Semester II, 2015-16

Department of Physics, IIT Kanpur

PHY103A: Lecture # 13
(Text Book: Intro to Electrodynamics by Griffiths, 3rd Ed.)

Anand Kumar Jha

Notes
Quiz Next Tuesday (02-Feb-2016), during tutorial
Quiz timing: 11:00 11:20 am (20 Min).
Course coverage (up to HW # 4, Griffiths Ch 3)

Summary of Lecture # 12:

Electric Fields in Matter
=

1. Induced Polarization

is called the atomic polarizability

Polarizability Tensor

2. Permanent Polarization
(Polar molecules)
Uniform electric field
= 0

In a non-Uniform electric field

=

Polarization

= +

dipole moment () per unit volume

(Like Q = )

 = ?
Questions 1:
Q: How do we know that induced dipole moment is
proportional to the electric field, only in a linear manner
and not in quadratic or any other manner:
Ans: We know that dipole moment is linearly proportional to the separation between
charges. With weak electric fields, the separation is found to change linearly with the
field amplitude and that is what gives the above relationship. However, at strong
enough field amplitudes, it is found that the dipole moment not only has a linear
dependence but also the quadratic and so on. This regime of physics is called the nonlinear physics. This is analogous to what happens in a simple harmonic oscillator.
Note 1: What is the potential due to a localized charge distribution at large ?
1
( )
1 1
1
V() =

=
+ 2 (cos) +
40
r
40

Vdip

1
=
40 2

The Field of a Polarized Object:

Vdip

1
=
40 2

Vdip =

Vdip =
V

1 r
40 r2

1 () r

2
40 r
=

(Like Q = )

The Field of a Polarized Object:

1
r
1 () r

Vdip =
= 4 r2
2
40 r
0
vol
vol
1
1

r
40
r
1
vol
[ Using
= 2]
r
r

1

=

r
40
vol

Vdip

1
1

40
r
vol
[ Using = + () ]

1

1
1
=

r
40
40
r

vol

1

1

=

r
r
40
40

vol
1

a +
=
40
r
40
r

vol

The Field of a Polarized Object:

1 () r
Vdip =

2
40 r
vol
Vdip

a +
=
r
40
r
40

vol

Surface charge density

Volume charge density

Potential due to a polarized object can be thought as the sum of the potentials due to
and a volume charge = .
a surface charge =
7

Are bound charges real?

Surface charge density

Volume charge density

These bound charges are not just mathematical constructs. They do appear on the
surface and in the volume of the dielectric.
Uniform Polarization in one-dimension

= 0

Are bound charges real?

Surface charge density

Volume charge density

These bound charges are not just mathematical constructs. They do appear on the
surface and in the volume of the dielectric.
Non-Uniform Polarization in one-dimension

What is the total bound charge?

1

a +
Vdip =
4
r
r
40
0

vol

Prob 4.14 (Griffiths, 3rd Ed. ): Prove that the total bound charge is zero.
Total charge = a +

vol

a
=

vol

vol

= = 0
vol

vol

10

The Field of a Polarized Object:

Ex. 4.2 (Griffiths, 3rd Ed. ): Find the electric field of a sphere
of radius , if it is uniformly polarized = .
= = ( ) = 0
=

= cos

The potential due to a uniformly polarized sphere is equal to the

potential due to a spherical surface charge density = cos

For this charge distribution, the potential is calculated in (Ex. 3.9 Griffiths, 3rd Ed. )
For

For

4 3
1
1 3


=
=
, =
cos =
2
2
2
4
40 2

30
30
30
3
total dipole moment
4
=
3
3
of the sphere

(2cos + sin )
= = dip =
3
40
3

=
, =
cos = =
3
4

30
30
0

11

The Field of a Polarized Object:

Ex. 4.2 (Griffiths, 3rd Ed. ): Find the electric field of a sphere
of radius , if it is uniformly polarized = .
For

For

=
(2cos + sin )
3
40

40 3

12

The Field of a Polarized Object:

Prob 4.10 (Griffiths, 3rd Ed. ): Find the bound charges of a
sphere of radius , if its polarization is = .
Volume charge
=
1 2
= 2


Surface charge
=

1
3 2
2

= 3

Q: What is the electric field outside the sphere?

Volume and surface charge distributions are both symmetric with respect to the
center of the sphere. So, the total charge can be thought of as being concentrated at
the center
Total charge = a +

= 42
=0

vol
4 3
+ 3

So the electric field

outside the sphere is zero.
13