ELECTROSTATICS

ELECTROSTATICS
1 ( r ') ^
E ( r)=
4 0
2
dV '
. E = /0 HelmholtzTheorem
E=0 1 qi
E ( r)= ^
4 0 i 2i i
MaxwellsEquations
forElectrostatics CoulombsLaw

ForceonatestchargeQ, F ( r)=Q E ( r)

Inprinciple,weredonewithElectrostatics!
 ELECTRic Field Lines

Fieldlinesbeginonpositivecharges
Fieldlinesendonnegativecharges,ortheyextenduptoinfinity
Thestrengthofthefieldisindicatedbythedensityofthefieldlines
Fieldlinescannevercross
 ELECTRic Field Lines Closed Surface

Flux E = E . d S
S

FluxNumberoffieldlines

Fluxthroughaclosedsurfaceisameasureofthetotal
chargeinsidethesurfaceGausssLaw
 Gausss Law

1 q q
( ) 2
E . d a= 4 2 r^ (r sin d d r^ )= 0
0 r

Pointchargeqatorigin
N
Principleofsuperposition E= E i
i=1

N N
qi
E . d a= ( E . d a )=
i=1 i=1
( )
0

1
E . d a= 0 Q enc
Collectionofpointchargesqi S
 Gausss Law

q r^ . d S
E.d S =
4 0 surface r 2
surface
q |d S|cos
=
4 0 surface r 2

|cos
|d S q
d = 2
=sin d d =
4 0 surface
d
r
ThesolidanglesubtendedbyasurfaceSisdefined q q
asthesurfaceareaofaunitspherecoveredbythe = 4 =
surface'sprojectionontothesphere. 4 0 0

Ameasureofhowlargeanobjectappearstoan
observerlookingfromthatpoint

Ifthepointislocatedoutsidethen
thecontributionsexactlycancel

Usesuperpositionprinciple>Add
contributionfromeachcharge
 Gausss Law Differential Form

E.d S = . E dV
surface vol
1 (r )
0 Q enc = 0 dV
vol

1 (r )
E . d a= 0 Qenc . E = 0
S

HelmholtzTheorem

(r) 1 q
.E = E = r^
0 4 0 r 2

Validformovingcharges! Onlyforstaticcharges
GausssLaw
 CURL OF THE ELECTRIC FIELD

1 q
E = 2
r^
4 0 r
E = 0

b b
1 q
b E . d l=
a a
( 4 0 r 2 )
r
^ .(dr r
^ + r d ^ r sin d )
+ ^

b b
1 q q 1 1
E . d l= 4 2 dr= 4 r r
a 0 a r 0 a b
( )
q
E . d l=0 StokesTheorem
E=0
a Trueforanychargeconfigurationduetosuperposition!
Validonlyforstaticcharges
 Gausss Law + SYMMETRY - SPHERE

Considerasphericallysymmetricchargedistribution(r)

E =0 Why?

Rotateaboutthezaxis
E . d l=0 E =0
(r )
E =0 Why?

Rotateaboutthexaxis
E . d l=0 E =0
R
1
ApplyGauss'sLaw: E r . 4 R = (r)4 r 2 . d r
2
0
0
 Gausss Law + SYMMETRY - CYLINDER

Consideralong,narrowwirewithachargeperunitlength

E =0 Why?

Rotateaboutthezaxis
E . d l=0 E =0
E z=0 Why?
Flipaboutzaxis
Nothingdistinguisheszfromz
E z =0

1
ApplyGauss'sLaw: E . 2 =
0
 Gausss Law + SYMMETRY - SURFACE

Consideraninfinitesheetofchargewithasurfacechargedensity

E // ( E x , E y )=0 Why?
Rotatethesheetaboutanypoint
Translatebyanyinplanevector
Fieldcannotchange E // =0

1
ApplyGauss'sLaw: E . d a = 2 A|E|= 0 A

E= n ^
2 0
 Gausss Law + SYMMETRY - SURFACE

Considertwoparallelplateswithequalandoppositecharge
densities .Whatistheelectricfield?

0 A
C=
d

n+^ n= ^ n
{
^ betweentheplates
E= 2 0 2 0 0

0 everywhereelse
 EXCESS CHARGE ON A CONDUCTOR

E . d S= . E dV
.E = 0 S V

J = E Ohms QV
Law J . d S= t
1 S
.J =

0
t V
dV + J . d S=0
( )
= S
t 0

t
(
t + . J dV =0
V
)
=(0) e 0

+ . J =0 ContinuityEqn.
t

If . J =0,excesschargeisNOTinbulk
Excesschargegoesfrom
ChargeMUSTbeconserved
bulktosurface
Forgoodmetals Cu , Ag , Au ,... / 01020, 1020 s
 THE ELECTRIC POTENTIAL

GausssLawisalwaystrue.

Itmaynotalwaysbeuseful!

Ifwecantakeadvantageofthesymmetriesofa
problem,GausssLawcanbeaverypowerfultool.

E = 0
E = V
V ( r) ElectricPotential

. E=/0 2 V =/ 0 PoissonsEquation

2
Inregionsofnocharge V = 0 LaplaceEquation