The electric field due to a charge distribution.

You must be able to calculate electric field of a continuous distribution of

charge.

Electric Field Due To A Line of

Charge
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

Matter is made of discrete atoms, but appears

"continuous" to us. In Physics 23 you treated
matter as being a continuous entity.
Similarly, a charge distribution is made of
individual charged particles, but we can often
treat it as if the charge were continuous.

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

Think of a line of charge as a collection of very very tiny

point charges all lined up. The official term for very
very tiny is infinitesimal.
So we get the electric field for the line of charge by
adding the electric fields for all the infinitesimal point
charges.
What happens in calculus when you add infinitesimals?
Really really tiny infinitesimals?

Yes, I know an infinitesimal is already really really tiny, so the reallys and tinys in really really tiny infinitesimals are redundant.

The electric field due to a small "chunk" q of charge is

r
E =

1 q $
r
2
4 0 r
unit vector from
q to wherever
you want to
calculate E

The electric field due to collection of "chunks" of charge

is

r
E=

r
Ei =
i

1
4 0

q i $
i r 2 r i
i

unit vector from

As qdq0, the sum becomes an integral.
qi to wherever
you want to
calculate E

For charge distributed along a line (e.g., electrons on a

thread)
usually represents the linear density of charge
(amount of charge per unit length). may be a function
of position.

Think length. times the length of line segment

is the total charge on the line segment.

Ill bet you thought means wavelength.

Well, it does. Sometimes. But not today.

dx
x

dx
If charge is distributed along a straight line segment
parallel to the x-axis, the amount of charge dq on a
segment of length dx is dx.

Im assuming positively charged

objects in these distribution of
charges illustrations.

r'$

dE

r
x

dq

The electric field at point P due to the charge dq is

r
dE =

1 dq $
1 dx $
r' =
r'
2
2
4 0 r'
4 0 r'

Absolute value signs not needed around dq

because this is a vector equationthe sign is
important!

E
P

r'$

r
x

dq
The electric field at P due to the entire line of charge is

r
E=

1(x)$dx
r'

4 0
r'2

The integration is carried out over the entire length of the line,
which need not be straight. Also, could be a function of position,
and can be taken outside the integral only if the charge
distribution is uniform.

Example: A rod of length L has a uniform charge per

unit length and a total positive charge Q. Calculate
the electric field at a point P along the axis of the rod a
distance d from one end.
y
P

x
d

Lets put the origin at P. The linear charge density and Q

are related by

Q
=
and Q = L
L

Note that the problem statement says Q is positive, so

the electric field points away from the rod.

y
dE

P
d

dQ = dx

dx

The electric field points away from the rod. The electric
field on the axis of the rod has no y-component (why?).
dE from the charge on an infinitesimal length dx of rod
is
This is a legal
starting equation (for
positive dq). In fact,
this is the best way
to start a problem like
this one.

dq
dx
dE = k 2 k 2
x
x

Note: dE is in the x direction. dE is the magnitude of

dE. Ive used the fact that Q>0 (so dq>0) to eliminate
If I dont know
the sign of dq, or if it is
the absolute value signs in the starting
equation.
negative, I include the absolute value
signs.

y
dE

P
d

dQ = dx

dx

dL
r d+L r
d+L dx
d+L dx
1

i
E = dE = -k
i
=
-k

i
=
-k

d x 2
d
d
x2
x

d
This approach, where I do the whole problem all at once using unit vector notation, is not recommended for
beginners. I suggest you do the x and y components separately, like I will do in lecture.

r
d d L
1
1
L
kQ

E = -k
i = -k
i=
-k
i=
i

d d L
d d L
d L d
d d L

The Electric Field

Due to a Collection of Point Charges
We just did a line of charge. What about other charge
distributions?

use dE = k

dq
r2

and work with one

component at a time

If charge is distributed over a two-dimensional surface,

the amount of charge dq on an infinitesimal piece of the
surface is dS, where is the surface density of charge
( = charge/area).
y

charge dq = dS

area = dS
Im assuming positively charged objects in
these distribution of charges illustrations.

y
Im assuming positively charged objects in
these distribution of charges illustrations.

r'$

dE

r
x

The electric field at P due to the charge dq is

r
dE =

1 dq $
1 dS $
r' =
r'
2
2
4 0 r'
4 0 r'

Im assuming positively charged objects in

these distribution of charges illustrations.

r'$

r
x

The net electric field at P due to the entire surface of

charge is

r
E=

1
(x, y) dS
$
r'

4 0 S
r'2

dq
use dE = k r 2

and work with one

component at a time

After you have seen the previous slides, I hope you

believe that the net electric field at P due to a threedimensional distribution of charge is
E
z
P

r'$

r
x

r
E=

1
(x, y, z) dV
$
r'
.
2

4 0 V
r'

dq
use dE = k r 2
and work with one
component at a time

Summarizing:

r
E=

1 dx$
r' 2 .

4 0
r'

Charge distributed over a surface:

r
E=

1
dS
$
r' 2 .

4 0 S r'

Charge distributed inside a volume:

r
E=

1
dV
$
r' 2 .

4 0 V r'

Charge distributed along a line:

If the charge distribution is uniform, then , , and can be taken

outside the integrals.

