Rizal Technological University

College of Engineering

Electric Forces

Coulomb’s Law
1st Law
Coulomb’s first law states that two charged particles of
same charge (positive or negative) will repel each other
and two charged particles of opposite charges (one
positive and one negative) will attract each other.

Plastic hanger rubbed in fur Balloon rubbed in fur

2nd Law
Coulomb’s second law states that, the force of attraction or
repulsion between the two electrically charged particles is
directly proportional to the product of magnitudes of two
charges and inversely proportional to the square of the
distance between two charges.
𝑄1 𝑄2 𝑄1 𝑄2
F𝛼 F=𝑘
𝑑2 𝑑2

Neutrally balanced rubber shoes brushed against the floor

generate friction, which excites electrons and transfers
them to the to a neutrally balanced man, making the man
highly negative.

Where: F = Force of attraction or repulsion between the

charges
Q1, Q2= Magnitude of charge 1 and charge 2
d = Distance between two charges.
k = Constant whose value depends on the medium
in which charges are placed.

Where ε = ε0εr
ε0 = permittivity of vacuum = 8.854 x 10-12 F/m
εr = relative permittivity of medium with respect to free
space.

Example:
Find the force on charge Q1, 20uC, due to charge Q2,
-300uC, where Q1 is at (0,1,2) m and Q2 at (2,0,0)

Electromagnetics D.Trance, ECE

Answer: The Force on a charge Q1 due to other charges Q2, Q3,
𝑄 𝑄
F = 𝑘 𝑑1 2 2 AR AR = |𝑅|=
𝑅 (2−0)𝑖+(0−1)𝑗+(0−2)𝑘
= Qn is the vector sum of the individual forces:
√(2−0)2 +(0−1)2 +(0−2)2
2𝑖−𝑗−2𝑘 ∑ 𝑭 = 𝑭𝟏 + 𝑭𝟐 + 𝑭𝟑
3
(20𝑥10−6 )(−300𝑥10−6 ) 2𝑖−𝑗−2𝑘
F = 9𝑥109 ( ) Example:
32 3
F= 6 (
𝟐𝒊−𝒋−𝟐𝒌
)N, Attract Find the force on 100uC charge at 0,0,3 m if four like
𝟑 charges of 20uC are located on the x and y axis at +/-
4m.
Example:
Q1=0.3mC at M(1,2,3) and a charge Q2=-100uC at
N(2,0,5) in a vacuum. Determine the force exerted on
Q2 by Q1.

Answer:

d=√𝟑𝟐 + 𝟒𝟐 = 5
Answer:
𝑄 𝑄 𝑅 (2−1)𝑖+(0−2)𝑗+(5−3)𝑘
@0,4,0
F = 𝑘 𝑑1 2 2 AR AR = |𝑅|= = (100𝑥10−6 )(20𝑥10−6 )
√(2−1)2 +(0−2)2 +(5−3)2 F1 = 9𝑥109 52
AR
𝑖−2𝑗+2𝑘 (0−0)𝑥+(4−0)𝑦+(0−3)𝑧 4𝑦−3𝑧
3 AR = =
5 5
(0.3−3 )(−100𝑥10−6 ) 𝑖−2𝑗+2𝑘
F = 9𝑥109 ( ) F1 = 0.72N,
𝟒𝒚−𝟑𝒛
 0.576y – 0.432z
32 3 𝟓
𝒊−𝟐𝒋+𝟐𝒌
F= -30 ( )N, Attract
𝟑
@0,-4,0
(100𝑥10−6 )(20𝑥10−6 )
Example: F2 = 9𝑥109 AR
52
Determine the force exerted on Q1 by Q2 if Q1=10uC (0−0)𝑥+(−4−0)𝑦+(0−3)𝑧 −4𝑦−3𝑧
at (2,0,1) and Q2=-500nC at (-2,1,-1) AR = =
5 5
−𝟒𝒚−𝟑𝒛
F2 = 0.72N,  -0.576y – 0.432z
𝟓

