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Solution To HW Problems

1) The document discusses solutions to several homework problems from Griffiths' Introduction to Electrodynamics textbook. It analyzes the configuration of charges in each problem and uses Coulomb's law to calculate the electric field components. 2) For problem 19, the electric field at a point P due to two equal and opposite charges is calculated. The field cancels in the z-direction and adds in the x-direction. 3) For problem 20, the electric field is found at any z-value due to two pairs of charges located at z±d. The field is zero at the center point between the charges. 4) For problem 21, the electric field is derived for a uniform line charge distributed around

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Martín Figueroa
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84 views4 pages

Solution To HW Problems

1) The document discusses solutions to several homework problems from Griffiths' Introduction to Electrodynamics textbook. It analyzes the configuration of charges in each problem and uses Coulomb's law to calculate the electric field components. 2) For problem 19, the electric field at a point P due to two equal and opposite charges is calculated. The field cancels in the z-direction and adds in the x-direction. 3) For problem 20, the electric field is found at any z-value due to two pairs of charges located at z±d. The field is zero at the center point between the charges. 4) For problem 21, the electric field is derived for a uniform line charge distributed around

Uploaded by

Martín Figueroa
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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1

Solution to HW Problems
19. Griffiths 2.2(b) First lets analyze the configuration of the setup. The two charges would
generate electric fields at point P with the same magnitude because their distances to P are the
same. In terms of direction, the +q charge on the left generates an electric field pointing up-right,
and the q charge on the right generates an electric field pointing down-right. The superposition
of these two fields would cancel the z component of the electric field, while the x component of the
field will add up to be twice the x component generated by one charge.
From this analyis, we can use Coulombs law to find only the x component of the electric field
generated by +q. The magnitude of the field |E~1 | = E1 is determined by the distance squared
2 = (d/2)2 + z 2 as
q 1
1
q
E1 =
=
2
40
40 (d/2)2 + z 2
Then its x-component is given by Ex = E1 sin, where is indicated in the class notes, and
sin = d/2
. So we find
d/2
q
q d/2
=
Ex1 =
3
2
40
40 [(d/2) + z 2 ]3/2
And the total field is
~ = Ex x
E
= 2Ex1 x
=

d
q
x

2
40 [(d/2) + z 2 ]3/2

Here we may also calculate the electric field more rigorously. From Coulombs law, E~1 =
, so ~1 = d2 x
+ z
z , 1 =
where ~1 = ~r r~1 . In this problem, ~r = z
z , and r~1 = d2 x
p
+ z 2 , and 1 = ( d2 x
+ z
z )/ (d/2)2 + z 2 . Putting these terms into the Coulombs law, we

q 1
40 21 1 ,
p
(d/2)2

get

q
d
1
( x
+ z
z)
2
2
3/2
40 [(d/2) + z ]
2
p
p
, ~2 = d2 x
+ z
z , 2 = (d/2)2 + z 2 , 2 = ( d2 x
+ z
z )/ (d/2)2 + z 2 , and
Similarly, r~2 = d2 x
E~1 =

d
1
q
( x
+ z
z)
E~2 =
2
2
3/2
40 [(d/2) + z ]
2

The total electric field is the sum of the two fields, so


~ = E~1 + E~2 =
E

d
q
x

2
40 [(d/2) + z 2 ]3/2

Same as above.
When |z| >> d, the term
large distance |z|.

d
[(d/2)2 +z 2 ]3/2

is approximated as

d
,
|z 3 |

which approaches zero at a very

20. In the problem, we are going to calculate the electric field at any arbitrary value of z. The
electric field can be viewed as the sum of the fields generated by two pairs of charges, one pair at

2
a distance of z d from the field point at (0, 0, z), and the other pair at a distance of z + d from
the field point. Also the horizontal distance between the two charges of each pair is 2d. We can
directly use the conclusion of Griffiths Problem 2.2(a) (see your class notes), and find that the
electric field by the upper pair is
~ upper =
E

2q(z a)
1
z
2
40 [a + (z a)2 ]3/2

Here we replace z in the original solution by z a for the changing distance between the field
position and the charge pair, and replace the d/2 in the original solution by a since the separation
between the pair of the charges is 2a in this problem. In the similar way, we may find the electric
field by the lower pair as
2q(z + a)
~ lower = 1
E
z
2
40 [a + (z + a)2 ]3/2
The total field is the sum of the fields by the two pairs
z+a
za
~ =E
~ upper + E
~ lower = 2q [
E
+ 2
]
z
2
2
3/2
40 [a + (z a) ]
[a + (z + a)2 ]3/2
It is seen that at z = 0, the center of the 4 charges, the net electric field is zero, as expected.
21. Griffiths 2.5 First method: we analyze the configuration of the charge distribution to see that
the symmetric distribution of the charge around the circle would generate electric field at P with
the horizontal component canceled, and only the z-component is left. So we only derive the zcomponent. Imagine that an infenitesimal section of arc of length dl = rd along the circle carries

the amount of charge dq = dl = rd and is at the distance = r 2 + z 2 . According to the


