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Jackson 2 23 Homework Solution

1. The potential inside a hollow conducting cube with walls at potentials 0 V and V is solved using the Laplace equation and boundary conditions. 2. The potential at the center of the cube is numerically evaluated to be V/3 to three significant figures, requiring the first three terms in the series solution. 3. The surface charge density on the inner wall at potential V is found to be proportional to V.

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154 views

Jackson 2 23 Homework Solution

1. The potential inside a hollow conducting cube with walls at potentials 0 V and V is solved using the Laplace equation and boundary conditions. 2. The potential at the center of the cube is numerically evaluated to be V/3 to three significant figures, requiring the first three terms in the series solution. 3. The surface charge density on the inner wall at potential V is found to be proportional to V.

Uploaded by

Ivandson de Sousa
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Jackson 2.

23 Homework Problem Solution


Dr. Christopher S. Baird
University of Massachusetts Lowell
PROBLEM:
A hollow cube has conducting walls defined by six planes x !" y !" z !" and x a" y a" z a.
#he walls z ! and z a are held at constant potential V. #he other four sides are at $ero potential.
%a& 'ind the potential %x" y" z& at any point inside the cube.
%b& (valuate the potential at the center of the cube nu)erically" accurate to three significant figures.
*ow )any ter)s in the series is it necessary to +eep in order to attain this accuracy, Co)pare your
nu)erical result with the average value of the potential on the walls. See -roble) .../.
%c& 'ind the surface0charge density on the surface z a.
SOLU!O":
#he proble) contains no charge" so the electric potential is described everywhere inside the cube by
the Laplace e1uation2

.
4=!
#his proble) has a boundary" the cube" that best )atches rectangular coordinates. 3n rectangular
coordinates" the Laplace e1uation beco)es2

.
4
x
.
+

.
4
y
.
+

.
4
z
.
=!
Using the )ethod of separation of variables" the )ost general solution to this e1uation is2
4( x , y , z)=( A
o!
+B
o!
x)( A
!
+B
!
y)( A
y !
+B
y!
z)
+

( A
o!
+B
o!
x)( A

e
i y
+B

e
i y
)( A
y
e
y z
+B
y
e
yz
)
+

o
( A
o
e
i o x
+B
o
e
i o x
)( A
!
+B
!
y)( A
y
e
y z
+B
y
e
y z
)
+

o,
( A
o
e
i ox
+B
o
e
i o x
)( A

e
i y
+B

e
i y
)( A
y
e
y z
+B
y
e
y z
)
Apply the boundary condition" %x !" y" z& !
!=( A
o!
)( A
!
+B
!
y)( A
y!
+B
y !
z)
+

( A
o!
)( A

e
i y
+B

e
i y
)( A
y
e
y z
+B
y
e
y z
)
+

o
( A
o
+B
o
)( A
!
+B
!
y)( A
y
e
y z
+B
y
e
y z
)
+

o ,
( A
o
+B
o
)( A

e
i y
+B

e
i y
)( A
y
e
yz
+B
y
e
y z
)
#his )ust be true for all y and z" so that each ter) )ust vanish separately.
#his forces A
!
! and B

0A

. #he solution now beco)es2


4( x , y , z)=( B
o!
x)( A
!
+B
!
y)( A
y !
+B
y !
z)
+

( B
o!
x)( A

e
i y
+B

e
i y
)( A
y
e
y z
+B
y
e
y z
)
+

o
A
o
sin(o x)( A
!
+B
!
y)( A
y
e
yz
+B
y
e
y z
)
+

o ,
A
o
sin(o x)( A

e
i y
+B

e
i y
)( A
y
e
y z
+B
y
e
yz
)
Si)ilarly" the boundary condition" %x" y !" z& ! leads to A
!
! and B

0A

which gives the
solution2
4( x , y , z)=( B
o!
x)( B
!
y)( A
y!
+B
y !
z)
+

( B
o!
x) A

sin( y)( A
y
e
yz
+B
y
e
y z
)
+

o
A
o
sin (ox)( B
!
y)( A
y
e
y z
+B
y
e
y z
)
+

o,
A
o
sin(o x) A

sin( y)( A
y
e
y z
+B
y
e
y z
)
4ow apply the boundary condition %x a" y" z& !
!=( B
o!
a)( B
!
y)( A
y !
+B
y !
z)
+

( B
o!
a) A

sin( y)( A
y
e
y z
+B
y
e
y z
)
+

o
A
o
sin(oa)( B
!
y)( A
y
e
yz
+B
y
e
y z
)
+

o ,
A
o
sin(oa) A

sin ( y)( A
y
e
y z
+B
y
e
y z
)
#he only way this can be true for all y and z is if B
!
! and n56a where n !" 7" ."...
4( x , y , z)=

n
A
n
sin
(
nx
a
)
( B
!
y)( A
y
e
yz
+B
y
e
y z
)+

n ,
A
n
sin
(
nx
a
)
A

sin ( y)( A
y
e
y z
+B
y
e
y z
)
Si)ilarly" apply the boundary condition %x" y = a" z& ! to get B
!
! and m56a where
n !" 7" ."...
4( x , y , z)=

n, m
A
n
sin
(
nx
a
)
A
m
sin
(
m y
a
)
( A
y
e
y z
+B
y
e
y z
)
By definition we have y
.
=o
.
+
.
so that we now +now y=.(n
.
+m
.
)
.
/ a
.
. 8e can co)bine several
constants so that we now have2
4( x , y , z)=

n, m
sin
(
nx
a
)
sin
(
m y
a
)
( A
n ,m
e
z .(n
.
+m
.
)
.
/ a
.
+B
n ,m
e
z .(n
.
+m
.
)
.
/a
.
)
4ow apply the boundary condition %x" y" z !& V
V =

n ,m
sin
(
n x
a
)
sin
(
m y
a
)
( A
n, m
+B
n, m
)
Multiply both side by sin
(
n9 x
a
)
sin
(
m9 y
a
)
and integrate over x and y fro) ! to a

!
a

!
a
V sin
(
n9 x
a
)
sin
(
m9 y
a
)
dx dy
=

n, m

!
a
sin
(
nx
a
)
sin
(
n9 x
a
)
dx

!
a
sin
(
m y
a
)
sin
(
m9 y
a
)
dy( A
n, m
+B
n, m
)
Due to orthogonality" each integral on the right is $ero" except when n n9 and m m9

!
a

!
a
V sin
(
nx
a
)
sin
(
m y
a
)
dx dy=
a
.
:
( A
n, m
+B
n, m
)
( A
n ,m
+B
n , m
)=
:V
a
.

