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Solution # 3: Department of Physics IIT Kanpur, Semester II, 2015-16

1) The document contains solutions to physics problems related to electrostatics, including finding electric potential and field given a charge distribution, verifying Poisson's equation, and calculating capacitance of coaxial cylinders. 2) It analyzes the electric potential and field for different charge distributions and geometries using Gauss's law and properties of the Dirac delta function. 3) Formulas are derived for total charge, electrostatic energy, and capacitance by integrating the electric field or potential.

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Shreya
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© © All Rights Reserved
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43 views

Solution # 3: Department of Physics IIT Kanpur, Semester II, 2015-16

1) The document contains solutions to physics problems related to electrostatics, including finding electric potential and field given a charge distribution, verifying Poisson's equation, and calculating capacitance of coaxial cylinders. 2) It analyzes the electric potential and field for different charge distributions and geometries using Gauss's law and properties of the Dirac delta function. 3) Formulas are derived for total charge, electrostatic energy, and capacitance by integrating the electric field or potential.

Uploaded by

Shreya
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Department of Physics

IIT Kanpur, Semester II, 2015-16

Solution # 3

PHY103A: Physics II

Instructors: AKJ & DC

Solution 3.1: Finding potential, given a charge distribution (Griffiths 3rd ed. Prob 2.26)

z
b

x
r

r
y

a
x
FIG. 1:

The potential V (a) at point a is given by (see Fig. 1)


1
V (a) =
40

2h

2x
r

dr

we have x = r/ 2. Therefore we get,


2
V (a) =
40

2h

Z
0

dr =

h
2 1
( 2h) =
40 2
20

The potential V (b) at point b is given by (see Fig. 1)


1
V (b) =
40

Z
0

2h

2x
r0

dr

we have x = r/ 2 and r0 = h2 + r2 2hr. Therefore we get,


!

Z 2h
Z 2h
1
2x
2 1
r

p
dr
V (b) =
dr =

40 0
r0
40 2 0
h2 + r2 2hr
q
q

h
2h
=
h2 + r2 2hr + ln 2 h2 + r2 2hr + 2r 2h
0
2 20
2

h
h
=
h + ln(2h + 2 2h 2h) h ln(2h 2h)
2 20
2
2

!
!
h
i

h
2+ 2
h
2+ 2
h
ln(2h + 2h) ln(2h 2h) =

=
ln
=
ln
40
40
2 20 2
2 2
2 2

!

h
(2 + 2)2
h
=
ln
=
ln 1 + 2
40
2
20
Thus we get the required potential difference to be
V (a) V (b) =

i
h h
ln 1 ln 1 + 2
20
1

Solution 3.2: Finding field and charge density, given an electric potential, (Griffiths 3rd ed. Prob 2.46)

(a) The electric potential is V (r) = A

er
. Therefore, the electric field E(r) can be written as
r

E = V = A
r
= Aer (1 + r)

er
r

r()er er

r = A

r
r2

r
r2

(b) The corresponding charge density (r) can be calculated by using the differential form of Gausss Law =
0 E. Using the product rule for divergence, (f A) = f ( A) + A (f ), we obtain

r

r
r
+

e
(1
+
r)
= 0 E = 0 Ae
(1 + r)
0
r2
r2
Next we use the properties of the Dirac-delta function and the formula for gradient in spherical coordinates
to get

r
0 Aer (1 + r)
= 0 Aer (1 + r)4 3 (r) = 0 A4 3 (r)
r2

r r
0 A 2 er (1 + r) = 0 A 2
e
(1 + r)
r
r
r r

r
= 0 A 2 er (1 + r) + er
r
r

r
= 0 A 2 2 rer
r
r
2
= 0 A er
r
Therefore, we get the charge density (r) as

2
= 0 A 4 (r) er
r

(c) The total charge Q can now be calculated to be


Z
Q=

d
Z

er
(r)d 0 A
4r2 dr
r
Z
= 0 A4 0 A2 4 rer dr

1
= 0 A4 0 A2 4
2
=0

= 0 A4

Therefore the total charge is zero.

