ELECTROSTATICS

Revision of topics
• Charge
• Property
• Additivity
• Quantization
• Conservation
• Coloumb’s law( Vector and scalar)
• Examples (1.2,1.3,1.4)
• H.W textbook questions( 1,2,3)
Principle of superposition:
 Force between multiple charges/ superposition principle
• Force
  on any charge due to a number
of other charges is the vector sum of
all the forces on that charge due to the
other charges, taken one at a time.
The individual forces are unaffected
due to the presence of other charges.
This is termed as the principle of
superposition.
• =
• =
• Hence total force
• =+
• =+
 Contd……
•  =k
• In general
• =
• Thus it can be applied to a system of n charges.
Extra: Null point or neutral point
(shortcut)
• A neutral point is a point where resultant electrical
force is zero. It is obtained where two electrical forces
are equal and opposite. Thus neutral points can be
obtained only at those points where the resultant
forces becomes subtractive.(Q2>Q1).

• Where d is the null point w.r.t Q1,

•  If two like charges are there
• d=

• If two unlike charges are there

• d=
Practice problem
• Two electric charges having magnitude 8μC and -2μC are separated by 20 cm.
Where should a third charge be placed so that the resultant force acting on it is
zero ?
• Ans: 20 cm

q1q 3 q 2q 3 q1 q2 8  10 16 2  10 16 20  x

 F3  F31  F32  0  k k       2  x  20 cm
(r  x ) 2 x2 (r  x ) 2 x2 (20  x ) 2 x2 x
Concept of electric field.
•  A field is a way of conceptualizing and mapping the
force that surrounds any object and acts on another
object at a distance without apparent physical
connection.
• There is a source charge which produces field and a
test charge which experiences it.
• Force exerted by Q on q1 can be given by
• =, k =
• Suppose if q1 = +1 C charge then
• =
• Thus it is force exerted on a unit/per positive charge
Contd……
••  
= = (electric field of a point
charge)
• =
• It also obeys the principle of
superposition.
• Units are NC-1 or Vm-1.
• Dimensional formula MLT-3 A-1
 Electric field lines:
Electric field lines of a unit
Electric field lines of unit positive negative charge
charge
 Contd….. Electric field lines of a dipole/ two
Electric field lines of two positive opposite charges
charges
 Practice problem
• A charge of 10-9 C is located at the origin of Cartesian co-ordinate system and
another charge Q at (2, 0 0) m. If the X-component of electric field at (3, 1, 1) m is
zero, the value of Q = ……..
• Ans:- 0.43 × 10-9 C
 A charge of 10-9 C is located at the origin of Cartesian co-ordinate system and
another charge Q at (2, 0 0) m. If the X-component of electric field at (3, 1, 1)
m is zero, the value of Q = ……..
• Position vector of q = 10-9 C is (0, 0, 0) and position vector of Q is (2, 0,
0)m.The co-ordinate of point P is (3, 1, 1)m.
 
 r1  (3, 1, 1)  (0, 0, 0)  (3, 1, 1)  3î  ĵ  k̂ | r1 |  (3) 2  (1) 2  (1) 2  11m
 
r2  (3, 1, 1)  (2, 0, 0)  (1, 1, 1) m  î  ĵ  k̂ | r2 |  (1) 2  (1) 2  (1) 2  3 m
Electric field of point P,
   q  Q 10  9 (3î  ĵ  k̂ ) Q(î  ĵ  k̂ ) 

E  E1  E 2  k 3 r1  k 3 r2  k  3
 3 
r1 r2  ( 11 ) ( 3) 
Now, x component of electric field is zero.
  3

10  3
9
Q   3 2 9 9
 Ex  k  3
 3   0  Q     3  10  0 .43  10 C
   11 
2 2
 (11) (3) 
 1.6: Consider three charges q1, q2, q3 each equal to q at the vertices of an
equilateral triangle of side l. What is the force on a charge Q (with the same
sign as q) placed at the centroid of the triangle, as shown in Fig
•  As shown in figure AD = AC Cos300 AD=,
• As O is the centroid of the triangle A0 =2/3AD
=2/3× =
from figure AO =BO =CO =
• Thus
Force F1 on Q due to charge q1 at A =
Force F2 on Q due to charge q1 at A =
Force F3 on Q due to charge q1 at A =
•• From
  figure it is clear that
resultant of F2 and F3 are in
opposite direction to that of F1
• F2 + F3 =F1

• F2 + F3 – F1 = 0

• =0
• Thus resultant force on the charge
situated at centroid is zero
1.7 Consider the charges q, q, and –q placed at the vertices
of an equilateral triangle, as shown in Fig. . What is the force on
each charge? •  Magnitude of force on each charge due to
other charge is
• Direction of F12 along AB F21 along BA
• Direction of F23 along BC F32 along CB
• Direction of F31 along AC F32 along CB
• F3 =
• As F1=F2= F

• F3 =F ( Net force F1 +F2 +F3 = 0)