Physics 12 Electrostatics

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V 1 Electrostatic Forces

Electric charge is a property of protons (positive) and electrons
(negative).
Electrostatics is a study of the forces and energy of charges that are
not moving.

An electric charge is due to an unbalanced amount of protons and
electrons.

Like electric charges repel and unlike electric charges attract.

A conductor is an object that will allow charges (usually electrons)
to move freely: metals, graphite, salt water
Because of their very small mass, usually the charge that moves is
the electron.

An insulator is an object that does not allow the free movement of
charges (electrons): most organic materials, water

A charge is most easily generated by friction between two
materials that have a different attraction for electrons.
One will develop an excess of electrons and be charged negatively.
The other will have a deficit of electrons and be charged positively.

The total charge is conserved.


An electroscope is a simple devise that can detect charges.

Physics 12 Electrostatics

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An electroscope that has an unequal number of protons and
electrons will show a charge. It is a charged electroscope.
An electroscope with zero net charge can show a charge if the
charges are not distributed evenly. This is an induced charge.

Example 1:
Show how a charged balloon can be attracted to a neutral wall, or
how neutral sawdust will attract to a charged object.





A charged electroscope can be neutralized by grounding it
(earthing).

The earth is considered to be able to donate or accept any number
of electrons to neutralize any charge.

An induced charge can be used to generate a charge.
This animation shows:
Induced charge
Grounding
Equalization of charge

What is actually occurring as the positive charge neutralizes?
Physics 12 Electrostatics

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Example 2:
Explain why a Van de Graaf generator uses a sphere to store
charge rather than a cube or an ellipsoid.












The quantitative relationship for the force between two point
charges is Coulombs Law:


F = force (N), Q = charge in coulombs (C), d = distance between
point charges (m).

k = 9.00 x 10
9
Nm
2
/C
2


The charges must be point charges (or non-point charges from a
large distance).

The sign convention:
A positive electrostatic force is a repulsive force.
A negative force is an attractive force.

Example 3:
Find the electrostatic force between two stationary electrons 8.0
!m apart.

What is the instantaneous acceleration if one of the electrons is
released?


F
e
=
kQ
1
Q
2
r
2
Physics 12 Electrostatics

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Example 4:
Three protons are placed on a line at 0 m, 0.40 m, 0.90 m. Find the
force on each proton.












Example 5:
Three 35 !C charges are placed on the corners of an equilateral
triangle with sides of 15 cm. What is the force on each charge?












Example 6:
180 !C charges are placed at the corners of a 0.50 m square. The
charges alternate from positive to negative. What is the force on
each charge?












pp. 496-501, Q 4, 5, 7, 8
P 1, 4, 5, 7, 11-14, 18, 19
Physics 12 Electrostatics

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V 2 Electric Fields
An electric field (E) represents the effects that electric charges
would have on an external electric charge if it were placed at a
specific point in space.
To determine the electric field, a very small positive test charge (q)
is placed at a point and the force on that test charge is measured.

The electric field is measured in Newtons per coulomb (N/C).
The direction of the electric field is the same direction as the force
on the test charge.
A very small test charge is used because a large test charge would
alter the electric field that it is trying to measure.

For a point charge, the electric field can be calculated from
Coulombs Law:

The electric field depends on the size of the point charge and the
distance from the charge.
The direction will depend on the sign of the charge.
V 2 Electric Fields
Here is the electric field for a positive and a negative point charge.
It is a radial field.










Larger charge:

E =
F
q

E =
F
q
=
kQq
r
2
1
q
!
"
#
$
%
&
=
kQ
r
2
Physics 12 Electrostatics

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Electric fields from multiple sources can be added as vectors. The
field from each source is determined, and the net field found by
vector addition.



This is the field from two equal positively charged point charges.


Example 1:
Draw the electric field lines for two equally charged negative
charges.
Physics 12 Electrostatics

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Example 2:
Draw the electric field lines for two charges of equal magnitude
but opposite charge.
















If the charges are not equal, the larger charge will have a larger
affect on the net field.
As a result, the field around the larger charge will be less distorted,
and the field around the smaller charge will be more distorted.
The larger charge should also have a greater density of field lines
around it.

Example 3:
Draw field lines for:
+q, +3q
-q, -3q
+q, -3q
+3q, -q

Draw in order given to match key.
Physics 12 Electrostatics

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Example 4:
Two 20 !C charges are 0.50 m apart on a horizontal line. Find the
electric field:
a) Between the two charges
b) 0.20 m above one of the charges.





















Example 5:
Find the acceleration of an electron in a 35 N/C electric field that is
directed North..









Physics 12 Electrostatics

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The field between two parallel plates is nearly uniform between the
plates (considered uniform).
It is distorted at the plate edges.
A uniform field makes many calculations easier.









Example 6:
Two parallel plates are 15 mm apart with a 200 N/C field between
them. How much work would be required to move a proton from
one plate to the other?













pp. 496-501, Q 14, 15, 18, 19
P 21, 23, 25, 30, 31, 34, 38, 49

V 3 Electric Potential
Electric Potential Energy for point charges is calculated very
similarly to gravitational potential energy.


Zero energy is at infinite distance.
Because charges can be positive or negative, potential energy can
be positive of negative.


E
p
=
kQ
1
Q
2
r
Physics 12 Electrostatics

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V =
kQ
r
Example 1:
Calculate the work required to bring a proton from far away to 1.0
mm from a 30 !C charge.

What is the work if the proton is replaced with an electron?

















Electric potential (or potential) is a measure of the potential energy
change per coulomb of charge. It is measured in Volts (V) or J/C.
If a charge q is moved so its potential energy changes:


From a point charge the voltage is:


As voltage is a scalar quantity. If there are more than one charge,
find the voltage from each charge and add them to find the total
voltage.
V 3 Electric Potential
Example 2:
Find the potential difference from 1.0 m to 0.l0 m from a 200 !C
charge.

What work would be required to move a proton through this
difference?

Why can W = Fd not be used here?


!V =
!PE
q
Physics 12 Electrostatics

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Example 3:
Two 20 !C charges are 0.50 m apart on a horizontal line. Find the
electric potential:
a) Between the two charges
b) 0.20 m above one of the charges.





















Example 4:
An electron is accelerated in a T.V. tube by an 50,000 V potential
difference. What is the speed of the electrons as they hit the screen
of the T.V.?

Physics 12 Electrostatics

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To deal with very small amounts of energy the electron volt (eV)
was invented. This is the energy an electron gains if it is moved
through a one volt difference.
"PE = q"V

1 eV = 1.6 x 10
-19
J
It is often easiest to convert electron volts to joules for work in
calculations.

In between two charged parallel plates, the electric field is
uniform. The work to move a charge between the plates is:
W = !PE
W = q!V
Fd = q!V
Eqd = q!V
E = !V/d

The electric field can be expressed in Volts per meter (V/m) as
well as N/C.

Example 5:
A 0.0040 kg mass is held stationary by two horizontal plates with a
"V of 10,000V. If the plates are 25 cm apart, what must be the
charge on the mass to hold it stationary?









A simple cathode ray tube uses a voltage difference to accelerate
electrons and a voltage difference to deflect electrons.








pp. 522-525, Q 1, 4, 5, 7
P 1, 3, 5, 9, 13, 15, 19, 21

d !
V
d
V
a