Physics 435

Homework 7

Due October 13, 2014

1. Some free charge, Qfree, is embedded in a dielectric material (r)

that has an arbitrary shape, as shown. Calculate the amount of
bound charge on the surface of the dielectric material.

2. An infinite universe (not ours) is filled with polarized material except for a hole of radius R
at the origin. The polarization of the material is radial, with constant magnitude. That is,
!
P = P0r(r R) . The theta (or step) function, , is 0 when the argument is negative, and
!
is 1 when the argument is positive.
a. Calculate the bound charges b and b.
b. Calculate the electric field inside and outside the hole.

3. Two concentric conducting tubes of length L and radii R1 and R2, as shown,
are used as the plates of a capacitor. The cylindrical gap is partially filled
(between R1 and R3) with linear dielectric material (dielectric constant r).
The rest of the gap is air (r = 1). Ignore the fringe fields at the ends.
a. Calculate the capacitance of this device.
b. Suppose the voltage, V1, at R1 is zero, and the voltage, V2, at R2 is not
zero. Calculate the voltage, V3, at R3 in terms of the given quantities.

4. A grounded conducting sphere of radius R1 is wrapped in a

spherical shell of dielectric (r) of outer radius R2. It is placed in
an otherwise uniform external electric field, E0. Calculate V(r,)
everywhere.

E0