electric-field-concept

Date: 20-Dec-2025

Electrostatics: Electric Field Study Notes

1. Electric Field & Intensity

The space around a charge where its influence is felt is the Electric Field.
Intensity ($\vec{E}$): Force per unit test charge.

$$\vec{E} = \frac{\vec{F}}{q_0}$$

📝 Doodle: Draw a small sun-like charge with rays going out!

2. Field due to Point Charge

For a charge $Q$ at distance $r$, the field is:

$$E = \frac{1}{4\pi\epsilon_0} \frac{Q}{r^2}$$

3. Group of Charges (Superposition)

Net field is the Vector Sum of all individual fields.

$\vec{E}_{net} = \vec{E}_1 + \vec{E}_2 + … + \vec{E}_n$

4. Continuous Charge Distribution

When charges are spread over a line, surface, or volume:

  • Linear ($\lambda$): $dq = \lambda dl$
  • Surface ($\sigma$): $dq = \sigma dS$
  • Volume ($\rho$): $dq = \rho dV$
$$E = \int \frac{1}{4\pi\epsilon_0} \frac{dq}{r^2} \hat{r}$$

5. Rectangular Components

Resolving $\vec{E}$ into $E_x, E_y, E_z$ components:

$\vec{E} = E_x\hat{i} + E_y\hat{j} + E_z\hat{k}$

Where $E_x = \frac{1}{4\pi\epsilon_0} \frac{qx}{r^3}$ etc. 📐 (Triangle Doodle)

6. Physical Significance

It helps us understand how Forces are transmitted through space even without contact. It defines the electrical environment around a charge.

7. Electric Field Lines

Imaginary smooth curves representing the field direction.

Top 3 Properties:
  1. Start from $(+)$ and end at $(-)$.
  2. Tangent gives Direction of $\vec{E}$.
  3. Two lines NEVER intersect. ❌

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20 Dec 2025
✏️ Note: $E \sin \theta$ components cancel each other!

Field Intensity on Equatorial Line ⚡

Consider an electric dipole with charges -q and +q separated by 2a. We calculate electric field $E$ at point P on the equatorial line at distance r.

-q +q O a a P r E₁ E₂ E_net

Step 1: Magnitude of fields $E_1$ and $E_2$ are equal:

$$|E_1| = |E_2| = \frac{1}{4\pi\epsilon_0} \frac{q}{(r^2 + a^2)}$$

Step 2: Resultant intensity $E$ is the sum of cosine components:

$E = 2E_1 \cos \theta$

Substituting $\cos \theta = \frac{a}{(r^2 + a^2)^{1/2}}$:

$$\vec{E}_{equatorial} = \frac{1}{4\pi\epsilon_0} \frac{\vec{p}}{(r^2 + a^2)^{3/2}}$$

For a Short Dipole ($r >> a$), the formula becomes:

$E = \frac{1}{4\pi\epsilon_0} \frac{p}{r^3}$

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