This study guide is a more expanded version of the formula sheet I posted last week.

Please remember that on the exam, the formulas will be listed without any explanatory
text. It is your responsibility to know what each formula does and in what context it
applies. I am posting as a separate document the notes from my Monday nights review.
These contain examples we did.
q1q2
(q1 and q2 are the magnitudes of the charge. Determine
r2
the sign of the force in the context, depending which way it points in the given coordinate
system). Be able to write forces and any vector in unit vector notation.

1) Coulombs Law: F12 = k

Know how to project vectors, trigonometric relations in a right angle triangle (sin, cos,
and tan).
Nm 2
k = 8.99 !10
C2
9

Coulombs Law only applies to point charges at rest. A more general way to calculate the
electrostatic force is from the electric field:
!
!
FE = q0 ! E

q0 is a test charge, i.e. it does not produce its own electric field

For example, we apply this relationship when we calculate the electric force on a charged
particle in a uniform field.

!
! FE
2) Electric field vector: E =
q0 must be plugged in here with its proper sign.
q0
Electric field points in the same direction as the force for positive charges, and in an
opposite direction for negative charges.
3) Field lines start on positive charge, end on negative charge. The electric field is
tangential to the field lines.
Where the field lines are more crowded, the electric field is stronger.
Large charge-> more field lines compared to small charge
dq q
= (the latter for uniform distribution)
dr r
dq q
Surface density of charge: ! =
= (the latter for uniform distribution)
dA A
dq q
Volume density of charge: ! =
= (the latter for uniform distribution)
dV V

4) Linear density of charge: =

5) Electric field of sheet of uniform charge distribution: E = 2! k"

Note that contains the net charge on the sheet and can hence be positive or negative.
Electric field for a parallel plate capacitor: E = 4! k" between the plates, zero outside
6) Review scalar product, which shows up in the work, potential energy of the dipole in
the uniform field, and flux formulas

! !
C = A ! B = AB cos! , where is the angle between the two vectors as we turn the first one
toward the second one in counter-clockwise direction.
!
!
7) Dipole moment: p = qL points in a direction from the negative to the positive charge.
Electric forces on the dipole charges in a uniform and non-uniform electric field.

! ! !
! ! !
! = r ! F or ! = p ! E
Net torque on the dipole in a uniform electric field:
! = rF sin "
is the angle between the two vectors, shortest path. The sign of the torque is determined
by the right hand rule.
Work done by the uniform electric field on a dipole to rotate it from
an angle of 90o with
!
!
respect to the field to an angle with respect to the field: W = p ! E

! !
Potential energy of the dipole at an angle with respect to the field: U = ! p " E
8) Electric flux:

! !
On a surface in a uniform field: ! = E " A = E " A " cos!
Flux through a closed surface in a uniform field:
(a) Draw in the area vectors so that they all point outward
(b) Determine the angle between the area vector and the field on each component of
the surface
(c) Find the flux on each component of the surface
(d) Add them all up
In a non-uniform field, the flux is an integral across a given surface: ! =

! !
E " dA

surface

but for the exam we restrict ourselves to simple situations, where we dont have to
integrate.

! !
Gausss Law: ! = "
# E " dA = 4! k " qenclosed

a) Think about the symmetry of the charge distribution. This will tell you what the
electric field looks like.
b) Exploit the symmetry of the electric field to avoid integration and unnecessary
work.
c) It helps to know the surface areas of the most important geometrical figures, i.e.
the sphere and the cylinder!
9) Applications of Gausss Law:
Electric field inside and outside a spherical nonconductor and conductor, hollow, solid,
charge at center, no charge at center, etc.
10) Electric potential energy difference and potential difference (also called voltage):
!U = "WFE
!V =

!U "WFE WF
=
=
q0
q0
q0

(a) Uniform Field Potential energy difference to move a positive or negative charge
between two points in this field a distance x apart:
!U = "q0 E # !x
!

E, q0, and x must be plugged in with their proper signs

Obtain the potential difference from the potential energy difference by using the formula
!U
above: !V =
q0
b) Field of a Point charge Potential energy difference to move a positive or negative
charge between two points in this field a distance r apart:
$1 1'
plug in proper signs for the charges.
!U12 = kqq0 " & # )
% r2 r1 (
Obtain the potential difference from this by dividing by the test charge, q0.
With U=0 and V=0 at infinity:
qq
q !W"
U ( r ) = k 0 = !W" and V ( r ) = k =
r
r
q0
11) Capacitors (only the material from Class 10).
Capacitance for the parallel plate capacitor:
A
C=
4! kd

Relationship between charge and voltage:

Q = CV
Energy stored in the capacitor and energy density (i.e. energy divided by the volume of
the capacitor):
CV 2
U
U=
!=
2
A!d
Dont forget that the electric field between the capacitor plates is uniform and related to
the surface density of charge (see item 5).
For the Dipole and the Work-Energy items, please use the review sheets I prepared,
posted in the lecture notes folder.