TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES TAGUIG CAMPUS

14. KM West National Service Road Western Bicutan Taguig City

COULOMBS LAW
AND
ELECTRIC FIELD
INTENSITY
Submitted to:
Engr. Rica Jane Y. Kosca

Submitted by:
Botanes, Katrina Lynn M.
Briones, Emmanuel E.

Date:
January 18, 2010

COULOMBS LAW
Col. Charles Coulomb - stated that the force between two very small objects
separated in a vacuum or free space by a distance which is large compared to their
size is proportional to the charge on each an inversely proportional to the square of
the distance between them.

In mathematical notation:
Where:
Q1and Q2 positive and negative quantities of charge. Unit: coulomb
R distance of separation. Unit: meters
F force acted upon. Unit: coulomb/meters or Newton
k proportionality constant but

- permittivity of free space. Unit: Farad/meter (F/m) but

= 8.854 x 10 -12 F /m

THEREFORE: the equation is:

BUT REMEMBER: Coulombs law is used between two charges. And

Charges of like sign is attractive while unlike sign is
repulsive..SO

The final equation is:

Where:
a12- unit vector in the direction of R12 or

Sample problem:
A charge of 3 x 10 -4 C at P(1,2,3) and a charge of
-10-4 C at Q(2,0,5). Calculate the vector force
acted upon two charges and the magnitude of
force on charge P.

Solution:

Given:
Q1 = 3 x 10-4
Q2 = -10-4

R12 = r2 r1 = (2-1)ax + (0-2)ay + (5-3)az

= ax 2ay + 2az

F2 = -10 ax + 20 ay 20az Newton

/ F1/ = / F2/ = (102 + 202 + 202) .5

F2 = 30 Newton

Exercises:
1.A 2-mc positive charge is located in vacuum at
P1( 3, -2, -4) and 5 C negative charge is at P2(1,4,2). Find the vector force on the negative
charge. What is the magnitude of the force on
the charge at P1.

2. A regular tetrahedron has a vertices at

P1(2,0,0), P2(-1, 3, 0), P3( -1, -3, 0), and P4 ( 0,
0, 22). Charges of 1mC are located at each of
the four vertices. If the configuration is located in
free space, find the magnitude of the force on
each charge.

(b)

2.

Solutions :

(a) Find the magnitude of the force on each charge.

b) Find the angle between any two edges of the tetrahedron.

ELECTRIC FIELD INTENSITY

vector force on a unit positive test charge.
space surrounding an electric charge or in the presence of a timevarying magnetic field.
The force per unit charge.
Unit: Newton per coulomb
Deriving the formula: electric field as the force per unit charge
From the coulombs law of equation:
Q1Q2
F2 = -------------- a12
40R212
F2
Q1
----- = -------------- a12
Q2
40R212
Q1
E = -------------- a12
40R212

But
Et = E1 + E2 + E3 .
For Point Charge:

For Line Charge:

For Surface Charge:

EXCERCISES:
)

Calculate E at M(3,-4,2) in free space caused by: (a.)a charge Q 1 = 2C at

P1(0,0,0); (b) a charge Q2 = 3 C
at P2(-1,2,3); (c) a charge Q1 = 2C at P1 (0,0,0) and a charge
Q2 = 3C at P2(-1,2,3).
An infinitely long uniform line charge is located at y=3, z=5. If L = 30
C/m. Find E at; (a) the origin
Solutions:
(a)

(b)

2.

Solutions:

E at the origin from P (0,3,5)