The field concept is fundamental to describe and understand the electrostatic
phenomenon and its interaction with surrounding objects. Understanding the concepts
and laws related to the electrostatic field is necessary before introducing the more
advanced topics in electromagnetics. On the other hand, there is a wide range of
applications in industry, medicine, and electronic devices that are based on
electrostatics. This makes the subject of electrostatics an important topic as a
prerequisite for other subjects or as a basic technology in many industrial applications.
This chapter introduces the principles of electrostatic fields. The main topics that are
covered in the chapter include Coulomb’s law and electrostatic force between the
objects, the concept of electric field intensity, Gauss’s law and its applications, the
concept of electric potential, the electrostatic energy and the energy stored in the
electrostatic field, and the electric dipole. All topics of the chapter are supported by
illustrative examples and figures that make the topics understandable easily. To enhance
the student's problem solving skills, the chapter is provided by miscellaneous solved
problems and numerous homework problems covering the topics of the chapter.