Bio-electromagnetism

Coulomb’s Law and

Electric Field Intensity

‫ واثق عبد الكريم‬. ‫م‬.‫اعداد م‬

1-Coulomb’s Law
Coulomb's law is an experimental law, it deals with the force of a point
charge exerts on another point charge. By a point charge we mean a charge
that is located on a body whose dimensions are much smaller than other
relevant dimensions. For example, a collection of electric charges on a
pinhead which be regarded as a point charge. Coulomb's law stated that the
force (F) between two very small objects separated in a vacuum or free
space by a distance which is large compared to their size is proportional to
the charge on each and inversely proportional to the square of the distance
between them. Mathematically,
Q1Q2
F 2
r
The constant of proportionality k
Q1Q2
F k 2
r 8888880
Where
 1 1 2 2
k   9 x10 9
Nm C
4 o 
4 8.85 x10 
12

Where:
1- K is a proportionality constant
2- Q1 and Q2 are the positive or negative quantities of charge in coulombs (C)
3- R :is the distance between the two charges in meters (m)
4-F is the force in Newton (N)
The new constant ε0 is called the permittivity of free space and has magnitude, measured
in farads per meter (F/m)

For Coulomb's law shows that ϵo it has the label C2/N.m2, since farad it has the dimensions
C2/N.m.

So the Coulomb’s law can written as below

The coulomb is an extremely large unit of charge 1.602 × 10−19
Hence a negative charge of one coulomb represents about 6 × 1018 electrons.
Coulomb’s law shows that the force between two charges of one coulomb each,
separated by one meter, is 9 × 109 N, or about one million.
The electron has a rest mass of 9.109 × 10-31 kg and has a radius of the order of
magnitude of 9 × 10-15 m.
Let the vector r1 locate Q1, whereas r2 locates Q2. Then the vector R12 =
r2 − r1 represents the directed line segment from Q1 to Q2, as shown in
Figure. The vector F2 is the force on Q2 and is shown for the case where
Q1 and Q2 have the same sign.

The vector form of Coulomb’s law is

where a12 = a unit vector in the direction of R12, or

Example
A charge of Q1 = 3 × 10 -4 C at M(1, 2, 3) and a charge of Q2 = - 10 -4 − C at
N(2, 0, 5) in a vacuum. Calculate the force exerted on Q2 by Q1.
This force of Coulomb’s law is a mutual force, for each of the two charges
experiences a force of the same magnitude, but it opposite direction. We might
written as

Coulomb’s law is linear, for if we multiply Q1 by a factor n, the force on Q2 is

also multiplied by the same factor n.

 It is also true that the force on a charge in the presence of several other
charges is the sum of the forces on that charge due to each of the other charges
acting alone.
 Example
A three charges are arranged as shown in the figure below. Q1 is 3.00 m from Q2. and
Q2 is 4.00 m from the Q3. What is the net force acting on Q3?
Solution
Q3 is attracted to Q2 (they have opposite charges) and repulsed by Q1 (they have
the same charge). The two force vectors have been drawn and labeled, F23 and
F13.
So The net force on Q3 is F23 + F13.

The first step is solving the problem is

to find the magnitude of the 2 forces: ji
4 F
 
 5.00 x 109 C 6.00 x 109 C   4.0
0m 23
q-
2 m
Tt
1 q1q2 Nm  
F13 
4 0 r 2
 8.99 x 109
C 2 
 5.00 m 
2 
Q2
2 Q3 +
  q
F13  10.8 x 109 N

F23 
1 q1q2
4 0 r 2
 1.08 x 108 N

9
 8.99 x 10
  9
 
Nm 2  2.00 x 10 C 5.00 x 10 C 
C2   4.00 m 
2 
9
3
.00m
gym

Q1
ÉÉÉ
5
.00m
 
9 +
F23  5.62 x 10 N
q
1
The next step is to break the two vectors down into their horizontal and vertical components and
add the two vectors in the x and y directions. This gives us the components of the resultant vector,
FX and FY
Fx  F13 cos  F23

