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FDE Homework 2 PDF

This document contains instructions for 5 homework problems on electrostatics. Problem 1 asks the student to find the electric field from a uniformly charged rod. Problem 2 asks for the electric field from a uniformly charged semicircle. Problem 3 asks for the electric field inside and outside a uniformly charged sphere. Problem 4 asks for the electric field inside and outside two coaxial cylinders with different charges. Problem 5 asks for the electric field inside and outside two concentric conducting spheres with different charges. The document provides figures and detailed instructions for setting up and solving the integrals for each problem.

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Diego Guzmán Villanueva
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699 views4 pages

FDE Homework 2 PDF

This document contains instructions for 5 homework problems on electrostatics. Problem 1 asks the student to find the electric field from a uniformly charged rod. Problem 2 asks for the electric field from a uniformly charged semicircle. Problem 3 asks for the electric field inside and outside a uniformly charged sphere. Problem 4 asks for the electric field inside and outside two coaxial cylinders with different charges. Problem 5 asks for the electric field inside and outside two concentric conducting spheres with different charges. The document provides figures and detailed instructions for setting up and solving the integrals for each problem.

Uploaded by

Diego Guzmán Villanueva
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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FDE 2020-I Homework 2 March 20, 2020

Deadline: March 26, 2020

Problem 1
Positive charge Q is distributed uniformly along the y-axis between y = −a and y = +a
(Like a rod, see Fig. 1). Find the electric field at point P on the x-axis at a distance x from
the origin. Follow the instructions:

• Divide the rod into infinitesimal segments, each of which is a short segment of length
dy. How much charge is on a segment?.

• Consider an infinitesimal segment located position y on the rod, Find the distance and
the angle from the point P , What are the x− and y−components of the electric field
at P (dEx and dEy ) produced by just this segment?

• Integrate your expressions for dEx and dEy from y = −a to y = a.The integrals should
be for the vatiable y. The results will be the x−component and y−component of the
electric field at P.

• Optional: Check that if the point is to close to the rode and the length of the rood is
big (i.e. a >> x) , the Electric Field is :

~ = λ
E î, (1)
2π0 x
where λ = Q/2a is the linear charge density.

Figure 1: Problem 1

1
FDE 2020-I Homework 2 March 20, 2020

Problem 2
Positive charge Q is uniformly distributed around a semicircle of radius a as shown in Fig.
2 Find the magnitude and direction of the resulting electric field at point P , the center of
curvature of the semicircle. Follow the instructions:

• Divide the semicircle into infinitesimal segments, each of which is a short circular arc
of radius a and angle dθ. What is the length of such a segment? How much charge is
on a segment?.
• Consider an infinitesimal segment located at an angular position θ on the semicircle,
measured from the lower right corner of the semicircle at x = a, y = 0. (Thus θ = π/2
at x = 0, y = a and θ = π at x = −a, y = 0.) What are the x− and y−components of
the electric field at P (dEx and dEy ) produced by just this segment?
• Integrate your expressions for dEx and dEy from θ = 0 to θ = π. The results will be
the x−component and y−component of the electric field at P.

Figure 2: Problem 2

Problem 3
Positive electric charge Q is distributed uniformly throughout the volume of an insulating
sphere with radius R. Find the magnitude of the electric field at a point P a distance r from
the center of the sphere. Instructions:

• Find the charge density of the sphere ρ.


• Find the portion of charge enclosed by a inner sphere with radius r < R. (Hint: you
can find the charge enclosed by multiplying the volume of the encloses surface by the
charge density qenclo = ρVenclo )

2
FDE 2020-I Homework 2 March 20, 2020

• Use Gauss Law, inside and outside the sphere . Suggestion : use another sphere as a
Gaussian surface.

Figure 3: Problem 3

Problem 4
A long coaxial cable consists of an inner cylindrical conductor with radius a and an outer
coaxial cylinder with inner radius b and outer radius c. The outer cylinder is mounted on
insulating supports and has no net charge. The inner cylinder has a uniform positive charge
per unit length λ. Calculate the electric field (a) at any point between the cylinders a distance
r from the axis and (b) at any point outside the outer cylinder. (c) Graph the magnitude
of the electric field as a function of the distance r from the axis of the cable, from r = 0 to
r = 2c. Fig 4.

Figure 4: Problem 4

3
FDE 2020-I Homework 2 March 20, 2020

Problem 5
A solid conducting sphere carrying charge q has radius a. It is inside a concentric hollow
conducting sphere with inner radius b and outer radius c. The hollow sphere has no net
charge. (a) Derive expressions for the electric field magnitude in terms of the distance r from
the center for the regions r < a, a < r < b , b < r < c, and r > c. (b) Graph the magnitude
of the electric field as a function of r from r = 0 to r = 2c. Fig. 5

Figure 5: Problem 5

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