ELECTRIC CHARGE

• Electric charge is an intrinsic property of particles, such as electrons and

protons.

• There are two types of charges: positive and negatives.

• Electrons have a negative charge.

• Protons have a positive charge.

• Charged particles can interact to create an electrical force.

• Similar charges produce a repulsive force, where each one repels the other.

• Dissimilar charges produce an attractive force, where each one attracts the
other.
Glass + silk = + charge

Plastic+ fur = - charge

 CONDUCTORS AND INSULATORS

• Materials are classified into four categories in terms of their capability of conducting
electricity.
• Insulators: materials that a significant amount of electrons are not free to move.
examples include rubber plastic, glass, and chemically pure water.
• Conductors: materials that a significant amount of electrons are free to move ( rather
freely); examples include metals (such as copper in common lamp wire.
• Semiconductors: materials that sometimes behave like insulators and sometimes
behave like conductors, intermediate between conductors and insulators. ; examples
include silicon and germanium in computer chips
• Superconductors: materials that almost all electrons are free to move, perfect
conductors(allowing charge to move without any hindrance).
 QUANTIZATION OF CHARGE
The fundamental charge is the electron charge (𝑒) which is 1.6× 10-19 Coulomb (C), where •
the Coulomb (C) is the SI unit of charge.
Any electric charge (𝑞) is quantized, that means it depends on the number of electrons (𝑛), •
according to
𝑞 =𝑛𝑒
The electric current is the rate of change of the electric charge •

𝑑𝑞
𝑖=
𝑑𝑡
Therefore , 1 Coulomb (C) = 1 Ampere (A). 1 second (s).
 ELECTROSTATIC FORCE – COULOMB’S LAW

The magnitude of the electrostatic force (attractive or repulsive) between two charged •
particles 𝑞1 and 𝑞2 separated by a distance 𝑟 is determined by
𝑘 𝑞1 𝑞2
𝐹=
𝑟2
where 𝑘 is a constant equals to 9.0 × 109 N. m2 / C2, which is also defined as
1
𝑘=
4𝜋𝜀0
where 𝜀0 is known as the permittivity and equals to 8.85 × 10-12 C2 /(N. m2).
The electric force is a vector quantity, therefore the resultant force on an object is the •
superposition vector of all forces acting on it due to others.
Figure 21-9a
Figure 21-9c
Figure 21-9e
 WORKED EXERCISES

1. How many electrons would be removed from a metal to have a charge of 4.8 µC?
Solution

We know that the electric charge is quantized and defined by the equation

𝑞 =𝑛𝑒

𝑞 4.8 × 10−6
𝑛= = −19
= 3.0 × 1013 electrons
𝑒 1.6 × 10
 WORKED EXERCISES

2. 5× 1020 electrons pass between two points in 4 s, calculate the current.

Solution

We know that the current is the rate of change of charge, therefore

𝑑𝑞 𝑞
𝑖= =
𝑑𝑡 𝑡
But the charge is

𝑞 =𝑛𝑒

𝑛𝑒 5×1020 ×1.6×10−19
𝑖= = = 20 A
𝑡 4
 WORKED EXERCISES

3. Two charges 4 µC and - 3 µC are separated by 2 cm. Calculate the force between them ?
Solution

Since the signs of the charges are different, they produce an attractive force. The magnitude of this force is

𝑘 𝑞1 𝑞2
𝐹=
𝑟2

9 × 109 × 4 × 10−6 × 3 × 10−6

𝐹= = 270 N
0.022
 WORKED EXERCISES

4. Calculate the distance between two point charges 2.4 µC and – 1.8 µC for the electrostatic
force to be of magnitude 10.8 N?
Solution

The magnitude of the electrostatic force is given by

𝑘 𝑞1 𝑞2 𝑘 𝑞1 𝑞2
𝐹= → 𝑟=
𝑟2 𝐹

𝑘 𝑞1 𝑞2 9 × 109 × 2.4 × 10−6 × 1.8 × 10−6

𝑟= = = 0.06 𝑚 = 6 𝑐𝑚
𝐹 10.8
 WORKED EXERCISES

5. A point charge 2.0 µC is placed at a distance 4 cm form another point charge q. If the
attractive force between them is 56.25 N, find q.
Solution

