ELECTRIC FIELD

An electric field is a region where an electric charge experiences the force. If a very small positive point
charge Q in a place at any point in an electric field experiences a force F, then the field strength E of the
electric field at that point is defined by the equation.
𝐹
𝐸 = 𝑞 …… 1.1

𝐹 = 𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑐 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒 𝑞 = 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑒

The magnitude of the electric field (𝐸) is the force per unit charge and its direction is that of F (i.e the
direction of the electrostatic force act on the charge)
Equation 1.1 states that since the force is a vector quantity, electric field will also be a vector quantity. The
electric field, 𝜀 has the same direction as the force acting on the charge. If the electric charge is negative (-),
the electric field is opposite to that of the force F.

Electric Field at a point charge 𝒒𝟏

Let us consider the electric field of a point charge, 𝑞1 from Coulomb’s law. If we place a point charge 𝑞1 at
a distance d from another point to charge 𝑞2 , the force on 𝑞1 ...
𝑘 𝑞1 𝑞2 1
𝐹= when 𝑘 = 4𝜋𝜀
𝑑2 0

𝑞 𝑞2
𝐹 = 4𝜋𝜀1 2
……. 1.2
0𝑑

Since the electric field force per unit charge will divide the force in equation 1.2 by the charge 𝒒𝟐 to obtain
the electric field due to 𝒒𝟏 .
𝑘 𝑞1 𝑞2
𝐹= 𝑑2

Due 𝑞2 ,
𝑘𝑞1
𝐸= ……. 1.3
𝑑2
Therefore, equation 1.3 gives the electric field arising due to the charge q at any location which is at a distance.

Examples:
1. The electric field on the surface of a holosphere of radius 18cm is equal to 5.2×104 𝑁/𝐶 and it points
radically outward from the centre of the sphere. Calculate the quantity of a charge enclosed by the
surface.

2. A small object carrying a charge of −5×10−9 𝐶 experiences a force of 20×10−9 𝑁 in the negative
direction when placed at a certain point in an electric field.
(a) What is the electric field at a point
(b) What is the magnitude and direction of the force acting on a proton placed at that
point.

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 ELECTRIC FIELD LINES
An electric field can be represented by electric field lines or lines of force. Lines are drawn so that the field
line at a point or the tangent to it gives the direction of electric field at the point.

Properties of electric field lines

1. It begins from positive charges and end on equal negative charge

2. They cannot cross each other
3. The closer together the lines, the stronger the electric field.
4. A uniform field is indicated by parallel and equal straight lines.
5. As you move along a field line, in the direction of the arrow, electric potential is on the decrease.
6. The electric field lines cut the potential surfaces at right angles
7. The electric field lines are imaginary lines

(i) Field pattern around a positive charge (iii) Field pattern around two positive charges

+ +
+

(ii) Field pattern around a negative charge (iv) Field pattern around two unlike charges

- + -

INTENSITY OF THE FIELD ON A POINT CHARGE

From the electric field, equation 1.1 and equation 1.3; we have that

𝑘 𝑞1 𝑞2
𝐹 = 𝜀𝑞 = 𝑑2

2
 𝐹 𝑘𝑞1 𝑞 𝑘𝑞
𝐸=𝑞 = = ……. Field on a point charge without its intensity
1 𝑟 2 𝑞1 𝑟2

𝑞
𝐸 = 4𝜋𝜀 2
…………. 1.4
0𝑟

Equation 1.4 is the intensity of the field due to the point charge.