!
a
sin
(
n x
a
)
dx

!
a
sin
(
m y
a
)
dy
( A
n ,m
+B
n , m
)=
:V
a
.
a
n
7(7)
n
|
a
m
7(7)
m
|
A
n , m
+B
n, m
=
7;V
n m
.
n" m odd

4ow apply the final boundary condition %x" y" z a& V
V =

n ,m
sin
(
n x
a
)
sin
(
m y
a
)
( A
n, m
e
a.(n
.
+m
.
)
.
/a
.
+B
n , m
e
a .( n
.
+m
.
)
.
/ a
.
)
<epeat the process done above to get
A
n , m
e
.( n
.
+m
.
)
.
+B
n ,m
e
.(n
.
+m
.
)
.
=
7;V
n m
.
n" m odd
Solve the syste) of e1uations in the boxes above to find2
A
n , m
=
/V
nm
.
e

7
.
.( n
.
+m
.
)
.
cosh ((/ .) .n
.
+m
.
)
B
n, m
=
/V
nm
.
e
7
.
.(n
.
+m
.
)
.
cosh((/ .) .n
.
+m
.
)
#he final solution is now2
4( x , y , z)=

n ,m odd
sin
(
nx
a
)
sin
(
m y
a
)
/V
n m
.
(
e

7
.
.(n
.
+m
.
)
.
e
z .( n
.
+m
.
)
.
/ a
.
+e
7
.
.( n
.
+m
.
)
.
e
z .(n
.
+m
.
)
.
/a
.
cosh((/ .) .n
.
+m
.
)
)
4( x , y , z)=

n ,m odd
7;V
n m
.
sin
(
nx
a
)
sin
(
m y
a
)
(
cosh ((/ .) .n
.
+m
.
((. z/ a)7))
cosh ((/ .) .n
.
+m
.
)
)
%b& (valuate the potential at the center of the cube nu)erically" accurate to three significant figures.
*ow )any ter)s in the series is it necessary to +eep in order to attain this accuracy, Co)pare your
nu)erical result with the average value of the potential on the walls. See -roble) .../.
#he potential at the center of the cube is2
4(a/ ." a/ ." a/ .)=
7;V

.

n ,m odd
7
n m
sin
(
n
.
)
sin
(
m
.
)
(
7
cosh((/ .) .n
.
+m
.
)
)
4(a/ ." a/ ." a/ .)=V
7;

.
sin
(

.
)
sin
(

.
)(
7
cosh ((/ .))
)

+
7;

.
7
=
sin
(

.
)
sin
(
=
.
)(
7
cosh((/ .) .7!)
)

+
7;

.
7
=
sin
(
=
.
)
sin
(

.
)(
7
cosh((/ .) .7!)
)

+
7;

.
7
>
sin
(

.
)
sin
(
>
.
)(
7
cosh ((/ .)..;)
)
+... |

4(a/ ." a/ ." a/ .)=V !.=:?;!.!!?>!.!!?>+!.!!!.+...|
*ere is solution" to three significant figures" if you only +eep the first ter)" or the first two ter)s" etc2
4
7 ter)
(a/ ." a/ ." a/ .)=V !.=:/|
4
. ter)s
( a/ ." a/ ." a/ .)=V !.=:!|
4
= ter)s
( a/ ." a/ ." a/ .)=V !.===|
4
: ter)s
( a/ ." a/ ." a/ .)=V !.===|
8e only have to +eep the first three ter)s to have the answer accurate to three significant figures. 3t is
obvious that the solution is converging to2
4(a/ ." a/ ." a/ .)=
V
=
#here are six walls on the cube and two sides have a non0$ero potential V" so the average value of the
potential on the sides of the cube is
ave on surf
=
.V
;
=
V
=
. #his leads to the interesting conclusion that2
4(a/ ." a/ ." a/ .)=4
ave on surf
%c& 'ind the surface0charge density on the surface z a.
u=

c
!
d 4
dn
|
n=a
8e have solved the potential on the inside of the cube" so we can only use that potential to find the
surface charge density on the inside of the z a surface. #he nor)al to the inside surface is in the
negative z direction so that2
u=

c
!
d 4
dz
|
z=a
u=

c
!
d
dz

n, m odd
7;V
nm
.
sin
(
n x
a
)
sin
(
m y
a
)
(
cosh((/ .).n
.
+m
.
(( . z/ a)7))
cosh((/ .).n
.
+m
.
)
)
|
z =a
u=

c
!

n ,m odd
7;V
n m
.
sin
(
nx
a
)
sin
(
m y
a
)
(
sinh((/ .).n
.
+m
.
((. z / a)7))
cosh((/ .).n
.
+m
.
)
)
(/ a) .n
.
+m
.
|
z=a
u=
7;c
!
V
a

n ,m odd
.n
.
+m
.
nm
sin
(
n x
a
)
sin
(
m y
a
)
(tanh ((/ .).n
.
+m
.
))

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