The magnitude of the electrostatic force is given by

𝑘 𝑞1 𝑞2 𝐹 𝑟2
𝐹= → 𝑞2 =
𝑟2 𝑘 𝑞1

56.25 ×0.042
𝑞2 = 9×109 ×2.0×10−6 = 5.0 × 10−6 C = 5𝜇𝐶

Since the force is ATTRACTIVE, the signs of the charges are DIFFERENT. Therefore the unknown charge
is negative -5.0 µC .
 WORKED EXERCISES

6. Three point charges 2.0, 3.0, and -4.0 µC are located as shown in the figure. Find the
magnitude of the force acting on the 2 µC charge due to the others .
Solution

2 µC 2m 3 µC 3m -4 µC

Since the signs of charges (2 µC and 3 µC) are similar, the force is repulsive. That means the force will be to left and its
magnitude is

9 × 109 × 2 × 10−6 × 3 × 10−6

𝐹12 = = 0.0135 N
22
 WORKED EXERCISES

Since the signs of charges (2 µC and -4 µC) are dissimilar, the force is attractive. That means the force will be to right and its
magnitude is

9 × 109 × 2 × 10−6 × 4 × 10−6

𝐹13 = = 0.00288 N
52
Therefore the magnitude of the force on the 2 µC particle due to the other charged particles is
𝐹 = 𝐹12 − 𝐹13 = 0.0135 − 0.00288 = 0.01062 N
 WORKED EXERCISES
7. Three point charges 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 µC are arranged as shown in the figure. Find the
magnitude of the force acting on the 2 µC charge due to the others .
Solution

2 µC

Since the signs of charges (1 µC and 2 µC) are similar, the force will be up along the positive y-direction with magnitude of
3m
9 × 10 × 1 × 10−6 × 2 × 10−6
9
𝐹12 = 4=m0.002 N
32
1 µC 3 µC
 WORKED EXERCISES

Since the signs of charges (2 µC and 3 µC) are also similar, the force will have two components (one along x and other along y
axes)

9 × 109 × 2 × 10−6 × 3 × 10−6 4

𝐹13𝑥 = ∙ = 0.00173 N
52 5

9 × 109 × 2 × 10−6 × 3 × 10−6 3

𝐹13𝑦 = ∙ = 0.0013 N
52 5
Therefore the magnitude of the force on the 2 µC particle due to the other charged particles is
𝐹𝑥 = 0.00173 𝑁
𝐹𝑦 = 0.002 + 0.0013 = 0.0033 𝑁

𝐹= 𝐹𝑥2 + 𝐹𝑦2 = 0.00372 𝑁

 WORKED EXERCISES

8. Two charges 9.0 and 16.0 µC are separated by a distance of 2 m. Where should a third
charge 2 µC be placed for a net force on it zero?
Solution
As the charges are of same sign, the third charge must be placed between them and close to the smaller charge in order to
have a zero net force.

9 µC x 2 µC 2-x 16 µC
𝐹13 = 𝐹12

9 × 109 × 2 × 10−6 × 9 × 10−6 9 × 109 × 2 × 10−6 × 16 × 10−6

=
𝑥2 2−𝑥 2
WORKED EXERCISES

9 16
2
= 2
𝑥 2−𝑥

Taking the square root of the above, we get

3 4
=
𝑥 2−𝑥
This leads to

6
𝑥= = 0.86 𝑚
7
 WORKED EXERCISES

9. Four identical charges (2 µC) are located at the vertices of a square of side 5 cm. Calculate
the magnitude of the electric force on a 5 µC located at the center of the square.
Solution

The electric forces on the 5 µC due to the other charges have the same magnitude. Each charge along the
diagonal will experience equal and opposite force on the 5 µC charge, therefore, the resultant force is zero.

2 µC 2 µC
F F

5 µC
F F
2 µC 2 µC