INTENSITY OF THE FIELD DUE TO SEVERAL POINT CHARGES

If we have several point charges, the resultant field intensity can be evaluated by using the principle of
superposition and vectorial addition of charges, 𝑞1 , 𝑞2 , 𝑞3 … 𝑞𝑛 having distances; 𝑟1 , 𝑟2 , 𝑟3 … 𝑟𝑛 from a given
point, P so that the intensity of the field will be given by;
1 ∑𝑛
𝑖=1 𝑞𝑖 1 𝑞
𝐸= = ∑𝑛𝑖=1 2𝑖 ………….. 1.5
4𝜋𝜀0 ∑𝑛 2
𝑖=1 𝑟𝑖 4𝜋𝜀0 𝑟𝑖

If the charge is not a point charge but effectively continuous, such charge can be divided into infinitesimal
element, dq and hence you can calculate the electric field.
The generalization of equation 1.5 becomes;
1 𝑑𝑞
𝐸= ∫ 𝑟 2 ……….. 1.6
4𝜋𝜀0

If 𝜌 (𝑟ℎ𝑜), 𝜎(𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑚𝑎), 𝜆(𝑙𝑎𝑚𝑏𝑑𝑎) are volume, area and line charge density respectively. We can write it as;
1 𝜌𝑑𝑣
𝐸= ∫ ……… 1.7
4𝜋𝜀0 𝑟2
1 𝜎𝑑𝑠
𝐸= ∫ ……… 1.8
4𝜋𝜀0 𝑟2
1 𝜆𝑑𝜆
𝐸= ∫ ………….1.9
4𝜋𝜀0 𝑟2

𝑑𝑞
Therefore 𝜌 = 𝑑𝑣 = volume charge density
𝑑𝑞
𝜎= = area charge density
𝑑𝑠
𝑑𝑞
𝜆 = 𝑑𝜆 = line charge density

INTENSITY OF THE FIELD FORMED BY AN INFINITE CHARGE ON A LINE OR WIRE

𝑑𝐸 𝑑𝐸𝑦𝑖

𝑑𝐸𝑥𝑖 P
𝜃 s

Fig 1.8: A uniformly charged wire

++++++++ Q ++++++++++ 𝑑𝑥 ++++++++++++ R

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Fig 1.8 shows a long wire having a positive charge uniformly distributed along its length. Assuming we are
to find the magnitude and intensity of the electric field at point P and perpendicular distance r from the wire.
Let 𝑑𝑥 be the length from the segment of the wire. At the point P, the element 𝑑𝑞 set up the field of
magnitude.
1 𝑑𝑞
𝑑𝐸 = 4𝜋𝜀 …….. 1.10
0 𝑠2

By integrating;

∫ 𝑑𝐸𝑥 = 𝐸𝑥
∫ 𝑑𝐸𝑦 = 𝐸𝑦

𝐸𝑥 = ∫ 𝑑𝐸𝑥 = ∫ 𝑑𝐸 sin 𝜃…….. 1.11

𝐸𝑦 = ∫ 𝑑𝐸𝑦 = ∫ 𝑑𝐸 cos 𝜃…….1.12

But 𝑑𝑞 = 𝜆𝑑𝑥. 𝑥 replaces 𝜆 in terms of distance given in the diagram where 𝜆 represent the charge per unit
length of the wire. This integration may be simplified as 𝜃 displaces 𝑥 as the dependent variable.
From Fig 1.8, From △ 𝑃𝑄𝑅 ,
𝑥
= tan 𝜃
𝑟

𝑥 = 𝑟 tan 𝜃
𝑑𝑥
∴ = 𝑟𝑠𝑒𝑐 2 𝜃 𝑑𝑥 = 𝑟𝑠𝑒𝑐 2 𝜃𝑑𝜃
𝑑𝜃
𝑟
𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃 = 𝑠
𝑟 1
𝑠 = cos 𝜃; since = sec 𝜃
cos 𝜃

𝑠 = 𝑟 sec 𝜃 ………… 1.13

Substituting equation 1.13 into equation 1.10, we have
1 𝜆𝑟𝑠𝑒𝑐 2 𝜃𝑑𝜃 1 𝜆𝑑𝜃
𝑑𝐸 = 4𝜋𝜀 = ……… 1.14
0 𝑟 2 𝑠𝑒𝑐 2 𝜃 4𝜋𝜀0 𝑟
+𝜋
1 𝜆 2
𝐸𝑥 = 4𝜋𝜀 ∫−𝜋 sin 𝜃 𝑑𝜃
0 𝑟
2