~ at P with the magnitude
Coulombs law, this amount of charge generates the electric field dE
dE =

1 rd
40 r 2 + z 2

And the z-component of the field is


dEz = dE

zrd
1
z
=

40 (r 2 + z 2 )3/2

The total electric field is computed by summing up contribution by all infinitesimal sections, or
integrating along the circle from = 0 to = 2, so:
Z 2
Z
1
zr
zr
1
d =
Ez = dEz =
40 (r 2 + z 2 )3/2 =0
20 (r 2 + z 2 )3/2
Or

zr
~ = 1
E
z
2
20 (r + z 2 )3/2

3
~ by Coulombs law. Lets
In the second method, we shall calculate all the components of E
place the circle in the xy plane with the center of the circle at the origin, and use to describe the
azimuthal angle in the cylindrical coordinates. An infinitesimal section of the arc dl = rd is at the
location ~r = rcos x
+ rsin y, the field position is ~r = z
z . So the seperation vector is ~ = ~r ~r =
p

rcos x
rsin y+z
z , the seperation distance is = (rcos )2 + (rsin )2 + z 2 = r 2 + z 2 ,

and the direction vector is = ~/ = (rcos x


rsin y + z
z )/ r 2 + z 2 . Using Coulombs law,
the total electric field should be computed as
Z 2
Z 2
rsin y
1
1
r
+ z
z
rcos x
~
E=
(rcos x
rsin y+z
z )d
=
rd
2
2
3/2
2
2
3/2
40 =0
4

(r + z )
0 (r + z )
=0
The integral can be conducted for each component as
Z 2
1
1
r 2
r 2

Ex =
cos
d
=
sin |2
0 =0
40 (r 2 + z 2 )3/2 =0
40 (r 2 + z 2 )3/2
Z 2
1
r 2
r 2
1

sin
d
=
(cos )|2
Ey =
0 =0
40 (r 2 + z 2 )3/2 =0
40 (r 2 + z 2 )3/2
Z 2
1
1
rz
2rz
Ez =
d =
2
2
3/2
2
40 (r + z )
40 (r + z 2 )3/2
=0
The Ex and Ey are both zero, and
~ = Ez z =
E

2rz
1
z
2
40 (r + z 2 )3/2

same as above.
22. Griffiths 2.6 We can directly use the conclusion from the last problem by treating the disk as
superposition of numerous infinitesimal circular rings at radius r varying from 0 to R, and the line
charge density is written as = dr in this problem. Therefore, each ring at radius r with the
thickness dr generates an infinitesimal electric field as
dEz =

2rzdr
1
40 (r 2 + z 2 )3/2

The total field is derived by summing up contribution by all the rings, or integrating over r.
Z
Z
2z R
2z
rdr
2z 1
1
Ez = dEz =
=
((r 2 + z 2 )1/2 |R
(

)
0 =
2
40 r=0 (r 2 + z 2 )3/2
40
40 |z|
z + R2
The field is

~ = Ez z = z ( 1 1
)
z
E
20 |z|
z 2 + R2

When R is much larger than z, the above solution becomes

1
z
z z 2 + R2 |z|
z R
z 1

)=

Ez =
20 |z|
20 |z| z 2 + R2
20 |z|R
20 |z|
z 2 + R2

4
It is seen that in this case, the magnitude of the electric field is a constant. At z > 0, Ez = 20 ,
the electric field is pointing upward in the z direction, and at z < 0, Ez = 20 , the electric field is
pointing downward along the
z direction. This is the property of the electric field generated by
an infinitely large planar sheet with uniform charge distribution.
Further, with some arithmetics, we re-write the solution as

z z 2 + R2 |z|
z [1 + (R/z)2 ]1/2 1

Ez =
=
20 |z| z 2 + R2
20
z 2 + R2
For z >> R, we ignore the R term in the denominator, and use Taylors expansion to find that
[1 + (R/z)2 ]1/2 = 1 + 21 (R/z)2 + O[(R/z)2 ], where the O[(R/z)2 ] includes second and higher order
terms which may be discarded. Therefore, we arrive at
Ez

1 R2
z 12 (R/z)2
=
20
|z|
40 z 2

The solution takes + sign when z > 0 and sign when z < 0. Since R2 is the total charge on
the disk, the solution at z >> R looks just like the electric field generated by a point charge of
charge amount q = R2 , as expected.

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