Solution 3.3: Verifying Poissons Equation (Griffiths 3rd ed. Prob 2.29)
The potential V (r) at r due to the localized charge distribution is
Z
(r0 ) 0
1
d ,
V (r) =
40
r
We note that the charge distribution has been represented in the (r0 , 0 , 0 ) coordinates. We take the Laplacian of the
potential in (r, , ) coordinates. Therefore, we get
Z
1
(r0 ) 0
2 V (r) = 2
d
40
r
Z
1
(r0 ) 0
=
2
d
40
r

Z
1
0
21
=
d 0
(r )
40
r

Z
1
1
0
=
(r )
d 0
40
r

Z
1
r
0
=
(r ) 2 d 0
40
r
Z
1
=
(r0 )4 3 (r)d 0
40
Z
1
(r0 )4 3 (r r0 )d 0
=
40
1
= (r)
0
Thus, we see that the given potential satisfies the Poissons equation.

Solution 3.4: Electrostatic energy of two spherical shells (Griffiths 3rd ed. Prob 2.34)
1 q

r, for (a < r < b), and E(r) = 0, otherwise.


40 r2

(a) The electric field due to the two shells is given by E(r) =
The energy of this configuration is:
0
W =
2

0
E d =
2
2

q
40

2 Z

b
a

1
r2

q2
4r dr =
80
2

1 1

a b

(b) Lets us first calculate the energy of the individual shells. The electric filed due to the shell of radius a is
1 q
Ea (r) =

r, for (r > a), and Ea (r) = 0, otherwise. The electric filed due to the shell of radius b is
40 r2
1 q
Eb (r) =

r, for (r > b), and Eb (r) = 0, otherwise. Therefore, the energy of the first spherical shell is:
40 r2

2 Z 2
Z
0
q
1
0
q2
Ea2 d =
Wa =
4r2 dr =
2
2
2 40
r
80 a
a
Similarly, the energy of the second spherical shell is
0
Wb =
2

Z
Eb2 d

0
=
2

q
40

2 Z
b

1
r2

2
4r2 dr =

q2
80 b

The interaction energy of this system is therefore:


Z
q2
q2
Wint = 0 Ea Eb d = W Wa Wb =

80 b 80 b
q2
=
40 b

Solution 3.5: Electrostatic Force

(a)
Q

(b)
R

da

FIG. 2:

1 Q

r, for (r R), and E(r) = 0,


40 r2
otherwise. From the symmetry of the problem, it is clear that the total electrostatic force on northern
hemisphere will be in the z direction. Now, the electrostatic force per unit area in the z-direction at the area
element da, as shown in Fig. 2(a), is:

(a) The electric filed due to the metal sphere of radius R is given by E(r) =

fz = Eother
z=

E(r)
Q 1 1 Q
Q2

z=
cos

=
cos
2
4R2 2 40 r2
32 2 0 R4

Therefore, the total repulsive force on the northern hemisphere is


Z
Fz =

/2

fz da =
=0
2

=0

Q2
cos R2 sin dd
32 2 0 R4

/2

Q
2
cos sin d
32 2 0 R2
=0
Q2
1
=
2
2
2
32 0 R
2
Q2
=
320 R2
=

1 Qr

r.
40 R3
From the symmetry of the problem, it is clear that the total electrostatic force on the northern hemisphere will
be in the z direction. Now, the electrostatic force per unit volume in the z-direction on the volume element
d , as shown in Fig. 2(b), is:

(b) The electric filed inside a uniformly charged sphere of radius R and charge Q is given by E(r) =

fz = E(r)
z=

3Q 1 Qr
3Q2
cos

=
r cos
4R3 40 R3
16 2 0 R6
4

Therefore, the electrostatic force on the northern hemisphere is


Z
Fz =

/2

fz d =
0

3Q2
=
16 2 0 R6
3Q2
=
16 2 0 R6

=0

=0
R

=0

/2

r3 cos sin dd

=0

/2

r dr
0

3Q2
r
cos

r2 sin dd
16 2 0 R6

cos sin d
=0

d
=0

R4
1
3Q2

2
2
6
16 0 R
4
2
3Q2
=
640 R2
=

Solution 3.6: Capacitance of coaxial metal cylinders (Griffiths 3rd ed. Prob 2.39)
Suppose that for a length L, the charge on the inner cylinder is Q and the charge on the outer cylinder is Q. Using
Q 1
the Gaussian surface as shown in Fig. 3, it can be shown that the field in between the cylinders is E(s) =

s.
20 L s
The potential difference between the cylinders is therefore,

Z b
Z b
Q
1
Q
b
V (b) V (a) =
E dl =
ds =
ln
.
20 L a s
20 L
a
a

Q
b
We see that a is at a higher potential. So, we take the potential difference as V = V (a) V (b) =
ln
. The
20 L
a
capacitance C of this configuration is therefore given by
C=

Q
=
V

20

b
ln
a

-Q

s
a

L
FIG. 3:

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