ELECTROSTATIC POTENTIAL AND CAPACITANCE

Electrostatic Potential
 Scalar
 pd between 2 points in an electric field is the amount of work done in moving a unit positive
charge from one point to another against electrostatic forces
V = VB - VA = WAB/ q0
 Electric potential at a point located far away from a charge is taken to be zero
 Electric potential at a point in an electric field is the amount of work done in moving a unit
positive charge from infinity to that point against electrostatic forces

 Potential due to a dipole is cylindrically symmetric about the dipole axis. If we rotate the
observation point about the dipole axis, keeping r and θ fixed, the potential V does not change.
However, the potential due to a single charge is spherically symmetric

 Electric potential near an isolated positive charge is positive and near an isolated negative charge
is negative
 Electric potential due to a charge at its own location is not defined- it is infinite
 Electrostatic force is a conservative force. Hence, work done and pd between 2 points does not
depend on the path taken

Properties Relating Electric Field To Electric Potential

1. Electric field is in that direction in which potential decrease is steepest
2. Magnitude of electric field is equal to the change in the magnitude of potential gradient

Equipotential surface
Any surface that has same electric potential at every point on it. Represented by dashed curves, while
lines of force are represented by full line curves

Properties:
a. No work is done in moving a test charge over an equipotential surface
Let A and B be two points over an equipotential surface. If a test charge q0 is moved from A to B,
work done will be

WAB = q0 (VB – VA)

Since surfaces have equal potential V = VA = VB,

VB – VA = 0
Hence, WAB = 0

b. Electric field is always normal to the equipotential surface

At every point, if field were not normal to equipotential surface it would have a non-zero
component along the surface. Hence work would be done to move a test charge against this
component. But since there is no pd, consequently no work is required. Hence, electric field must
be normal to the equipotential surface at every point
 c. Equipotential surfaces are closer together in regions of strong field and farther apart in regions of
weak field
𝑑𝑉 𝑑𝑉
𝑑𝐸 = − 𝑑𝑟 ⇒ 𝑑𝑟 = − 𝑑𝐸

1
Since V= 0, dV is constant. This implies 𝑑𝑟 ∝ 𝑑𝐸

d. No 2 equipotential surfaces can intersect each other. If they intersect, then there will be two
values of electric potential at the point of intersection, which is not possible

Importance:
Give direction and magnitude of electric field- they are closer together in regions of strong field
and farther part in regions of weak field

Electric Potential Energy

 Energy possessed by a system of charges by virtue of position
 When 2 like charges are infinitely apart, U = 0 as no work has to be done in moving one charge at
infinite distance from the other. But when they are brought closer to one another, work has to be
done against forces of repulsion. This work gets stored as U
 Electric potential energy of a system of point charges may be defined as the amount of work done
in assembling the charges at their locations by bringing them in from infinity

 U of 2 like charges (q1 q2 > 0) is positive. This implies that work can be obtained by releasing the
charges
 U of 2 unlike charges (q1 q2 < 0) is negative. This implies that external agency will have to do
work to separate the charges

Electron Volt
If an electron is moved through a potential difference of 1 V, then the change in its potential energy
would be
∆𝑈 = 𝑞 ∆𝑉 = 1.6 × 10−19 𝐶 × 1𝑉 = 1.6 × 10−19 𝐽

This is called electron volt. It is the potential energy gained or lost by an electron moving through a
potential difference of 1 volt.

Dielectrics
Rubbed insulators which are able to retain charges placed on them

Non-electrics
Conductors which cannot retain charges placed on them, but are immediately drained away

Bound Charges
Positive ions consist of nuclei and electrons of inner shells. They remain fixed in their positions and are
immobile
Conductors
Substances which allow large scale physical movement of electric charges through them when external
electric field is applied

Properties of a conductor in Electric Field

i. Net electrostatic field is zero in the interior of conductor
When conductor is placed in an electric field Eext, it’s free electrons begin to move in opposite
direction. Negative and positive charges are induced on opposite sides. This continues until
electric field Eint is set up by induced charges, which is equal and opposite to Eext. Hence, net field
inside conductor will be zero

ii. Just outside the surface of a charged conductor, E is normal to the surface
If not, it will have a component tangential to surface which will immediately cause flow of
charges, producing surface currents

iii. Net charge in interior of a conductor is zero and any excess charge resides at its surface
Consider a conductor carrying excess charge Q, with no current flowing and a Gaussian inside the
conductor just near its outer boundary. As E = 0 at all points inside the conductor, flux through
the surface must be 0.
𝑄
𝜙𝐸 = 0 ⇒ =0 ⇒ 𝑄=0
𝜀0

Hence, there is no charge in interior of conductor as Gaussian surface lies just near outer
boundary

iv. Potential is constant within and on the surface of a conductor

𝑑𝑉
𝑑𝐸 = − ⇒
𝑑𝑟

Inside a conductor, E = 0

𝑑𝑉
⇒− = 0 ⇒ 𝑑𝑉 = 0 ⇒ 𝑉 𝑖𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡
𝑑𝑟

v. E at surface of a charged conductor is proportional to surface charge density

Let σ be the surface charge density at any point on a surface. Consider a short cylinder as
Gaussian surface, which lies partly inside and partly outside the conductor. Now it has cross
sectional area ∆S and negligible height. E = 0 inside conductor and just outside it is normal to the
surface. Contribution to total flux comes only from outer cross section.
𝜙𝐸 = 𝐸 Δ𝑆
Charge enclosed, q = σ ∆S

