AP Physics 2

Electrostatics
“ Mohammed Alwafaie”
 Electrostatics

Coulomb’s
Law
Fields and Electric
potentials field and
of other electric
charge potential
distribution
s
Electric
potential
due to
Gauss’s point
Law charges
and
Electric Charge
All ordinary matter
contains both positive and
negative charge.
You do not usually notice
the charge because most
matter contains the exact
same number of positive
and negative charges.
An object is electrically
neutral when it has equal
amounts of both types of
charge.
 Electric Charge
Electric charge is a
property of tiny
particles in atoms.
The unit of electric
charge is the coulomb
(C).
A quantity of charge
should always be
identified with a
positive or a negative
sign.
 Electric forces
Electric forces are created between all electric
charges.
Because there are two kinds of charge (positive and
negative) the electrical force between charges can
attract or repel .
Coulomb's Law
Coulomb’s law relates the force between two
single charges separated by a distance.

Constant
9 x109 N.m2/C2

Force
(N) F = K q1 Charges (C)
q2
Distance (m)

r2
 Coulomb's Law
The force between two
charges gets stronger
as the charges move
closer together.
The force also gets
stronger if the amount
of charge becomes
larger.
 Coulomb's Law
The force between two
charges is directed
along the line
connecting their
centers.
Electric forces always
occur in pairs
according to Newton’s
third law, like all
forces.
 Coulomb's Law
The force between
charges is directly
proportional to the
magnitude, or amount,
of each charge.
Doubling one charge
doubles the force.
Doubling both charges
quadruples the force.
 Coulomb's Law
The force between charges is
inversely proportional to the
square of the distance
between them.
Doubling the distance reduces
the force by a factor of 22 =
(4), decreasing the force to
one-fourth its original value
(1/4).
This relationship is called an
inverse square law because
force and distance follow an
inverse square relationship.
Electrical Potential
Voltage
 How can we manipulate energy in
electric fields?
Apply FORCE to push like charges TOGETHER
FA FA
+ +
Apply FORCE to push unlike charges APART
FA FA
+ -
 Electric Fields
•The electric field can store energy.
Charges gain potential energy when moved against
the field in the same way as masses gain energy
when lifted against gravity.
•The electric field can do work! (remember the
work/energy connection) when they move charges.

Work done against the field to move the charge

equals PE or KE gained by the charge
Electrical Potential Energy

The energy a charge has due to its location in

an electric field is called

electrical potential energy.

 Electric Potential
The electrical potential energy per charge is the total electrical
potential energy divided by the amount of charge.

At any location, the potential energy per charge—whatever

the amount of charge—will be the same.

The concept of electrical potential energy per charge has

the name, electric potential.
Electrical Potential is also called
VOLTAGE or
ELECTRICAL POTENIAL DIFFERENCE,
or POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE

Unit for electrical potential  VOLT

1 Volt = 1 Joule/Coulomb 1V = 1 J/C

W Amount of work done in moving a charge
V and

q the amount of charge moved

 Example #1
6.0 joules of work are done pushing an object with
3.0 coulombs of charge toward a charged plate.

How much electrical potential energy was stored in the electric

fields? 6.0 J
What is the electrical potential difference in the field between
the charged object and the plate?

V = W/q
V = 6.0 J / 3.0 C
V = 2.0 V
 Example #2
Removing Energy
An object with 2 coulombs of charge
This
is accelerated
stored energyusing anbe
can also electrical
released.
potential difference of 10 volts.
What happens to energy that comes OUT of
a field? The field releases
How
 much
Transfers kinetic
into kinetic energy doesdoing
the energy,
energy the
object receive?
WORK on the charge!
V=W
- q
W =ENERGY
STORING qV
W = (2C)(10 V)
- - - - -W =- 20-J - - - -
Example #3
An object with a charge of -0.5 coulombs is
pushed 0.2 meters toward a negatively
charged plate with a force of 10 newtons.

What is the energy required to do this?

W = Fd = (10 N)(0.2 m) = 2 J

What is the potential difference between

the object and the plate after it is pushed?

V= W = 2J =4V
q 0.5 C
What use is electrical potential?

We use this by putting a

The RESISTOR
A battery
electrons in the
thatpath
is a naturally
tool forces
“want”
toofelectrons
the ELECTRONS
drop to a lower
to a higher– as
energy
Higher VOLTAGE

they goP.E.
electrical through
- gives
the them
How RESISTANCE
do they
VOLTAGE they
get there?
do WORK on it!

