1. Physics Electric Fields
Chapter 21

2. Section 21.1 Measuring Electric Fields
Essential Questions:
What is an electric field?
How are charge, electric field, and forces on charged objects related?
How can you represent electric fields in diagrams and other models?

3. Defining the Electric Field
An electric field is a property of the space around a charged object that exerts forces on other charged objects. It is also an example of a field force.

4. Plasma Sphere
A plasma sphere’s central electrode is a charged object whose net charge alternates rapidly between positive net charge and negative net charge.
The glass globe contains ions, which are charged particles.
The electric field from the central electrode accelerates the ions in the globe.

5. The Strength of an Electric Field
E = Fon q′ q′
E = energy
F = force
q′ = test charge

6. Field Vectors Color Convention Electric field lines are indigo.
Positive charges are red.
Negative charges are blue.

7. Field Vectors The length of the arrow represents the field strength.
The direction of the arrow represents the field direction.
To find the field from two charges, add the fields from the individual charges through vector addition.

8. Field Vectors
You can also use a test charge to map the electric field resulting from any collection of test charges.
A test charge should be small enough so that its effect on the charge you are testing (q) is negligible.
The test charge exerts forces back on the charges that produce the electric field. It is important that these forces do not redistribute the charges you are trying to measure.

9. Coulomb’s Law and Electric Fields
If, and only if, the charge q is a point charge or a uniformly charged sphere, you can calculate its electric field from Coulomb’s Law.
Force
k (9.0 x 109 Nm2/C2)
q1 = charge 1
q2 = charge 2
d = distance between

10. Ex: Suppose that you are measuring an electric field using a positive test charge of 3.0 x 106 C. This test charge experiences a force of 0.12 N at an angle of 15 degrees north of east. What are the magnitude and direction of the electric field strength at the location of the test charge?
q′ = 3.0 x 10-6 C F = 0.12 N at 15° E = ? J E = F/q′
E = F/q′
E = (0.12 N)
(3.0 x 10-6 C)
E = 40,000 J = 4.0 x 104 J
E = 4.0 x 104 J at 15° N of E

11. Ex: A positive test charge of 5
Ex: A positive test charge of 5.0 x 10-6 C is in an electric field that exerts a force of 2.0 x 10-4 N on it. What is the magnitude of the electric field at the location of the test charge?
q′ = 5.0 x 10-6 C F = 2.0 x 10-4 N E = ? N/C E = F/q′
E = F/q′
E = (2.0 x 10-4 N)
(5.0 x 10-6 C)
E = 40 N/C = 4.0 x 101 N/C
E = 4.0 x 101 N/C

12. Ex: What is the magnitude of the electric field at a point that is 0
Ex: What is the magnitude of the electric field at a point that is 0.30 m to the right of a small sphere with a net charge of -4.0 x 10-6 C?
r = 0.30 m q = -4.0 x 10-6 C E = ? N/C K = 9.0 x 109 Nm2/C2 E = Kq/r2
E = Kq/r2
E = (9.0 x 109 Nm2/C2)(-4.0 x 10-6 C)
(0.30 m)2
E = -400,000 N/C = -4.0 x 105 N/C
E = 4.0 x 105 N/C to the left

13. Modeling the Electric Field
An electric field line indicates the direction of the force due to the electric field on a positive test charge. The spacing between the lines indicates the electric field’s strength. The field is stronger where the lines are spaced more closely.

14. Modeling the Electric Field
The direction of the electric field at any point is the tangent drawn to the field line at that point.

15. Single Charge

16. Two Equal and Unlike Charges

17. Two Like Charges

18. Van de Graaff Generators
A Van de Graaff generator can build up a large amount of net charge on its metal dome. A belt is driven by two rollers or pulleys. One roller is attached to position A, while the other is in the dome.

19. Section 21.1 Measuring Electric Fields
Did We Answer Our Essential Questions?
What is an electric field?
How are charge, electric field, and forces on charged objects related?
How can you represent electric fields in diagrams and other models?

20. Section 21.2 Applications of Electric fields
Essential Questions:
What is an electric potential difference?
How is potential difference related to the work required to move a charge?
What are properties of capacitors?

21. Energy and Electric Potential
The work performed moving a charged particle in an electric field can result in the particle gaining electric potential energy or kinetic energy, or both.
The situation is similar with two unlike charges. The charges attract each other, so you must do work to pull one charge away from another.

22. Electric Potential Difference
Work done to move a charge is the same relationship as work done on an object.
W = Fd
The electric potential difference (ΔV), which is often called potential difference, is the work needed to move a positive test charge from one point to another, divided by the magnitude of the test charge.
ΔV = W q′
Electric potential difference in measured in joules per coulomb (J/C). One joule per coulomb is called a volt (V).

23. Positive vs. Negative Electric Potential Difference
Positive Electric Potential Difference – Low Potential Difference to a High Potential Difference
Negative Electric Potential Difference – High Potential Difference to a Low Potential Difference.

24. Zero Electric Potential Difference
Suppose you move the test charge in a circle around the negative charge. The force the electric field exerts on the test charge is always perpendicular to the direction in which you moved it, so you do no work.
Whenever the electric potential difference between two or more positions is zero, those positions are said to be equipotential.

