LECTURE 3

TOPICS
 Electric field due to line charge
 Electric field due to surface charge
 Electric field due to volume charge

On completing this lecture, Students should be able to:

1. Define line charge, surface charge, and volume charge density
2. Determine electric field intensity at a given point in the field of a line charge
3. Determine electric field intensity at a given point in the field of a surface charge
4. Determine electric field intensity at a given point in the field of a volume charge

3.1 INTRODUCTION
In lecture 2, only the point charges are considered, where all the charges are
assumed to be concentrated at a point having zero volume. However, in
addition to the point charges, there is possibility of continuous charge
distributions along a line, or on a surface or in a volume.

3.2 LINE, SURFACE AND VOLUME CHARGE

DISTRIBUTIONS
When the charge is distributed along a line of finite or infinite length it is
called line charge. Transmission line is an example of such line charge. This
is shown in Figure 3.1(a). If Q is the total charge along the length l of the
line charge, the line charge density l (Cm-1) is defined as the charge per unit
length (l =Q/l) so that
Q   ρ l dl C , where the integral is to be performed along the line l.
l

If the charge is spread thinly over a surface of a sheet, it is said sheet or

surface charge. The charge on the plates of parallel plate capacitor is an
example of such charge. This is shown in Figure 3.1(b). If the surface
charge density at a given point on the surface of the sheet is s (Cm-2), the
total charge Q on the whole surface S is then given by:
Q   ρ s ds C , where the integral is to be performed over the surface S.
s

When the charge is distributed uniformly in a finite volume with Volume

charge density v (Cm-3), then it is called volume charge. This is shown in
Figure 3.1(c). The total charge Q contained within a volume v is then given
by:
Q   ρ v dv C , where the integral is to be performed over the volume v.
v

Figure 3.1: Continuous charge distribution (a) Line charge, (b) Surface
charge, and (c) Volume charge.

3.3 ELECTRIC FIELD DUE TO LINE, SURFACE

AND VOLUME CHARGE DISTRIBUTIONS
Direct use of equation (2.2) is not possible to determine the electric field E
due to a line or surface or volume charge distribution as the source charge is
not in the point form. However, the superposition principle helped us to
overcome this problem easily. In case of line, surface or volume charge
distribution, we may divide the entire line, surface or volume into several
numbers of small segments so that the charge of the small segment of line or
surface or volume may behave like a point charge. The fields for the
individual segments can be calculated using equation (2.2) and then add
them vectorically to determine the resultant. This is explained in the
following in details:
For the line charge distribution shown in Figure 3.1(a), if we consider a
small segment dl' then ρl dl' may be assumed as a point charge. The
differential field dE at P due to ρl dl' C of charge can therefore be obtained
from (2.2) as

1 ρ ldl(r  r)
dE  .
40 r  r 3
The total field at P due to the whole line charge is then given by
 1 ρ l (r  r)
E   dE   dl V/m (3.1)
l
40 l r  r
3

In Figure 3.1(b), the charge ρsds' C on a small surface ds', can be assumed as
a point charge. The differential field dE at P due to ρsds' C of charge is then
given by
1 ρs ds(r  r)
dE  .
40 r  r 3
The total field E at P due to the whole surface is therefore given by
1 ρ s (r  r )
E   dE   ds V/m (3.2)
s
40 s r  r
3

In Figure 3.1(c), the charge ρvdv' C in a differential volume dv', can be

assumed as a point charge. The differential field dE at P for this point charge
ρvdv' C is then given by
1 ρ v dv(r  r)
dE  .
40 r  r
3

The total field E at P due to the whole volume is therefore given by

1 ρ v (r  r)
E   dE   dv V/m (3.3)
v
40 v r  r 3
In the above equations, r is the position vector of the point P where the
electric field E is to be determined and r is the position vector of the
segmented element.

Problem Solving Strategy for electrostatic field due to

continuous charges distribution:
Step 1. Consider an elemental charge (ldl/sds/vdv) and determine its
position vector r.
Step 2. Determine the position vector of the field point r.
Step 3. Calculate (r-r) and | r-r|.
Step 4. Solve (3.1/3.2/3.3) to determine the resultant field at P.

Example 3.1: A semi-infinite line extending from - to 0 along the z-axis

carries a uniform charge distribution of 100 nC/m. What is E at P(0, 0, 2)?

