Summary of electrostatic equations

in uniform field
2011 2



suhkwang@korea.ac.kr
Application of voltage ? Subjected to an E field ?

Charge, electric field, Coulombic forces

Charge in conducting spheres ?

Behavior of charge at electrodes and dielectrics under E field ?

Real charge vs. imaginary (compensation) charge

Measured currents vs. charge motion

Charge vs. breakdown
Breakdown ?

materials have max. charge density
ex) air: breakdown strength: ~ 3.0 X 10
6
V/m ~ 2.64 X 10
-5
C/m
2

materials cannot possess higher charge density than max. charge density
excess charge should be dissipated

rate of charge dissipation:
fast, sodden dissipation : breakdown
slow dissipation : no problems (no breakdown)

electron avalanche ()
Summary of electrostatic equations in uniform field
uniform Field
non-uniform field
by assuming that electric field & charge density are uniform,
equations of electrostatics become very simple
1. Coulomb Law
two charges, q, q, distance d in the
medium of relative dielectric const.
r
c
dielectric constant c
F = force btw charges,
2
4
'
d
qq
F
r o

=
c tc
Found experimentally
2. Electric field
Electric force due to a charge q
qE F =
2
4
'
d
q
E
r o
c tc
=
d V E =
direction
3. Capacitance
capacitance : ability to store charge
C q V
V
q
C / , = =
q : charge, V : voltage, C : capacitance
** If a charge feels a(n electric) force,
the charge is said to be in an electric field
+q
E
r
+q
energy stored in a capacitance
C q qV CV U
2 2
2
1
2
1
2
1
= = =
slab,
: relative dielectric constant
r
c
area = A
d
d
A
C
r o
c c
=
isolated conducting sphere
r
r
c
r o
C c tc 4 =
parallel combination
1
C
3
C
2
C
3 2 1
C C C C
T
+ + =
use many layer to increase
film capacitor
T
C
series combination
1
C
2
C
3
C
3 2 1
1 1 1 1
C C C C
T
+ + =
4. Resistance

Conductor :
I V R =
Insulator :
= R
) (V f R =
constant
resistivity
A
d R
=
conductivity

o
1
=
series combination
1
R
2
R
3
R
3 2 1
R R R R + + =
parallel combination
1
R
2
R
3
R
3 2 1
1 1 1 1
R R R R
+ + =
5. time constant for charge decay
- time that charge will take to decay away
37%
time
charge
initially fast
later slow
t
: time constant ( = RC )
time taken for the charge to reach
approximately 37% of its initial value
t
c c t
o r
=
resistivity of materials
Example
two charges of 1 coulomb, 1 m apart
Force =
2
4 ' d qq
o
tc
N
9 12
10 04 . 9 ) 10 8 . 8 4 ( 1 =

t =
gravitational force on the
object weighing 10
9
kg
eq. says 1 coulomb can lift 10
9
kg unrealistic
so charge which can be built up in practice much less than 1 C.
practically possible
Lift a 5 mm diameter, PS sphere, 100 mg, 500 kV/m
mg qE =
charge density on surface :
2 5
10 5 . 2 ~ m C

charge
~
C
9
10 2

) 10 6 . 1 1 (
19
C e


Therefore,
atomic density
Charges on the surface monolayer of atoms
only 8 atoms/million atoms.
very low value electrostatic phenomena
unpredictable
14
10 6 . 1 extra electrons/m
2

19
10 2 ~
atoms/m
2

1 surface atoms in 125000 atoms is charged, then
surface contamination levels of few ppm can significantly
change the charge on a surface
Gauss Law
If an imaginary surface of area S is drawn round an uniform density of
charge, the component of the electric field at the surface which is
perpendicular to the surface is proportional to the total charge enclosed
mathematically
= E
r o
S q c c
q
S
: charge (surface)
: area
s
Q
S
q
=
: surface charge density
sphere, w/ surface charge density (C/m
2
)
in air
S
Q
total charge enclosed S Q q
S
=
from Gauss law
o S o S
Q S S Q E c c = = ) ( ) (
breakdown strength of air = (V/m) :
6
10 3
max. E
so max. charge density
2 5 12 6
max
10 64 . 2 10 8 . 8 10 3 m C Q

= =
a few surface atoms
per million atoms
above this, breakdown of air occurs
when charges dissipate fast
this is the max. charge density in air
1 mm , air, 1 eV ?
diameter 1 cm
2
area =
2 3
) 10 5 )( (

t
=
2 5
10 85 . 7 m

air
d = 1 mm
air gap = 1 mm =
m
3
10 1

C = capacitance =
d
A
o
cc
=
F
13
10 95 . 6

1 = c
m F / 10 85 . 8
12
0

= c
2 5
10 85 . 7 m A =
m d
3
10 1

=
Energy W
( )( )
18 13 2
10 242 . 6 10 95 . 6
2
1
) (
2
1

|
.
|

\
|
= =

Joule CV W
eV J
18
10 242 . 6 1 =
2169095 =
2
V
7 2
10 61 . 4
2169095
1

= = V
4 7
10 79 . 6 10 61 . 4

= = Volt
V
1eV
4
10 79 . 6

V
Internal charge vs. surface charge