Electromagnetic

Field Theory
SKEE 2523
    
 A magnetostatic field
is produced by the
    An electrostatic field moving charges or a
is produced by a constant current flow
static charge (dc current)
distribution

AC current produced the

electromagnetic field.
ELECTRIC CHARGE

Charges [symbol = Q], are measured in Coulombs (C).

on a point

along a line
Electric charges can on a surface
be found…
in a volume or
a combination of the above
distribution
A POINT CHARGE

A point charge è a charge so small compared

to the distance

a star
the earth distance
A LINE CHARGE

A line charge èthe charge distribution along

a thin line.

Electric wire
A line charge density is given by

ρ Δ lim ΔQ (C / m)
 Δ→0 Δ
The total charge along the line is written as  

Q = ∫l ρ dl
A SURFACE CHARGE

A surface charge è charges distributed

on a thin sheet

Layers of surface charges

inside a capacitor
A surface charge density is given by

ρs Δ lim ΔQ (C/m2)
Δs→0 Δ s
The total charge on the surface is written as  

Q = ∫ ρsds
s
VOLUME CHARGE

A volume charge è charges distributed

inside a volume

Star
A volume charge density is given by

ρv Δ lim ΔQ (C/m3)
Δv→0 Δv
The total charge in the volume is written as  

Q = ∫ ρvdv
v
 COULOMB’S LAW

The force F between two point charges Q1 and Q2 is

• Directly propotional to the magnitude of the charges
• Inversely proportional to the square distance
between them

F ∝ QQ
1 2 = k QQ
1 2
R122 R122
 k= 1
4πε 0
The force at position Q2: permittivity of free space

QQ
F2 = k 1 2 aˆR12 Newton
R12
Force in Coulomb’s law :
• Force is mutual è the two charges experiences the same
force, but in opposite direction.
• Coulomb’s law is linear, if charge = n times larger, the
force = n times larger too.
• The force on a charge is the summation of all forces acting
on it
Ftotal = ∑ F
n
ELECTRIC FIELD INTENSITY
• Force at Qt is Ft Ft
• The force at Qt over the total charge of Qt =
Qt
• This is the intensity of electric charge at
position Qt
Qt
Q1 Ft
 Ft Q1
Et Δ = ˆ
a (N/C, V/m)
Qt 4πε 0 R1t 2 R1t

Q1 Qt
R1t
Et
ELECTRIC FIELD INTENSITY DUE TO THE
POINT CHARGE

Q
E = ˆ
a V/m
4πε0 R 2 R

Q
R
aˆ R E
 Total field at point P due to many point
charges:
n
En E3 ETotal = ∑ Ek
k =1

Q1 E2

E1
Q2

Q3 Qn
 The total field E at point P is

n
Etotal = E1 + E2 + E3 +...+ En = ∑ Ek
k =1

= Q 1 ˆ
a + Q 2 ˆ
a + ...+ Q n ˆ
a
4πε 0 R12 R1
4πε 0 R22 R 2
4πε 0 Rn2 Rn
ELECTRIC FIELD INTENSITY DUE TO THE
LINE CHARGE
Q = ∫ ρ d
 
ρl d l
E =∫ aˆ
2 R
l 4πε 0 R
 Another method to find field due to line charge
ρ ⎧
ˆ
r ˆ
z ⎫
E = l ⎪⎨ r ⎜⎝ sinα2 + sinα1 ⎟⎠ + r (cosα2 -cosα1 ) ⎪⎬ V / m
⎛ ⎞
4πε0 ⎪⎩ ⎪
⎭

z
α2 E

ρl r α1
rˆ : direction of radius
zˆ : direction of line
 sin α = ( z - a) , sin α = (b - z)
1 r 2 + ( z - a)2 2 r 2 + (b - z)2
cosα = r , cosα = r
1 r 2 + ( z - a)2 2 r 2 + (b - z)2
b

α2 E

ρl r α1
z
a
Infinite line charge: both α1 and α2 à 90°
Thus, electric field intensity for infinite line charge:

ρ
E = l rˆ (V/m)
2πε 0r
Find the electric field intensity, along the z axis on a
loop conductor with radius a (m) located in the xy
plane with uniform charge density, ρ C/m. .