Solution: Let us consider an elemental charge ldz′ at z= z′. The position

vector, r, of the observation point P and that of the charge position, r′, are
given by
r=z az, r′= z′(-az). Therefore r-r′=(z+z′) az. In this problem z=2.
 Now using (3.1), E is given by
 0 dz  l
E l  az  az
40  ( z  z ) 2
40 z
9  10 9  100  10 9
 az
2
 450a z N

Example 3.2: A line charge having a constant line charge density ρl Cm-1
extends along the z-axis from - to +. Calculate the E-field on the xy-
plane at z=0.
Solution:
Assume that we have to determine field at any point P on the xy-plane at
z=0. Therefore the coordinates of P is (x, y, 0).
Let us now consider a small line segment dl= dz at position z from the
origin as shown in the following figure. Then, r=z' az and r=xax+ yay.
Therefore, r-r= xax+yay-z'az and |r-r|=(x2+ y2+ z2).

z=+
dl'=dz'

z'
y

x P(x, y, 0)
z= - 

The charge in the small segment dl'=dz' is ρldz' C. Using (3.1), we have the
field for this line charge as

l  (r  r) l  ( xa x  ya y  za z )
40  r  r 3 40  ( x 2  y 2  z2 )3 / 2
E dz   dz

l   ( xa x  ya y ) 
za z 
  2 dz    dz
40    ( x  y  z )
2 2 3/ 2

( x  y  z )
2 2 2 3/ 2

 l   aρ 
za z 
  2 dz    dz
40   (   z )
2 3/ 2

(   z )
2 2 3/ 2

 1 
 
z 1 l
 l  aρ  2 az   aρ V / m
40   (   z2 )1 / 2
2
(   z2 )1 / 2  20 
  

Here, we use = xa x  ya y = a and = x 2  y 2 .

Example 3.3: Determine electric field due to a ring charge of radius a at a
point on its axis. Assume the ring is uniformly charged with density l C/m.
Solution:

r=z az, r=a a, r- r= z az - a a

dl=ad

The field E at P due to charge of small segment dl is

 l dl (r  r )  l a(r  r )  l a( za z  aa ρ )
dE   d   d 
40 r  r 
3
40 r  r 
3
40 ( z 2  a 2 ) 3 / 2
l a  zd  ad  
  2 a  a ρ 
40
z
(z  a ) ( z 2  a 2 )3 / 2 
2 3/ 2

The above equation shows that the field due to a segment has two
components, one act along the z-axis and the other act in the -direction. If
we consider a similar segment just on the opposite side of the present
segment, the ρ-components of these two segments will cancel each other.
Therefore, when the entire ring is under consideration, the field only acts in
the z-direction. This leaves
2
a zd  2l az Qz
E l
40  ( z 2  a 2 ) 3 / 2 a z  4 ( z 2  a 2 ) 3 / 2 a z  4 ( z 2  a 2 ) 3 / 2 a z
0 0 0

Here Q is the total charge on the ring.

Example 3.4: A plane circular sheet of radius a has a uniform charge

density ρs Cm-2. Calculate the E-field at a point P which is a perpendicular
distance h from the center of the sheet.

Solution:
 r=h az, r= a
r- r= h az - a

Let us consider a small surface ds=dd on the circular sheet placed on

the xy-plane at z=0 as shown in the following figure. The electric field at P
due to the charge on the surface ds is then given by
 b   2
 s ds (r  r )  s (r  r )   s (  a ρ  ha z ) 
dE  E ds       d d 
40 r  r  40 r  r   40 (    h ) 
3 3 2 2 3/ 2
s   0   0

However, due to symmetry the radial component of the field is zero. Therefore,
  s (ha z )  2
  a     a
h a z
E   0
 d   s  d 
 0 
4 (   2
 h 2 3/ 2
)  2 0 0 ( 
  h 2 )3 / 2
2
 0 

  a
h 1 s  h 
 s az  1 2 2 1/ 2  z
a V /m
2 0 (    h 2 )1 / 2
2
 0
2 0  (a  h ) 
If the radius a of the sheet becomes infinite, the field takes the form:
s
E az V / m
2 0
Example 3.5: Determine E at a point P due to a volume charge density.
Assume the volume charge density is v C/m3.
Solution:
Let us consider a ball of radius r0 which is filled with charge of volume
charge density v C/m3.
ar
Say OP=r
 OQ=s sin P
and QP=s cos s dv=r2 sin d rdd
Q 

O
r0
 r
Volume charge distribution

O (origin of coordinate system)

