Biomedical Engineering Department 2nd Class

College of Electronics Engineering Electromagnetic Fields

Nineveh University Lecture 6

Poisson’s and Laplace’s Equations

& Resistance and Capacitance

Prepared By:
Asst. Prof. Dr. Younis M. Abbosh
Rahmah J. Abdulkareem

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 Electrostatic Boundary Value Problems
INTRODUCTION
The procedure for determining the electric field E in the preceding chapters has generally been to use either
Coulomb’s law or Gauss’s law when the charge distribution is known, or E= -▽V when the potential V is
known throughout the region. In most practical situations, however, neither the charge distribution nor the
potential distribution is known.
In this chapter, we shall consider practical electrostatic problems where only electrostatic conditions (charge
and potential) at some boundaries are known and it is desired to find E and V throughout the region. Such
problems are usually tackled using Poisson’s or Laplace’s equation or the method of images, and they are
usually referred to as boundary value problems. The concepts of resistance and capacitance will be covered.
We shall use Laplace’s equation in deriving the resistance of an object and the capacitance of a capacitor.

Poisson’s and Laplace’s Equations

Poisson’s and Laplace’s equations are easily derived from Gauss’s law (for a linear, isotropic material
medium):

and

Substituting eq. (6.2) into eq. (6.1) gives

for an inhomogeneous medium. For a homogeneous medium, eq. (6.3) becomes

This is known as Poisson’s equation. A special case of this equation occurs when (ρv=0) (i.e., for a
charge-free region). Equation (6.4) then becomes

which is known as Laplace’s equation. Note that in taking ≪ out of the left-hand side of eq. (6.3) to
obtain eq. (6.4), we have assumed that ɛ is constant throughout the region in which V is defined; for an
inhomogeneous region, ɛ is not constant and eq. (6.4) does not follow eq. (6.3). Equation (6.3) is

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Poisson’s equation for an inhomogeneous medium; it becomes Laplace’s equation for an inhomogeneous
medium when ρv = 0.

Recall that the Laplacian operator ∇2 was derived in Section 3.8. Thus, Laplace’s equation in Cartesian,
cylindrical, or spherical coordinates, respectively, is given by

depending on the coordinate variables used to express V, that is, V(x, y, z), V(ρ, ϕ, z), or V(r, θ, ϕ).
Poisson’s equation in those coordinate systems may be obtained by simply replacing zero on the right-
hand side of eqs. (6.6), (6.7), and (6.8) with (- ρv/ɛ).
Laplace’s equation is of primary importance in solving electrostatic problems involving a set of
conductors maintained at different potentials. Examples of such problems include capacitors and vacuum
tube diodes. Laplace’s and Poisson’s equations are not only useful in solving electrostatic field problems;
they are used in various other field problems. For example, V would be interpreted as magnetic potential
in magnetostatics, as temperature in heat conduction, as stress function in fluid flow, and as pressure head
in seepage.

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Solution:

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 Resistance and Capacitance
Resistance: In Section CONDUCTORS the concept of resistance was covered and we
derived eq. (5.16) for finding the resistance of a conductor of uniform cross-section. If the
cross-section of the conductor is not uniform, eq. (5.16) becomes invalid, and the
resistance is obtained from eq. (5.17):

The problem of finding the resistance of a conductor of nonuniform cross section can be
treated as a boundary-value problem. Using eq. (6.16), the resistance R (or conductance
G = 1/R) of a given conducting material can be found by following these steps:
1. Choose a suitable coordinate system.
2. Assume Vo as the potential difference between conductor terminals.
3. Solve Laplace’s equation ▽2V = 0 to obtain V. Then determine E from E =- ▽V and
find I from (I = 𝛔𝐄 . 𝒅𝐒 )
4. Finally, obtain R as Vo/I.
In essence, we assume Vo, find I, and determine (R = Vo /I). Alternatively, it is possible to
assume current Io, find the corresponding potential difference V, and determine R from
(R = V/Io). As will be discussed shortly, the capacitance of a capacitor is obtained using a
similar technique.
Generally speaking, to have a capacitor we must have two (or more) conductors carrying
equal but opposite charges. This implies that all the flux lines leaving one conductor must
necessarily terminate at the surface of the other conductor. The conductors are sometimes
referred to as the plates of the capacitor. The plates may be separated by free space or a
dielectric.
Consider the two-conductor capacitor of Figure 6.12. The conductors are maintained at a
potential difference V given by

where E is the electric field existing between the conductors and conductor 1 is assumed
to carry a positive charge. (Note that the E field is always normal to the conducting
surfaces.)
FIGURE 6.12 A two-conductor capacitor

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capacitance
We define the capacitance C of the capacitor as the ratio of the magnitude of the charge on one of the plates
to the potential difference between them; that is,

The negative sign before (V =- L E. dl ) has been dropped because we are interested in the absolute value
of V. The capacitance C is a physical property of the capacitor and is are specified in microfarads (mF) or
picofarads (pF). We can use eq. (6.18) to obtain C for any given two-conductor capacitance by following
either of these methods:

1. Assuming Q and determining V in terms of Q (involving Gauss’s law)

2. Assuming V and determining Q in terms of V (involving solving Laplace’s equation)

We shall use the former method here, and the latter method will be illustrated in Examples 6.10 and 6.11.
The former method involves taking the following steps:

1. Choose a suitable coordinate system.

2. Let the two conducting plates carry charges +Q and -Q.

3. Determine E by using Coulomb’s or Gauss’s law and find V from (V =- L E. dl ). The negative sign may be
ignored in this case because we are interested in the absolute value of V.

4. Finally, obtain C from C = Q/V.

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