Hence,
σ ∆S σ
𝐸 ∆𝑆 = ⇒ 𝐸=
𝜀0 𝜀0

vi. E = 0 in the cavity of a hollow charged conductor

Electrostatic Shielding
The phenomena of making a region free from any electric field. This field free region is called a Faraday
cage. E.g. - Cavity inside a conductor

Applications:
a) In a thunderstorm accompanied by lighting it is safe to sit inside the car
b) Sensitive components of electronic devices are protected from external electric disturbances by
placing metal shields around them

Electrical Capacitance of a Conductor

 Measure of ability to hold electric charge

Q∝V ⇒ Q = CV

 Capacitance is defined as charge required to increase potential of conductor by unit amount

 Depends upon
 Size and shape of conductor
 Permittivity of surrounding medium
 Presence of other conductors in neighborhood
 Does not depend on nature of its material or amount of charge existing on conductor

 Capacitance of an isolated conductor is small. If it held a large amount of charge, potential would
also be high. If electric field became high, atoms would get ionized and breakdown would occur.
The charge would get neutralized or leaked away. For air, breakdown point is at 3 x 106 V/m

 Capacitance of an insulated conductor is considerably increased when we place an earthed

connected conductor near it

 Capacitor is an arrangement of two conductors separated by an insulating medium that is used to

store electric charge and energy
 Uses of capacitors:
 Produce electric fields of desired pattern
 Radio circuits for tuning
 Tank circuit of oscillator

Dielectric
 Substance which does not allow flow of charges through it but permits them to exert electrostatic
forces on one another
 E.g. – glass, wax, water
 They have negligibly small number of charge carriers

 In dielectric, external field induces dipole moment by stretching or re-orienting molecules of

dielectric. Induced dipole moment sets up an internal E, which opposes, but does not exactly
cancel external field. It only reduces it

 Polar molecule- Molecules in which centre of mass of positive charges does not coincide with
centre of mass of negative charges. Have symmetrical shapes
  Non-polar molecule- Molecules whose centre of mass of positive and negative charges coincide.
In presence of external E, centers of positive charge are displaced in direction of external field
while centers of negative charge displaced in opposite direction

Polarization (P)
 Vector
 All dielectrics develop net dipole moment in the presence of external E, called polarization of
dielectric
 Dipole moment per unit volume
 Magnitude is usually referred to as polarization density
 If the field is not large, polarization is proportional to resultant field
𝑃 ∝ 𝐸 ⇒ 𝑃 = 𝜀0 𝜒 𝐸

χ is electric susceptibility. It is the ratio of polarization to ε0 times E. ε0 is used to keep χ

dimensionless

Dielectric Strength
When dielectric is placed in a very high E, outer electrons may get detached from their parent atoms. The
dielectric then behaves like a conductor. This phenomenon is called dielectric breakdown.

Max E that can exist in a dielectric without causing breakdown of its insulating property. Unit is same as
that of E (V/m)

Effect of dielectric when battery is kept disconnected from capacitor

V0 1
Q 0 = C0 V0 , E0 = , U0 = 𝐶 𝑉2
d 2 0 0

 Charge- Remains same because battery has been disconnected

 E - Reduces, due to induced surface charge on dielectric
𝐸0
𝐸= 𝜅

 pd – Decreases, due to reduction in E

𝐸0 𝑉0
𝑉 = 𝐸𝑑 = 𝑑=
𝜅 𝜅

 Capacitance- As a result of decrease in pd, capacitance increases

𝑄0 𝑄0
𝐶= = = 𝜅 𝐶0
𝑉 𝑉0⁄
𝜅

 Energy stored- Decreases

1 1 𝑉0 1 1 𝑈0
𝑈= 𝐶 𝑉 2 = (𝜅 𝐶0 ) ( )2 = ⋅ 𝐶0 𝑉02 =
2 2 𝜅 𝜅 2 𝜅
Effect of dielectric when battery remains connected across capacitor

 pd - Remains constant
 E - Remains unchanged, since pd remains unchanged
 Capacitance- Increases
𝐶 = 𝜅 𝐶0

 Charge- Increases
𝑄 = 𝐶𝑉 = 𝜅 𝐶0 𝑉0 = 𝜅 𝑄0

 Energy stored- Increases

1 1
𝑈= 𝐶 𝑉 2 = (𝜅 𝐶0 ) 𝑉02 = 𝜅 𝑈0
2 2

Corona Discharge
When a spherical conductor of radius r carries a charge Q,
𝑄 𝑄
𝜎= =
𝐴 4𝜋𝑟 2
𝜎 𝑄
E (on surface) =
𝜀0
= 4𝜋𝜀0 𝑟2

Pointed end of conductor is highly curved, so radius of curvature is very small. If conductor is given a
charge Q, then charge density σ at pointed end will be very high. Consequently, E near a pointed end will
be very high. This causes ionization or electric breakdown of surrounding air. Oppositely charged ions
neutralize pointed end while similarly charged ions are repelled away, setting up a kind of electric wind.

Dielectric Constant (κ) OR Relative Permittivity (εr)

Ratio of original field E0 and reduced field E0-EP

𝐸0
𝜅=
𝐸0 − 𝐸𝑃