Charge Density – types of electric charge density, & formulas

In this post, we will talk about electric charge density for the distribution of charge, types of such charge densities, formulas, and their application areas.

Electric Charge Density – types

3 types of electric charge density are discussed here. These are Surface Charge Density, Line Charge Density, and Volume Charge Density.

Surface Charge Density

Surface Charge Density is the amount of electric Charge per unit area of the surface, where the charge is distributed over a surface.

Surface Charge Density (sigma or σ)
= Total Charge distributed on the surface / Area of the surface
= Q/A

Application: This surface charge density concept is used to Find the electric field intensity due to a thin sheet of charge.

Line Charge Density

Line Charge Density is the amount of electric Charge per unit length, where the charge is distributed along a line.

Line Charge Density (lambda or ƛ)
= Total Charge distributed along the line/length of the line
= Q/L

Application: This line charge density concept is used to find the electric field intensity due to a long line of charge.

Volume Charge Density

Volume Charge Density is the amount of electric Charge per unit volume, where the charge is distributed in a volume.

Volume Charge Density (rho or ρ) = Total Charge distributed in the volume / total volume = Q/V

Charge Density Formulas

σ = Q/A

ƛ=Q/L

ρ = Q/V

So we have covered the following sub-topics in this post.