ELECTROSTATICS

(CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS)

CHARGE:
1. The property due to which bodies exert force of electric nature on each
other is called charge.
2. The unit of charge in SI system is coulomb.
3. There are two types of charges:
i. +ve present on proton, its magnitude is 1.6x10-19C.
ii. –ve present on electron, its magnitude is 1.6x10-19C.
4. An atom is electric neutral => no. of electrons = no. of protons.
5. Charge on a body is due to loss or gain of electrons.
i. Loss of electron => +ve charge
ii. Gain of electron => -ve charge
6. Minimum amount of charge in isolated state is equal to charge on electron
or proton.
7. Amount of charge, where „ ‟ is the charge on electron.
8. A body can be charge by:
i. Electrostatic induction
ii. Rubbing (charge by friction)
The static electricity series
+ Atoms have a poor attraction for electrons
i. Cat‟s fur
ii. Acetate
iii. Glass
iv. Wool
v. Lead
vi. Silk
vii. Paraffin wax
viii. Ebonite
ix. Copper
x. Rubber
xi. Amber
xii. Sulfur
xiii. Gold
- Atoms have a large attraction for electrons

ELECTROSTATIC FORCE:
1. Mathematically coulomb‟s Law of electrostatic is stated as .
2. Coulomb‟s law in electrostatic is similar to Newton‟s law of gravitation.
3. In Coulomb‟s law, and in presence of some dielectric medium
where εo is the permittivity of free space and εr is the relative
permittivity of dielectric medium.
 4. For free space and .
5. Coulomb‟s force depends upon:
i. Magnitudes of charges
ii. Separation between the charges
iii. Medium between the charges, it has been found that in presence of
some dielectric coulomb‟s force decreases.
6. Coulomb‟s force constant depends upon the medium between the charges.
7. 1C is that quantity of charge which when placed 1m from an identical
charge in vacuum (or air) repels with a force equal to .

ELECTRIC FIELD AND FIELD INTENSITY:

1. The space around any charge in which its influence could be felt by another
charge is called electric field.
2. Electric field intensity experienced by a test charge ,
3. Electric field intensity due to a point charge is , it varies inversely
with square of distance from the point charge.
4. Its S.I unit is N/C or V/m.
5. It is directed outward a positive charge and inward a negative charge.
6. The direction of force in a field can be represented by continous imaginary
lines called electric lines of forces.
7. Electric lines of forces start from a positive charge and end at negative
charge, these lines never intersects each other.
8. Parallel lines indicate uniform electric field while non-uniform field is
represented by curve lines.

ELECTRIC FLUX
1. Quantitatively, the dot product of electric field intensity and vector area is
called electric flux. Qualitatively, it is the total number of electric lines of
forces crossing a surface area normally.
2. It is a scalar quantity measured in or .
3. Electric flux is zero when surface is placed parallel to field.
4. Electric flux is maximum when surface is placed perpendicular to field.
5. If angle between vector area and electric field intensity is less than 90 o then
flux is positive and if it is greater than 90o then flux is negative.
6. The ratio of electric flux to vector area is called flux density and it is equal to
electric field intensity.
7. Electric flux due to an isolated charge particle, . It
shows that flux due to a point charge only depends upon the magnitude of
charge enclosed and it is independent of position of charge and shape of
surface.
8. According to gauss‟ law, the total flux, .
 9. Gauss‟ law can be used to determine electric field intensity if charge
distribution is symmetric.
10. Electric field due an infinite sheet of charge, where and it is
measured in C/m2.
11. Electric field between two oppositely charge sheet, .
12. Electric file due to a uniform spherical surface charge:
i. Field at a point outside the sphere, . It is similar to field due to
a point charge.
ii. Field at a point on the surface of sphere of radius , or
where
iii. Field at a point inside the surface of sphere, .

ELECTRIC POTENTIAL:
1. An object in a gravitational field has gravitational P.E, similarly a charge
particle in an electric field has electrostatic potential energy (E.P.E)
2. E.P.E per unit charge is called electric potential.
3. It is a scalar quantity and it is measured in J/C which is called volt.
4. The scalar product of electric field intensity and displacement is called
potential difference.
5. Absolute potential at any point in a field due to a point charge , .
6. Electric field intensity in terms of potential is the negative rate of change of
potential with respect to distance, which is also called potential gradient.
Mathematically, or .
7. In subatomic physics, the electric potential energy is measured in electron
volt (eV) and it is defined as: “Energy acquired by an electron when it falls
through a potential difference of one volt is called one electron volt.”

8. The conversion of K.E and P.E in an electric field can be given by the
relation:

9. A family of surfaces connecting points having the same value of the electric
potential at each of its points is called equipotential surface.
10. When a charge particle moves in equipotential surface work done by the
electric field and change in electric potential energy is zero.
11. Equipotential surface is always perpendicular to the electric lines of forces.
12. For a point charge the concentric circle around the point charge represents
the equipotential surface.

CAPACITOR:
1. A capacitor is an electric device used to store electric charge.
2. A simplest type of capacitor consists of two parallel plates separated by an
insulator called the dielectric.
3. Air, mica, ceramics, paper, oil, and vacuums are used as dielectrics,
depending on the purpose for which the device is intended.
4. Common uses:
i. Store energy in an electrostatic field,
ii. Fundamental component of tuning circuits.
iii. It can provide time varying voltage or current.
5. The ability of a capacitor to store electric charge is called capacitance.
6. It has been found that the charge store on a capacitor is directly
proportional to the voltage (or potential difference) applied across its ends.
Mathematically,

7. Unit of capacitance is coulomb/volt which is called farad (F).

8. The capacitance of a parallel plate capacitor when air behaves as a
dielectric,

9. The capacitance of a parallel plate capacitor in presence of a dielectric,

10. Dielectric increases the capacitance of a capacitor.

11. The capacitance of a parallel plate capacitor partially filled by a dielectric
slab of thickness „ ‟:

12. The capacitance of a spherical conductor of radius „ ‟:

13. Combination of capacitor:

i. Parallel Combination:
i. Total charge,
ii. Total voltage,
iii. Total capacitance,
iv. For „ ‟ identical capacitor, total capacitance =
ii. Series Combination:
i. Total charge,
ii. Total voltage,
iii. Total capacitance,
iv. For two capacitors, total capacitance =
v. For „ ‟ identical capacitor, total capacitance =

Prepared by,
Nasir Jamal (B.E-CIS)