 
Fx  1.08 x 108 N cos37.0  5.62 x 109 N r

Fx  8.63 x 109 N  5.62 x 109 N  3.01 x 109 N

Fy  F13 sin

 
Fy  1.08 x 108 N sin37.0o  6.50 x 109 N

Hence, the resultant force:

   
2 2
9 9
2
F  Fy  Fx 2
 6.50 x 10 N  3.01 x 10 N  51.31 x 1018 N 2

F 7.16 x 109 N
Where the direction or the resultant force:
 9
 F  6.50 x 10 N 
1
  tan  Y 1
   tan  3.01 x 109 N    65.2 With the X axis
 FX   
2- ELECTRIC FIELD INTENSITY y
Suppose we have one charge fixed in position, say Q1, and move a second
charge slowly around, we note that there exists everywhere a force on this
second charge; in other words, this second charge is displaying the existence of
a force field that is associated with charge, Q1. Call this second charge a test
r
charge Qt . The force on it is given by Coulomb’s law,

Writing this force as a force per unit charge gives the electric field intensity, E1
arising from Q1:

i
t
E1 is interpreted as the vector force, arising from charge Q1, that acts on a unit positive test
charge. And can eq. above rewrite as below

 E is a vector function, is the electric field intensity evaluated at the test

charge location that arises from all other charges in the vicinity
The units of E would be in force per unit charge N/C (Newtons per coulomb).
E field intensity can expressed at V/m . Where V=(J/C) and J=N.m

The electric field of a single point charge becomes:

EY tm
DR
IE.fi
We remember that R is the magnitude of the vector R, the directed line segment from
the point at which the point charge Q is located to the point at which E is desired, and aR
is a unit vector in the R direction.

Where E(r) is refer a vector field symbol

Because the coulomb forces are linear, the electric field intensity arising from
two point charges, Q1 at r1 and Q2 at r2, is the sum of the forces on Qt caused by
Q1 and Q2 acting alone, hence

Where a1 and a2 are unit vectors in the direction of (r−r1) and (r−r2),
respectively. The vectors r, r1, r2, r − r1, r − r2, a1, and a2
If we add more charges at other positions, the field due to n point charges is

Where figure shows the vector addition of the total

electric field intensity at P due to Q1 and Q2 is
made possible by the linearity of Coulomb’s law.
2.1 ELECTRIC FIELDS DUE TO CONTINUOUS CHARGE
DISTRIBUTIONS

So far we have only considered forces and electric fields due to

point charges, which are essentially charges occupying very small
physical space. It is also possible to have continuous charge
distribution along a line, on a surface, or in a volume as illustrated
in figure below .It is customary to denote the line charge density,
surface charge density, and volume charge density by pL (in C/m),
ps (in C/m2), and pv (in C/m3), respectively .

The charge element dQ and the total charge Q due to these charge
distributions are obtained from integral of that differential
element.
2.1.1 Field of Infinite Line Charge
We assume a straight-line charge extending along the z axis in a cylindrical
coordinate system from −∞ to ∞.
We choose a point P(0, y,0) on the y-axis at which to determine the field.

O
There are many other ways of obtaining E . We might have used
the angle θ as our variable of integration.

thus
2.1.2 Field of a Sheet Charge
Another basic charge configuration is the infinite sheet
of charge having a uniform density of ρC/m2. Let us
place a sheet of charge in y-z plane and again consider
symmetry as shown in Figure. We see first that the field
cannot vary with y or with z. Hence only Ex is present,
and this component is a function of(x) alone. Let us use
the field of the infinite line charge by dividing infinite
sheet into differential-width strips. Once such strip is
shown in Figure, the line charge density, or charge per
unit length, is ( ρs= ρl dy', and the distance from this
line charge to our general point P on the x-axis is
R=√x2 + y'2 .
 ax
If the point P were chosen on the
Negative x axis, then
i
2.1.3 Field Due to Continuous Volume Charge Distribution
Volume charge density is measured in Coulomb per cubic meter (C/m3 ). The total charge
within some finite volume is obtained by integrating throughout that volume as: