per unit positive charge in bringing a small
1 understand that an electric field is an example test charge from infinity to the point
of a field of force and define electric field as 2 recall and use the fact that the electric field at a
force per unit positive charge point is equal to the negative of potential
gradient at that point
2 recall and use F = qE for the force on a charge in
3 use
an electric field
3 represent an electric field by means of field
lines for the electric potential in the field due to a
point charge
18.2 Uniform electric fields 4 understand how the concept of electric potential
leads to the electric potential energy of two-
Candidates should be able to: point charges and use EP = Qq / (4πε0r)
1 recall and use E = ΔV / Δd to calculate the field
strength of the uniform field between charged
parallel plates Electrostatics
2 describe the effect of a uniform electric field on • Study of charges at rest
the motion of charged particles There are two types of charge
1. Positive charge
18.3 Electric force between point charges 2. Negative charge
Candidates should be able to:
1 understand that, for a point outside a spherical Coulomb’s laws of Charge
conductor, the charge on the sphere may be 1. Like charges repel
considered to be a point charge at its centre 2. Unlike charges attract
2 recall and use Coulomb’s law

for the force between two-point charges in free

space

18.4 Electric field of a point charge

18.1 Concept of an electric field
Candidates should be able to:
1 recall and use An electric field is a region around a charge where
another charge placed in that region experiences an
electric force.
for the electric field strength due to a point Note: The charge used to determine the presence
charge in free space of an electric field is called a test charge.

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18.1.1/2 Definition of Electric Field Strength
Electric Field strength is defined as Force per unit
positive charge on a stationary point charge.
Note: E is a vector quantity.

The characteristics of electric lines of force can be

summarized as follows:
1 Lines of force always leave a positive charge and
18.1.3 Electric lines of Force end on a negative charge.
2 Lines of force always leave or end on a
conducting surface at right angles.
3 Lines of force do not interest one another.
4 When lines of force are superimposed, a
resultant line of force is obtained.
18.2.1 Uniform electric fields

(a) To obtain a uniform Electric Field:

• The metal plates must be at different potentials
• The metal plates must have a large surface area
• The separation between the metal plates must
be small.
• The metal plates must be parallel

(b) Potential difference, V

(c) Potential Gradient

Electric lines of forces should fall normally/90o
away on/from the conducting plate.

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 (d) Electric Field Strength, E 18.2 Effect of a uniform electric field on the
motion of charged particles

Note: The Electric Field Strength is equal to the

negative of the potential gradient at that point.

18.2.2 Force on a charge in a Uniform Electric Field

The Electric Field Strength, E is defined as the force, When a proton enters an electric field
F per unit positive charge, +q. perpendicularly, the downwards electric force will
cause the proton to move along a parabolic path
towards B.

Note: Millikan’s Experiment

Millikan used a uniform electric field in 1912 to
measure the charge of an electron.

If an electron is projected perpendicularly into the

electric field, the electron will move along an
upward parabolic path.

Note: Equipotential
There are two forces acting on the charge • Equipotential surface: a surface where the
1. Electric Force, F = qE electric potential is constant.
2. Gravitational force, W = mg
• Equipotential lines are drawn such that
potential is constant between intervals.
If the charge is stationary, then
• As potential constant, the potential gradient = 0
Hence, E along surface = 0
• Hence no work is done when a charge is moved
along this surface.
• Electric field lines must meet equipotential
surface at right angles.
• Spacing will be closer when field is stronger.

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18.3 Electric forces between point charges 18.4 Electric field of a point charge
Coulomb’s Law states that like charges repel and Electric Field Strength or Electric Field
unlike charges attract. Intensity, E
Consider two charges Q1 and Q2 separated by a
distance r. An electric force exists between the two
charges. The magnitude of which is inversely
proportional to the square of the distance apart and
proportional to the product of the two charges.
Consider a unit charge, +q placed at a distance, r
from charge Q. The force experienced by the test
charge at point P gives the electric field strength at
that point;

Definition of Electric Field Strength, E

Electric Field Strength, E is defined as the force per
unit positive charge experienced by a charge placed
in the electric field.
Note: 18.5 Electric potential, V (scalar Quantity)
1. For any point outside a spherical conductor, the
charge on the sphere may be considered to act
as a point charge at its centre.
2. Since there are two types of charge, there are
two types of force (attractive and repulsive). Electric Potential at point P, VP is the work done in
3. By convention, force of attraction is taken to be taking unit positive charge from infinity to the point
negative, and for of repulsion, positive. P, distance, r from the charge Q.