RESISTOR
 Potential Due to a Point Charge
 A positively charged particle produces a
positive electric potential.
 A negatively charged particle produces a
negative electric potential

1 q
V (r ) 
4 0 r

n n
1 qi
V  Vi  
i 1 4 0 i 1 ri
Electric Potential Energy of a System of Point
Charges

1
q1q2 q2
U q2V 
4 0 r q1

1 q1q2 q1q3 q2 q3
U U12  U13  U 23  (   )
4 0 r12 r13 r23
 Example
Two test charges are brought separately to the
vicinity of a positive charge Q
Q r
Charge +q is brought to pt A, a q
distance r from Q A

Charge +2q is brought to pt B, Q 2r B

a distance 2r from Q
2q
I) Compare the potential energy of q (UA) to that of 2q (UB)
(a) UA < UB (b) UA = UB (c) UA > UB

The potential energy of q is proportional to Qq/r

The potential energy of 2q is proportional to Q(2q)/(2r) = Qq/r
Therefore, the potential energies UA and UB are EQUAL!!!
Example: a 1 C point charge is located at the origin
and a -4 C point charge 4 meters along the +x axis.
Calculate the electric potential at a point P, 3 meters
along the +y axis.

y
qi  q1 q 2 
VP = k  = k  + 
i ri  r1 r2 
P
9  1×10 -6
-4×10 -6

3m = 9×10  + 
 3 5 
= - 4.2×103 V
q2 x
q1 4m

26
Example: find the total potential energy of the system
of three charges.
y

q3
P  q1 q 2 q1 q 3 q 2 q 3 
3m U = k + + 
r
 12 r13 r23 

q2 x
q1 4m

U = 9 109 
 
 1×10-6 -4×10-6
+
1×10 
-6

3×10 -6

+
 
-4×10 -6
3×10
-6
 
 4 3 5 
 

−2
𝑈 =− 2 .16 × 1 0 𝐽 27
GAUSS’S LAW

• It is very difficult to calculate electric forces and fields for charged

bodies. Imagine you try to calculate the center of mass of a potato…
or the electric field of a charged table ….

• Such problems become easier once the charged bodies posses a

symmetrical shape, or in general the electric charge distribution is
symmetrical

• The symmetry of the problem imposes the choice of the co-called

Gaussian surface. This is a hypothetical closed surface surrounding
the charge distribution or a part of it.

• Gauss’s law relates the electric fields at points on a closed

Gaussian surface and the net charge enclosed by that surface.
Electric Flux
We define the electric flux ,
of the electric field E,
through the surface A, as:
E
F=E.A
A

 = E A cos ()

Where:
A is a vector normal to the surface
(magnitude A, and direction normal to the surface).
 is the angle between E and A
Spherical geometry

E
Cylindrical geometry
Planar geometry
 GAUSS LAW – SPECIAL SYMMETRIES

SPHERICAL CYLINDRICAL PLANAR

(point or sphere) (line or cylinder) (plane or sheet)

Depends only on Depends only on Depends only on

CHARGE radial distance perpendicular distance perpendicular distance
DENSITY from central point from line from plane

GAUSSIAN Sphere centered at Cylinder centered at Pillbox or cylinder

SURFACE point of symmetry axis of symmetry with axis
perpendicular to plane
E constant at E constant at curved E constant at end
surface surface and E ║ A surfaces and E ║ A
ELECTRIC E ║A - cos  = 1 E ┴ A at end surface E ┴ A at curved surface
FIELD E
cos  = 0 cos  = 0
Electric Potential for a Continuous
Charge Distribution
Consider a small
charge element dq

The potential at
some point due to
this charge element
is dq
dV ke
r
V for a Uniformly Charged Ring
P is located on the
perpendicular
central axis of the
uniformly charged
ring
 The ring has a radius
a and a total charge Q
dq keQ
V k e  
r a2  x 2
Example: A rod of length L located along the x-axis has
a total charge Q uniformly distributed along the rod.
Find the electric potential at a point P along the y-axis a
distance d from the origin.
y
=Q/L
P
r dq=dx
d dq
dq dx
x dx
x dV k k
r x2  d2
L
L
V  dV
0

37
 L dx
Q L dx
V  k k 
0 2
x d 2 L 0 x2  d2
y

P A good set of math tables

r will have the integral:
d dq

x dx
x

dx
2
x d 2 
ln x  x 2  d 2 
L

kQ  L  L2  d 2 
V  ln  
L  d 


38
Example: Find the electric potential due to a uniformly
charged ring of radius R and total charge Q at a point P
on the axis of the ring.

dq
Every dq of charge on
R r the ring is the same
P x
distance from the point
x P.

dq dq
dV k k
r x2  R 2

dq
V  dV k 
ring ring
x2  R 2
39
dq

R r

P x
x

k
V
2
x R 2 
ring
dq

kQ
V
x2  R 2

40
Thanks for your attention