@4,0,0
(100𝑥10−6 )(20𝑥10−6 )
F3 = 9𝑥109 AR
52
(4−0)𝑥+(0−0)𝑦+(0−3)𝑧 4𝑥−3𝑧
AR = =
5 5
𝟒𝒙−𝟑𝒛
F3 = 0.72N,  0.576x – 0.432z
𝟓

@-4,0,0
(100𝑥10−6 )(20𝑥10−6 )
F4 = 9𝑥109 AR
52
(−4−0)𝑥+(0−0)𝑦+(0−3)𝑧 4𝑥−3𝑧
AR = =
5 5
Answer: −𝟒𝒙−𝟑𝒛
𝑄 𝑄 𝑅 (−2−2)𝑖+(1−0)𝑗+(−1−1)𝑘 F4 = 0.72N,  -0.576x – 0.432z
𝟓
F = 𝑘 𝑑1 2 2 AR AR = |𝑅|=
√(−2−2)2 +(1−0)2 +(−1−1)2
=
−4𝑖−𝑗−2𝑘 Ftotal =F1+F2+F3+F4
√21
(10𝑥10−6 )(−500𝑥10−9 ) −4𝑖−𝑗−2𝑘
F = 9𝑥109 2 ( ) Ftotal = (0.576y – 0.432z) + (-0.576y – 0.432z) + (0.576x
√21 √21
−𝟒𝒊−𝒋−𝟐𝒌 – 0.432z) + (-0.576x – 0.432z)
F= 2.14x10 (
-3 )N, Attract
√𝟐𝟏
Ftotal = -1.728z N

Electromagnetics D.Trance, ECE

Example:
Find the force on 100uC charge if two like charges of
20uC, are placed as showed in the figure.

Electric field intensity is the measure of intensity or

strength of electrical force per unit charge at any given
point in the electric field. It is denoted by the letter E and
its Unit is Newton per Coulomb (N/C)

Answer:
d=10cm
@q1 and q2
F1 = 9𝑥109
(20𝑥10−9 )(100𝑥10−9 ) Any charges particle creates an electric field. If another
0.012 charged particle enters an electric field of another charge,
F1 = 0.18N; 𝜃 = 240° of course interactions will take place.
@q1 and q3 And there will be a certain magnitude or strength for that
(20𝑥10−9 )(100𝑥10−9 )
F2= 9𝑥109 field, we call that as electric field intensity
0.012
F2 = 0.18N; θ = -60°

R = √∑ 𝐹𝑥 + ∑ 𝐹𝑦
∑ 𝐹𝑥 = - F1cos60 + F2cos 60 = 0

∑ 𝐹𝑦 = - F1sin60 - F2sin 60
∑ 𝐹𝑦 = - 0.18sin60 – 0.18sin 60

∑ 𝐹𝑦
θ = tan-1 °∑ 𝐹𝑥 = 90

Ftotal = 0.31 θ = -90°

Conductors
 Material that easily conducts electrical current.
 The best conductors are single-element material
(silver, copper, gold, aluminum)
 Valence electron very loosely bound to the atom- free
electron 𝑄
Insulators E=𝑘 𝐴𝑅
𝑑2
 Material does not conduct electric current Where:
 Valence electron are tightly bound to the atom – less E = Field Strength
free electron Q=, Magnitude of charge
d = Distance between two charges.
ELECTRIC FIELD INTENSITY k = Constant whose value depends on the medium in
which charges are placed.
A = unit vector
Example
Find E at the origin due to a point charge of 64.4nC
located (-4,3,2) m in Cartesian Coordinates.
Solution:
(64.4𝑥10−9 )
E = 9𝑥109 𝐴𝑅 R2=(-4)2+(3)2+(2)2 = 29
29

4𝑖+3𝑗+2𝑘
𝐴𝑅 = −
√29
E = 20 (0.74i+0.55j+0.37k) N, Repulsive

Electromagnetics D.Trance, ECE