Note: The theoretical zero of the electric potential

of a charge is at infinity.

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Note: The electric field at a point is equal to the
negative of potential gradient at that point.

18.5 Electric potential Energy, EP

(scalar Quantity)

Questions
1.
Electric potential energy, EP of a charge q at a point
in the electric field is defined as the work done on
the charge by an external force in bringing it from
infinity to the point P in the electric field.

(a) Determine the potential difference VAB

(b) Determine the Electric Field Strength
The SI unit of potential energy is Joule.
2 A particle of mass 6.7 x 10-27 kg and
Analogy between Electric Fields and charge +3.2 x 10-19 C is placed near the top plate
Gravitational Fields in an electric field. The potential difference
(i) Both can be represented by field lines. across the plates is 600 V and the separation of
(ii) Gravitational fields are always attractive, the plates is 12 mm. Determine
whereas electric fields can be attractive or (a) the force on the particle
repulsive. (b) the acceleration of the particle
(iii) For Spherical bodies, the charge/mass on the (c) the speed of the particle when it reaches the
sphere behaves as a point charge/mass at its bottom plate.
centre.
(iv) The field strength due to a point charge/mass 3 Find the force between
follows an inverse square law with the (a) a proton and an electron in a hydrogen atom if
distance from the charge/mass. their separation is 5.3 x 10-11 m,
(v) The potential due to a point charge/mass (b) a charge of 7 nC and a charge of 20 nC placed
varies inversely with distance from the 2 cm apart in a vacuum.
charge/mass.
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4 Fig. below shows the variation of the electric 8. Two-point charges of +2.4 μC and -2.9 μC are
potential along the x-axis. Sketch a graph of placed at points A and B respectively in a vacuum.
Electric Field intensity against x. The distance AB is 0.15 m.

It is required to find a point P at which the resultant

electric field due to these two charges is zero.
(a) Explain why the point P must lie along the line AB.
(b) Deduce the position of point P.
9. Two-point charges A and B each has a charge of
+6.4 x 10-19 C. They are separated in a vacuum by a
distance of 12.0 μm.
5 The diagram shows two parallel, horizontal plates
separated by a vertical distance of 3.0 cm. The
potential difference between the plates is 600 V.

Points P and Q are situated on the line AB. Point P is

3.0 μm from charge A and point Q is 3.0 μm from
charge B.
(a) Calculate the force of repulsion between charges
A and B.
(b) Explain why, without any calculation, when a
small test charge is moved from point P to point Q,
(a) Calculate the magnitude and direction of the the net work done is zero.
electric field between the plates. (c) Calculate the work done by an electron in
(b) Describe the electric field between the plates. moving from the midpoint of line AB to point P.
(c) An oil droplet of weight 6.4  10−15 N is held
stationary between the two plates.
Potential Due to a Conducting Sphere
i State whether the charge on the droplet is
positive or negative. Explain your answer.
• A charge +𝑄 on an isolated conducting sphere is
ii Determine the charge on the oil droplet.
uniformly distributed over its surface
6. A proton is travelling at right angles to an electric • Charge remains on surface and at all points
field of strength 2.40  10–6 V m–1. inside the sphere, the field strength is 0
(a) Calculate the force on the proton due to the • As there is no field inside the sphere, the
electric field. potential difference from any point inside the
(b) Calculate the acceleration of the proton in the sphere to the surface is zero. Therefore, the
direction of the field. potential at any point inside a charged hollow
(c) Write down the acceleration of the proton at sphere is the same as its surface.
right angles to the field.
7. A pair of parallel plates are 5.0 cm apart and are
connected to a 200 V supply. A particle of
dust between the plates experiences a force, due
to the field, of 3.2  10−4 N. Calculate the charge
on the dust particle. [3]

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