25. Equipotential Lines vs. Field Lines

26. Electric Potential for Like Charges
Potential energy decreases as you move two like charges farther apart.
Therefore, the electric potential around the positive charge decreases as you move away from that positive charge.

27. Reference point in a System
In the same way as gravitational potential energy, the electric potential of any point can be defined as zero.
No matter what reference point you choose, the value of the electric potential difference from point A to point B will always be the same.

28. Voltage vs. Volts
Only differences in gravitational potential energy can be measured. The same is true of electric potential.
Do not confuse electric potential difference (ΔV) with the unit for volts (V).

29. Electric potential in a Uniform Field
You can produce a uniform electric field by placing two large, flat conducting plates parallel to each other. One plate is positively charged, and the other is negatively charged.
This difference equals the product of electric field intensity and the distance between the parallel plates.
ΔV = Ed

30. Ex: Two charged parallel Plates are 1. 5 cm apart
Ex: Two charged parallel Plates are 1.5 cm apart. The magnitude of the electric field between the plates is 1800 N/C. a) What is the electric potential difference between the plates?
d = 1.5 cm = m E = 1800 N/C ΔV = ?
ΔV = Ed
ΔV = (1800 N/C)(0.015 m)
ΔV = 27 V + -

31. Ex: Two charged parallel Plates are 1. 5 cm apart
Ex: Two charged parallel Plates are 1.5 cm apart. The magnitude of the electric field between the plates is 1800 N/C. B) How much work is required to move a proton from the negative plate to the positive plate?
d = 1.5 cm = m E = 1800 N/C ΔV = 27 V qp = -qe qp = x C
ΔV = W/q
W = qΔV
W = ( x C)(27 V)
W = x J
W = 4.3 x J + -

32. Millikan’s Oil-Drop Experiment
The charge of an electron is x C. Robert Millikan performed an experiment to measure the magnitude of the elementary charge.
Oil-Drop Test
Millikan sprayed fine oil drops from an atomizer into the air.
These drops were charged by friction as they are sprayed from the atomizer.
Gravitational force pulled the drops downward.
Millikan adjusted the electric field between the plates until he had suspended a negatively charged drop.
He was able to calculate the charged drop by using

33. Millikan’s Oil-Drop Experiment

34. Ex: In a Millikan oil-drop experiment, a particular oil drop weighs 2
Ex: In a Millikan oil-drop experiment, a particular oil drop weighs 2.4 x N. The parallel plates are separated by a distance of 1.2 cm. When the potential difference between the plates is 450 V, the drop is suspended. A) What is the net charge on the oil drop?
d = 1.2 cm = m F = 2.4 x N ΔV = 450 V q = ? C
Fe = Fg
qE = Fg
q(ΔV/d) = Fg
q (450 V) = (2.4 x N)
(0.012 m)
q = 6.4 x C + -

35. n = 4.0 n = q/qe n = (6.4 x 10-19 C) (1.602 x 10-19 C)
Ex: In a Millikan oil-drop experiment, a particular oil drop weighs 2.4 x N. The parallel plates are separated by a distance of 1.2 cm. When the potential difference between the plates is 450 V, the drop is suspended. B) If the upper plate is positive, how many excess electrons are on the oil drop?
q = 6.4 x C qe = x C
n = q/qe
n = (6.4 x C)
(1.602 x C)
n = 4.0

36. Electric Fields Near Conductors
Conducting Sphere
On a conducting sphere, the charge is evenly distributed around the surface.
Hollow Sphere
The charges on the hollow sphere are entirely on the outer surface.
Irregular Surface
On an irregular conducting surface, the charges are closest together at sharp points. +

37. Capacitors
A device for storing electrical energy is called a capacitor. An example is a Leyden jar.

38. Capacitance
Capacitance is the ratio of the magnitude of the net charge on one plate of the capacitor to the potential difference across the plates.
C = q . ΔV
C = Capacitance (F = farads)
q = charge (C = Coulombs)
ΔV = potential difference (V = volts)

39. Capacitance
Capacitance is the slope of the line in a net charge versus potential difference graph.

40. C = 6 x 10-8 F C = q ΔV C = (2.4 x 10-6 C) (40 V)
Ex: A sphere was connected to the + pole of a 40 V battery while the – pole was connected to Earth. After a period of time, the sphere was charged to 2.4 x 10-6 C. What is the capacitance of the sphere-Earth system?
ΔV = 40 V qs = 2.4 x 10-6 C C = ? F
C = q ΔV
C = (2.4 x 10-6 C)
(40 V)
C = 6 x 10-8 F

41. Varieties of Capacitors
Capacitors have many shapes and sizes.
Some are large enough to fill an entire room while others are small enough for computers, televisions, and digital cameras.
Manufacturers control the capacitance of a capacitor by varying the surface area of the two conductors by varying the distance between the plates.
Capacitors are named for the type of insulating material used to separate the plates and include ceramic, mica, polyester, and paper.

42. Section 21.2 Applications of Electric fields
Did We Answer Our Essential Questions?
What is an electric potential difference?
How is potential difference related to the work required to move a charge?
What are properties of capacitors?