Electric and

Magnetic Fields
Chapters 17 & 21
 Electric Field
 Electric force, like gravitational
force, is a field force
 Remember: Field forces can act through
space even when there is no physical
contact between the objects involved

 A charged object has an electric field

in the space around it
 Electric Field Lines
 Electric Field Lines point in the
direction of the electric field

 The number and spacing of field

lines is proportional to the electric
field strength
 The electric field is strong where the
field lines are close together and
weaker when they are far apart
 Electric Field Lines
 The lines for a positive charge point
away from the charge

 The lines for a negative charge point

towards the charge
 Electric Field Lines
 This diagram shows the electric field
lines for two equal and opposite
point charges
 Notice that the lines begin on the
positive charge and end on the negative
charge
 Electric Field Lines
 This diagram shows the electric field
lines for two positive point charges
 Notice that the same number of lines
emerges from each charge because
they are equal in magnitude
 Electric Field Lines
 If the charges are unequal, then the
number of lines emerging from them
will be different
 Notice that the positive charge has
twice as many lines
Calculating Electric Field
Strength
 The equation for the electric field
produced by a point charge is:
kq
E c
2
r
 Kc=9x109 Nm2/C2 ,r is the distance from the charge and q is
the charge producing the field
 The unit for E is N/C

 Electric field strength is a vector!!

 If q is positive, then E is directed away
from q
 If q is negative, then E is directed toward q
 Calculating the force from an
electric field
 If a charged object is placed in an
electric field, we can calculate the
force acting on it from the electric
field
F qE
 Remember that F is a vector!!
 Sample Problem p. 647
#3
 An electric field of 2.0 x 104 N/C is
directed along the positive x-axis
a. What is the electric force on an
electron in this field?

b. What is the electric force on a

proton in this field?
 Sample Problem p. 647
#3
 E= 2.0 x 104 N/C , q= 1.6 x 10-19 C
 F=qE= 3.2 x 10-15 N for both the
electron and the proton

 What about the direction?

 The electric field is pointing along the
positive x axis (to the right) which
E field
means there’s a positive
+
charge to the
left
 For the proton
 Since the electric field is pointing to
the right, if you put a proton in it, the
proton will want to move away
towards the right and the direction of
the force
+
on it will be
+
to the
F right

 Answer: 3.2 x 10-15 N along the

positive x axis (to the right)
 For the electron
 Since there’s a positive charge
causing the electric field to point
towards the right, an electron would
feel attracted to the positive charge.
Therefore, the force acting on it is
toward the left
+ -
F

 Answer: 3.2 x 10-15 N along the

negative x axis (to the left)
 Sample Problem p. 656
#38
 Find the electric field at a point midway
between two charges of +30 nC and 60 nC
separated by a distance of 30.0 cm
+30 nC +60 nC
 Sample Problem p. 656
#38
 For the 30 nC charge:  For the 60 nC

charge:
E
kqc

9 x10 (30 x10 ) 12,000 N
9 9
E
kq

c 9 x10 (60 x10 ) 24,000 N
9 9

r2
0.15m 2 C r 2
0.15m 2 C

 Direction of the E-field for both charges is

“away” since they’re both positive

+30 nC +60 nC
 Which one will win?
 At the midway point, the 30nC charge’s field
strength is 12000 N/C toward the 60 nC
charge and the 60 nC charge’s field strength
is 24,000 N/C toward the 30 nC charge.

 The 60 nC charge will win. Since the field’s

point in opposite directions, you have to
subtract

 Answer: 12,000 N/C toward the 30 nC charge

 Sample Problem (p.659
#66)
 A constant electric field directed
along the positive x-axis has a
strength of 2.0 x 103 N/C.
 Find the electric force exerted on a
proton by the field
 Find the acceleration of the proton
 Answer 
 F=qE=(1.6x10-19 C)(2.0 x 103 N/C)=
 3.2 x 10-16 N

 Direction?
E field F
+ +

Answer: 3.2 x 10-16 N along the positive x-

axis (to the right)
 Answer 
 B. What is the acceleration?

 Ask Newton!
 F=ma
 a = F/m= 3.2 x 10-16 N/1.6x10-27 kg

 a= 2 x 1011 m/s2 along the positive x

axis
Magnetism!
 Magnets
 The ends of a bar magnet are called
poles
 Like poles repel and unlike poles attract
 Regardless of their shape, all magnets

have a north and south pole

 Magnetic Fields
 Magnetic Field lines point from the
north pole to the south pole of the
magnet
 The north pole of a compass needle
always points in the direction of the
field (from North to South)
 Magnetic Field of the
Earth
 The Earth’s geographic North pole is
actually the magnetic south pole
 The north pole of a compass points
towards geographic north and since
opposites attract, we know that the
Earth’s geographic pole is magnetic
south
Magnetic Field of a wire

 Moving charges
produce magnetic
fields
 If there is a
current moving
through a wire, a
magnetic field is
produced around
the wire
Magnetic Field of a wire

 The “Right Hand Rule” for the

magnetic field

 Point your thumb in the direction of

the current and curl your fingers in
the direction of the field
 Magnetic Force
 A charge moving through a magnetic
field experiences a force

Fmagnetic qvB
q= magnitude of charge
v= speed of charge
B= Strength of the magnetic field (measured
in Tesla, T)
 A second Right-Hand
Rule
 Of course, force is a vector!

 To find the direction of the magnetic

force use another right hand rule
 Fingers point in direction of the field
 Thumb points in direction of v

 Palm points in direction of magnetic

force
 Conventions for
direction of field
WARNING: The
Directio Symb
n of ol right hand rule is
Field
Into the X
for the
page direction of the
Out of force acting on a
the page
POSITIVE
CHARGE.

To find the
direction of the
force acting on a
 Examples
Direction of F Direction of v Direction of B Sign of Charge

Out of the page East North +

Into the page East North -

Out of the page West South +

Into the page West South -

South West Into the page +

South West Out of the page -

East North Out of the page +

South Out of the page East -

Out of the page South West -

Into the page west North +

 Sample Problem p. 775
#2 (edited)
 A proton traveling to the right along
the x-axis enters a region where
there is a magnetic field of 2.5 T
directed north. If the proton
experiences a force of 3.2 x 10-12 N,
find the speed of the proton. What is
the direction of the force exerted on
the proton?
 The speed of the proton
Fmagnetic 3.2 x10  12 N 6 m
v   19
8.0 x10
qB (1.6 x10 C )(2.5T ) s

 What’s the direction of F? Use the

RHR!!
 v is east, B is north…F is….
 Out of the page!

 If it was an electron, the force would be

into the page!

 Sample Problem (not in
book)
 An electron is moving with a velocity
of 6 x 106 m/s westward in a 3.0 T
magnetic field that is pointed out of
the page.
 Find the magnitude and direction of the
force acting on the electron.
 Sample Problem (not in
book)
 19 6 m
Fmagnetic qvB (1.6 x10 C )(6 x10 )(3.0T )
s

 F= 2.88 x 10-12 N
 Direction? Use the RHR
 V points west, B points out of the page…

 F points SOUTH (remember it’s an

electron!!)