+𝜋
1 𝜆
𝐸𝑦 = 4𝜋𝜀 𝑟
∫−𝜋2 cos 𝜃 𝑑𝜃
0 2

−𝜋 +𝜋
If the wire is infinitely long, the limit of integration are from 𝜃 = to 𝜃 =
2 2
+𝜋
1 𝜆
𝐸𝑥 = 4𝜋𝜀 𝑟
∫−𝜋2 sin 𝜃 𝑑𝜃
0 2

+𝜋
2
1 𝜆 1 𝜆
= 4𝜋𝜀 (− cos 𝜃) = 4𝜋𝜀 (− cos 90° − (cos(−90))
0𝑟 0 𝑟
−𝜋
2
4
 1 𝜆
= 4𝜋𝜀 [0 + 0] = 0
0 𝑟
+𝜋
1 𝜆 2
𝐸𝑦 = 4𝜋𝜀 ∫
−𝜋 cos 𝜃 𝑑𝜃
0 𝑟
2

+𝜋
2

1 𝜆
𝐸𝑦 = 4𝜋𝜀 (sin 𝜃)
0 𝑟
−𝜋
2
1 𝜆
𝐸𝑦 = 4𝜋𝜀 (sin 90 − sin(−90))
0 𝑟

1 𝜆 1 𝜆
𝐸𝑦 = 4𝜋𝜀 (1 − (−1)) = 4𝜋𝜀 (2)
0 𝑟 0 𝑟

𝜆
𝐸𝑦 = 2𝜋𝜀
0𝑟

Examples
1. An infinite line of charge produces a field of 5.0×104 𝑁/𝐶 at a perpendicular distance of 2.5m from
the wire. What is the line density?

Exercise
1. Derive the formula for the electric field due to a charged disc
2. Show that the electric field due to a given ring by
𝑧𝑄 𝜎 𝑧
𝑑𝐸 = 3 is 𝐸 = 2𝜀 [1 − √𝑧 2 ]
4𝜋𝜀0 (𝑧 2 +𝑠2 ) ⁄2 0 +𝑅 2
𝜎
3. Show that the intensity of the field due to a charged infinitely long plane is 𝐸 = 2𝜀
0

ELECTRIC FLUX
The number of the lines of force crossing any surface depends on three factors;
 the field strength, E
 the surface area, S
 the orientation of the surface relative to the electric field (𝜃)

𝜃 E Fig. 1.10

If 𝜃 is the angle between the electric field and the perpendicular is shown in the figure above, then the
number of lines of force passing through the surface ranging from maximum to minimum depends on 𝜃.
That is; when 𝜃 = 0°; the number of lines of force crossing the surface is maximum.
when 𝜃 = 90°; the number of lines of force crossing the surface is zero.

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It can therefore be said that the number of lines of forces crossing a surface is proportional to the projection
of the field on to the perpendicular to the surface; i.e
𝜑 = 𝐸. 𝑆 = 𝐸𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑐 𝑓𝑖𝑒𝑙𝑑 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ ×𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑎 …….. 1.18
GAUSS LAW
From our earlier findings, we can say that;
i) the number of lines of force crossing any closed surface is proportional to the net change enclosed
by the surface
ii) the electric flux through any closed surface is proportional to the total charge enclosed by the
surface
𝜑 ∝ 𝑞𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑒𝑑
Gauss’ law states that the electric flux through any closed surface is equal to the total charge divided by 𝜀0 .
Using Coulomb’s law, we have already deduced that this is the case for a point charge at the centre of a
spherical surface. But Gauss’ law holds for a closed surface of any shape and for any charge distribution inside
that surface.
𝑞
𝜑 = 𝜀 = ∫ 𝐸. 𝑑𝑠
0

Example:
The Electric field everywhere on a surface of a holosphere of radius 30cm is equal to 6.4 x 104 N/C and points radically
outwards to the centre of the sphere;
Calculate i. the Quantity of Charge enclosed by the surface
ii. the Electric flux through the surface.