z
x a
 ˆ
ˆ − ra
R = zz
R = z 2 +a2
R zz ˆ
ˆ −ra
aˆ = =
ρl dl
E =∫ aˆ
2 R
R 2
z +a 2

s
4πε 0 R z
E
adφ R
dl ẑz

dφ −r̂a
a
dl = adφ
 z
E
R
dl ẑz
ρl dl
E =∫ aˆ
2 R
−r̂a

s
4πε 0 R

=∫ ρ l
(ad φ ) ⎛
ˆ
zz − ˆ
ra ⎞
3/2 ⎜ ⎟

l 4πε 0(
r 2 + a2
) ⎝ ⎠
 ρ ad φ ( ˆ)
zz ρ ad φ ( ˆ)
rr
E =∫ l
3/2
−∫ l
3/2
l 4πε 0 ( a + z ) l 4πε 0 ( a + z )
2 2 2 2

0
E = E z + ER dE
dE E z z dE
E
dE E
dE
Symmetrical charge: r rr
component r cancels out.
E = Ez
2π ˆ )
ρl adφ ( zz ρ ˆ )
a(2π ) ( zz
E=∫ 3/2
= l
3/2
0 (
4πε 0 a + z 2 2
) ( 2
4πε 0 a + z 2
)
= zˆ
ρl az V / m
3/2
(
2ε 0 a 2 + z 2 )
ELECTRIC FIELD INTENSITY DUE TO A
SURFACE CHARGE

Q = ∫s ρ s ds
ρ S ds
E =∫ aˆ
2 R
s
4πε 0 R
Find the electric field intensity, along the z axis on a
disc with radius a (m) located in the xy plane with
uniform charge density, ρ C/m2. .

x y
a
 Rẑ= zz ˆ
ˆ − rr
ds = rdφ dr dr2
R = z +r 2

ρ S ds R zz ˆ
ˆ − rr
E =∫ aˆ
2 R
aˆ = =
R rdφ z 2 + r 2
s
4πε 0 R z
E
R
ẑz
=∫ ρ S
(rd φ dr ) ⎛
ˆ
zz − ˆ
rr ⎞
3/2 ⎜ ⎟
4πε
s x 0( r 2+z− r̂r
2
) ⎝ ⎠
y
a
 ρ rd φ dr ( ˆ)
zz ρ rd φ dr ( ˆ)
rr
E=∫ S
3/2
−∫ S
3/2
s 4πε 0 ( r + z ) s 4πε 0 ( r + z )
2 2 2 2

dE B dE A dE
R
dE E z z dE
E
dQA dQB dE E
dE
r rr
Symmetrical charge
Symmetrical charge: component Er cancels out
a
⎡ ⎤
ρs z rdr
2π a ρ z ⎢ −1 ⎥
E= ∫ dφ ∫ 2 2 3/2 zˆ = zˆ (2π )
s
⎢ 2 2 1/2 ⎥
4πε 0 0 0 r + z ( 4πε 0 ) ( )
⎢⎣ r + z ⎥⎦
0

⎡⎛ ⎞ ⎤ ⎡ ⎤
ρ z ⎢ ⎜ −1 − 1 ρ
⎟ − ⎛ ⎞ ⎥ = zˆ s ⎢1 − z
= zˆ s
1/2 ⎟ ⎜ ⎟ ⎥ 1/2
⎥ V / m
2ε 0 ⎢⎜⎜ a 2 + z 2
( ) z
⎟ ⎝ ⎠ ⎥ 2ε 0 ⎢ (a2 + z 2 ) ⎥
⎢⎣⎝ ⎠ ⎦ ⎣ ⎦
 z
infinite sheet of charge, radius a à ∞
n̂
⎡ 0 ⎤
ρs z
E = zˆ ⎢1− 1/2
⎥
2ε ⎢ a(2
+ z 2
) ⎥
0 ⎣ ⎦ a
ρ
E = zˆ s
2ε 0
ρ
In general à E = nˆ s V / m
2ε 0
Electric field à always normal to the surface charge

+ρS

E =?
n̂
-ρS

Ex: Find the electric field intensity between the two

parallel plate capacitor with infinite surface area.
ELECTRIC FIELD INTENSITY DUE TO A
VOLUME CHARGE

Q = ∫ ρ dv
v
v
ρv dv Not in the
E =∫ ˆ
a
2 R
Coulomb’s
syllabus this
v 4πε 0 R semester