If we consider the similar incremental volume dv at the similar position on
the opposite side of the line OP, it will show that the resultant field will act
only in the OP direction or in the radial direction ar. The magnitude of the
field along the line OP due to the incremental volume dv is only cos  to
that along OP. Now the magnitude of the field at P due to vdv C along ar is
given by
 v dv  v r  2 sin dr dd
dE  cos   cos  .
40 s 2 40 s 2
r  2  (r  s cos  ) 2  ( s sin  ) 2  r 2  s 2  2rs cos 
r 2  s 2  r 2
 cos  
2rs
Similarly, s  (r  r  cos  ) 2  (r  sin  ) 2  r 2  r  2  2rr  cos 
2

r 2  r 2  s 2 sds
 cos    sin d 
2 rr  rr 
 r dsdr d  r  r  
2 2
 dE  v 2 1  
8r 0  s 2 
r r
 v 2  r 2  r 2 
r0

8r 0 0 r 0 s r  r  

E 2 1  r dsdr d
s 2 
r r
v  r 2  r 2  v v (4 / 3)r  3
r0 r0

           4r  dr  
2
1 r dsd r
4r 20
r 0 s  r  r   s 2  4r 20 r 0 4r 20
Q Q
 2 E ar
4r 0 40 r 2

Special Note: It has been observed from the above examples, that the
electric field of an infinitely long line charge acts in the perpendicular
direction to the line charge and has no component in the direction parallel to
the line charge. The field for an infinitely extended surface charge always
acts in the perpendicular direction to the surface and do not depend on the
distance of the field point from the surface. The field for volume charge acts
in the radial direction from the center of the sphere.

SUMMARY
1) The electric field intensity E in the field of a line charge is:
1 ρ l (r  r)
E 
40 l r  r 3
dl
 where r and r are, respectively, the position vector of the field point
and the position vector of the line segment dl.
2) The electric field intensity E in the field of a surface charge is:
1 ρs (r  r)
E 
40 s r  r 3
ds

where r and r are, respectively, the position vector of the field point
and the position vector of the elemental surface ds.
3) The electric field intensity E in the field of a volume charge is:
1 ρ v (r  r)
E 
40 v r  r 3
dv

where r and r are, respectively, the position vector of the field point
and the position vector of the elemental volume dv.
4) The electric field E of an infinitely long line charge acts in the
perpendicularly outward/inward direction of the line for
positive/negative charge.
5) The electric field E of an infinitely extended surface charge acts in the
perpendicularly outward/inward direction of the surface for
positive/negative charge.
6) The electric field E of a spherical volume charge acts in the radially
outward/inward direction for positive/negative charge.

SAMPLE QUESTIONS
3.1 The electric field in front of an infinitely extended surface charge is
……………. of the distance between surface and the field point.
3.2 The electric field due to ………….. charge distribution always acts in
the radial direction from the charge.
3.3 The plane at z=10m carries charge 20 nC/m2. Which one is the electric
field at the origin? (a) -10 az V/m (b) 360 az V/m (c) -360 az V/m.
3.4 Explain the procedure of determining the electric field intensity E at a
general point P for a line charge distribution.
3.5 Prove that the electric field intensity at any point P located at a distance
 from an infinite line charge varies inversely with .
3.6 Prove that the electric field intensity due to infinite sheet of charge is
everywhere normal to the sheet and is independent of the distance of a
point from the plane containing the charge.
3.7 Explain the procedure of determining the electric field intensity E at a
general point P for a surface charge distribution.
3.8 Explain the procedure of determining the electric field intensity E at a
general point P for a volume charge distribution.
3.9 Two infinite sheets of charge are located in free space at x=2 m. The
charge density of the sheet at x=2 is s C/m2 and that of the sheet at x=-
2 is s C/m2. Determine E for x<-2, -2<x<2, and x>2. (Ans:E=0 for x<-
2, E=s/0 (-ax)for -2<x<2, and E=0 for x>2)

Homework:

3.1: Find E at (10, 0, 0) due to a charge of 10 nC which is distributed

uniformly along x-axis between x=-5 to +5m in free space. (Ans: 1.8ax V/m)
3.2: Two infinite sheets of charge of density s C/m2 are located in free
space at z=2 m. Determine E for z<-2, -2<z<2, and z>2. (Ans:E=s/0 (-az)
for z<-2, E=0 for -2<z<2, and E=s/0 az for z>2)