Electrostatics

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Electrostatics. It stands for static electricity involving study of charges at rest. The electricity
produced by rubbing two bodies is known as frictional electricity.
Electric charge. It is defined as a basic and characteristic property of elementary particles of
matter in terms of which electric forces and its interaction energy is defined.
Point charge. Any charge whose dimensions are infinitesimally small as compared to its distance
from a point where its effect is being studied.
Quantization of charge. The quantization of charge means that charge can exist only as integral
multiple of electronic charge i.e. q = ne, where n is an integer.
Conservation of charge. In an isolated system the total net charge of the system always remains
constant.
Coulombs Law. It states that the magnitude of the electric force between two charges is directly
proportional to the product of the magnitudes of the charges and inversely proportional to the
square of the distance between them. It is a central and conservative force.
Superposition principle. The resultant force on a charge is a vector sum of the individual forces
exerted on it by all other charges.
Charge distributions.
Linear charge distribution. Charge per unit length. (1-dimensional distribution)
Superficial charge distribution. Charge per unit area. (2-dimensional distribution)
Volume or cubical charge distribution. Charge per unit volume. (3-dimensional distribution)
Electric field intensity. It is defined as the space around the charge in which electrostatic force is
experienced by another charge at rest. It is a vector quantity with SI unit NC-1.
Electric line of force. It is a curve along which a unit positive charge will move in an electric field.
The tangent drawn at any point on a line of force gives the direction of the electric field at that
point.
Electric dipole. A pair of equal and opposite charges separated by a finite distance constitutes an
electric dipole.
Electric dipole moment. It is the product of the amount of one of the charges of a dipole and the
normal distance between the charges. It is vector quantity with SI unit Cm.
Electric potential. It is defined as the work done per unit charge in moving it from infinity to a
point in an electric field against the electrostatic repulsion. It is a scalar quantity with SI unit volt.
Electric potential difference. It is defined as the work done per unit positive charge in moving it
between two points in an electric field.
Electric potential of a system of charge particles. It is the algebraic sum of potentials of all charge
particles at a point in an electric field. Positive charges have positive potentials and vice versa.
Equi-potential surfaces. It is a surface in space in an electric field which has equal potential at all
its points. No work is done against the electric field if a charge particle is moved between two
points on an equi-potential surface.
Potential energy. It is defined as the total work done in moving a charge particle from infinity to a
point in an electric field.
Potential energy of a system of charge particles. It is the total work done in the arrangement of
the system in an electric field by bringing the charges from infinity.
Electric flux. It is the total number of electric lines of force passing through a given surface.
Gauss theorem. The total electric flux through a closed surface is equal to 1/0 times the net
charge enclosed by the surface.
Relative permittivity/dielectric constant. It is the ratio of the electrostatic forces between two
charges separated at a distance kept in vacuum and a medium thereafter.
Capacitance. It is defined as the ratio of the charge given to a body to the potential developed
when the body is completely isolated. The SI unit of capacitance is farad.

Rajesh Majumdar: Electrostatics at a glance

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Electrostatics

23. Capacitor. It is an arrangement of conductors to increase the capacitance of the system when the
outer side of one conductor is earthed.
24. Dielectrics. These are substances which do not allow electric current to conduct but allow
inductive influence to take place through them when kept in an electric field. Examples are glass,
porcelain, mica, polythene, paper etc.
Non-polar dielectrics. If the centres of positive and negative charge centres of molecules coincide
under normal conditions then they are called non-polar dielectrics e.g. H2, O2, N2 etc.
Polar dielectrics. If the centres of positive and negative charge centres of molecules do not
coincide under normal conditions then they are called polar dielectrics.
25. Dielectric field strength. It is the maximum electric field strength which can exist in a dielectric
without its electric break down.
26. Van de Graff generator. It is based on the principle that the charge given to a hollow conductor
remains on its outer surface.

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q = ne
F = (1/40) q1q2/r2
F = F1 + F2 + F3 +
q = (r)dl
q = (r)ds
q = (r)dV
E = F/q
p = 2ql
E = 2pr/40(r2 l2)2
E = p/40(r2 + l2)3/2
= pEsin
V = q/40r
V = W/q
U = q1q2/40r
U = - p.E
W = pE(cos1 cos2)
E = q/40r2

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C= q/V
C = 40r
C = 0 A/d
C = 0 A/(d-t)

20. C = 0 A/{d-t(1-1/K)}
21. U = (1/2) CV2
22. V = (C1V1 + C2V2)/C1 +C2)
23. U = {C1C2(V1 - V2)2}/2(C1+C2)

Rajesh Majumdar: Electrostatics at a glance

Quantization of charge
Coulombs law
Superposition principle
Linear charge density
Surface charge density
Volume charge density
Electric field intensity
Electric dipole moment
Electric field strength at axial line
Electric field strength at equatorial line
Torque on an electric dipole
Potential due to a point charge
Potential difference
Potential energy of a system of two charges
Potential energy of an electric dipole
Work done in rotating a dipole
Electric field on the surface or outside a charged spherical
shell
Capacitance
Capacitance of a spherical conductor
Capacitance of a parallel plate capacitor
Capacitance of a parallel plate capacitor with conducting slab
of thickness t
Capacitance of a parallel plate capacitor with dielectric slab of
thickness t
Energy of a capacitor
Common potential of two capacitors
Loss of energy on sharing of charges between two capacitors

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