Hold it right there! These equations

r
E=

1 dx$
r' 2

4 0
r'

r
E=

1
dS
$
r' 2

4 0 S r'

r
E=

1
dV
$
r' 2

4 0 V r'

are not on my starting equation sheet. Thats not

fair!
Just start withdE = k

dq
r2

and do one component at a time.

Ive written equations with 1/40 several times, just to remind you that you can replace k by
1/40 .

Because it takes multiple repetitions for some of us (like

me) to get the message, to calculate the electric field of
a charge distribution:

use dE = k

dq
r2

and work with one

component at a time

This is a legal
variation of a starting
equation!

Quiz time

(maybe for points, maybe just for

practice!)

Example: A ring of radius a has a uniform charge per

unit length and a total positive charge Q. Calculate the
electric field at a point P along the axis of the ring at a
distance x0 from its center.
dQ
r

x0

dE

Homework hint: you must provide this derivation in your solution

to any problems about rings of charge (e.g. 1.53 or 1.55, if
assigned).

Visualization here (requires Shockwave, which downloads automatically):

http://web.mit.edu/viz/EM/visualizations/electrostatics/calculatingElectricFields/RingIntegration/RingIntegration.ht
m

Example: A ring of radius a has a uniform charge per

unit length and a total positive charge Q. Calculate the
electric field at a point P along the axis of the ring at a
distance x0 from its center.
dQ1
r

x0

dQ2

dE2

dE1
The y-components
cancel pairwise. Same
for z-components (not
shown).

By symmetry, the yand z-components of E

are zero.
Also, all points on the
ring are the same
distance r from point P.

Awesome Youtube derivation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80mM3kSTZcE

(he leaves out a factor of a in several steps, but finds it in the end).

dQ

dQ
dE=k 2
r

x0

dE

r = x a
2
0

x0
cos
r

No absolute
value signs
because Q is
positive.

dQ
dE x =k 2 cos
r

For a given x0, r is a

constant for points on the
ring.
Only works because all E are in same
x

x0
dQ x 0
E x dE x k 2
k 3
r r
r
ring
ring

direction.

x0
kx 0 Q
ring dQ k r 3 Q x 2 a 2 3/ 2

Later, Ill show you another way to do the integral (often

needed for homework; e.g. a problem like 1.54b or 1.97, if
assigned).

E
Ex,ring
Or, in general, on the ring axis
ring
This is another legal
answer.

k kxQ
xQ

22
x
x
aa

..

3/ 2
2 2 3/2

Direction of E
is away from
center of ring.

Example: A disc of radius R has a uniform charge per

unit area . Calculate the electric field at a point P
along the central axis of the disc at a distance x0 from
its center.
Lets assume is
dQ positive so dQ is
The disc is made of
positive.
concentric rings. The
r
area of a ring at a
P
x
radius r is 2rdr, and
x
0
R
the charge on each
ring is (2rdr).
We can use the equation on the previous slide for the
electric field due to a ring, replace a by r, and integrate
from r=0 to r=R.

dE ring dE x, ring

kx 0 2rdr

2
0

r2

.
3/2

Caution! Ive
switched the
meaning of
r!

dQ
r
P

x0

Ex

dE

disc

disc

x r

E x kx 0

2
0

kx 0 2rdr
2
0

2 1/ 2

1/ 2

2 3/ 2

kx 0

2r dr
2
0

2 3/ 2

x
x
0

2k 0
x 0 x 2 R 2 1/ 2
0

Example: Calculate the electric field at a distance x0

from an infinite plane sheet with a uniform charge
density .
Treat the infinite sheet as disc of infinite radius.

1
Let R and usek
40

E sheet

to get

x
x
0
0

E x 2k

1/2
x0 x2 R 2
0

.
2 0

Interesting...does not depend on distance from the

sheet.
Ive been Really Nice and put this on your starting equation sheet. You
dont have to derive it for your homework!

Example: calculate the electric field due to an infinite

line of positive charge. Read notes if you want. In
lecture skip to here.
There are two approaches to the mathematics of this
problem.
One approach (the recommended one) is that of
example 1.10, where an equation for the electric field
for an infinite line of charge is derived. See notes here.
The resulting equation is not on your OSE sheet. You
may not use it as a starting equation!

E
2 0 r

Not a
starting
equation!

Thus, if a homework problem has an infinite line of

charge, you would need to repeat the derivation!

Example: calculate the electric field due to an infinite

line of positive charge.
An alternative mathematical approach is posted here.
If you were assigned homework 1.52,* you could do it
like the book does it, or the way I do it in the link above.
If you do the problem the way it is done in the link
above, your recitation instructor would give you these
trig facts, which I dont expect you to have memorized:

d tan sec 2 d
1
sec
cos

*1.52 is not
assigned this

Outline of derivation of electric field at center of

semicircular line of uniformly-distributed positive
charge, oriented
as shown.
Because each dE is in a different
direction, you cant just use
dq=Q.
ds d
dq
ds
Rd
d
y
R
dE = k 2 k 2 k
k
2

R
R
R
R
By symmetry, Ex=0
(why?).

d sin()
dE y = -dE sin() -k
R

dE
There is dq of charge
on the ds of the line.
That dq of charge
gives rise to dE of
field.

d sin() k
2k
E y = - dE y = - k
= - sin() d= 0
R
R 0
R