Electric

Fields

TYPES OF CHARGES
POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE CHARGES
Protons have positive charge

= +1.6

Electrons have negative charge. = -1.6

X 10-19 C

X 10-19 C

Neutrons: Have no charge. = 0

Charges are elementary particles that make up matter.

Measured in Coulombs (C)

ELECTRIC FIELDS
Law of charges
Law of
conservation of
charge

In a closed system, the total amount of charge remains the same.

Electric
Electric fields
fields

Space
Space round
round aa charge
charge where
where electric
electric force
force is
is felt.
felt.

Electric
Electric field
field
strength,
strength, E
E

Force
Force per
per unit
unit positive
positive charge
charge on
on aa stationary
stationary test
test charge
charge placed
placed at
at
that
point.
that point.

Uniform
Uniform Fields
Fields

Fields between two oppositely charged placed.

Motion of charge
in an electric
field

The charge follows a parabolic path with constant

acceleration in one direction. (Equations of motion)

E=

LAW OF CHARGES
LIKE CHARGES REPEL, UNLIKE
CHARGES ATTRACT

law of conservation of charge

The law states that electric charge can neither be
created nor destroyed. In a closed system, the total
amount of charge remains the same. When something
changes its charge it doesn't create charge but
transfers it.

Electric field:
Space(region) round a charge
where electric force is felt.

Direction of Electric field:

The magnitude and direction of an
electric field is represented by Field
lines or lines of force that run from
positive to negative.

Electric field strength, E

The Electric field strength at a point is the force
per unit positive charge on a stationary test
charge placed at that point:

The units of Electric field strength is NC -1

Charged particles in electric field

Using the Field to determine the force

F QE
+Q
-Q

F QE

Electric Field Strength Between

Charged Parallel Plates(Uniform field)

Work done by force on the charge = electrical P.E gained by the charge

Fd = qV

But F = qE so replacing F

qEd=Vq which gives us Ed= V

so

E=

E is directly proportional to the p.d between the two plates and inversely
proportional to the separation of the plates.

Units of electric field strength are V m-1 or N C-1

Parallel Plates Capacitor

+V

+Q
d

E
2 o

0V

-Q

E increases when d decreases

Motion of point charges in electric fields

An electron falls towards the positive
plate while moving across the field.
F=ma= qE
a = F/m = qE/m
The charge follows a parabolic path with
constant acceleration in one direction.
using kinematics:

++++++++ +

++++++++ +

++++++++ +

++++++++ +

++++++++ +

In Y-direction
Constant acceleration
y =1/2at2 we get
y =1/2(qE/m)t2

In X-direction-constant
velocity
X= vt
14

Motion of Charged Particles in a Uniform

Electric Field
r
v

+Q

r
r
r
F qE ma
r
eE
ay
m

vx0
-e

-Q

Example: An electron is projected perpendicularly to a

downward electric field of E= 2000 NC-1 with a horizontal
velocity 106 ms-1. How much is the electron deflected
after traveling 1 cm.
V e
d
E

Since velocity in x direction does not change,

t=d/v =10-2/106 = 10-6 sec,
so the distance the electron falls upward is
y =1/2at2 = 1/2qE/mt2 = 0.5x1.6x10-19x2x103/10 - 30x(10-8)2 =
.
Y= 0.016m