Electricity and Magnetism - Homework Assigment 2

Alejandro Gomez Espinosa

September 25, 2012
Jackson, 2.1 A point charge q is brought to a position a distance d away from an innite
plane conductor held at zero potential. Using the method of images, nd:
(a) the surface-charge density induced on the plane, and plot it;
Figure 1: Sketch of the Problem 2.1.
Using the method of the images, we place a point charge q a distance d from
the innite plane conductor. The idea of the problem is sketch in Figure 1 The
most general form for the distance r
q
(between the charge q and the test point)
is r
q
=

R
2
+d
2
2Rd cos , where is the angle between the two vectors R
and d. Thus, the potencial is:
V =
q
4
0
|r
q
|
+
(q)
4
0
|r
i
|
=
q
4
0

R
2
+d
2
2Rd cos

q
4
0

R
2
+d
2
+ 2Rd cos
If we use cylindrical coordinates, placing the charges in the z-axe and the point
in the innite plane conductor we have that = /2 and R is in the conductor
plane, then:
V =
q
4
0
_
1
_
R
2
+ (z d)
2

1
_
R
2
+ (z +d)
2
_

gomez@physics.rutgers.edu
1
From Gausss law, we have that =
0
E =
0
(V ) =
0
V . Therefore:

z
V =

z
_
q
4
0
_
1
_
R
2
+ (z d)
2

1
_
R
2
+ (z +d)
2
__
=
q
4
0
_
(z d)
(R
2
+ (z d)
2
)
3/2

(z +d)
(R
2
+ (z +d)
2
)
3/2
_
In the case of our innite plane conductor, z = 0, then:

z
V =
q
4
0
_
d
(R
2
+d
2
)
3/2
+
d
(R
2
+d
2
)
3/2
_
=
qd
2
0
(R
2
+d
2
)
3/2
Finally, we replace for the surface charge:
=
qd
2(R
2
+d
2
)
3/2
Figure 2 shows the plot of the surface charge.
1.0
0.5
0.0
0.5
1.0
x
1
0
1
y
1.0
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
1x^ 2y^ 21^ 32 Comput ed by WolframAlpha
Figure 2: Sketch of the surface charge of problem 2.1.
(b) the force between the plane and the charge by using Coulombs law for the force
between the charge and its image;
For the force we use the distance between the two charges r
q
r
i
= 2d, thus:
F =
q(q)
4
0
|r
q
r
i
|
2
r =
q
2
4
0
|2d|
2
r =
q
2
16
0
d
2
r
(c) the total force acting on the plane by integrating
2
/2
0
over the whole plane;
2
Using the results from (a), the total force by integrating
2
/2
0
is:
F =
_

2
2
0
dA
=
_
1
2
0
_

qd
2(R
2
+d
2
)
3/2
_
2
dA
=
q
2
8
2

0
_
2
0
_

0
d
2
R
(R
2
+d
2
)
3/2
dRd z
=
q
2
8
0
_

d
2
d
2
u
3
du z if R
2
+d
2
= u
2
=
q
2
d
2
16
0
d
4
z
=
q
2
16
0
d
2
z
(d) the work necessary to remove the charge q from its position to innity;
W =
_

d
F d z
=
_

d

q
2
16
0
z
2
dz
=
q
2
16
0
z

d
=
q
2
16
0
d
(e) the potential energy between the charge q and its image (compare the answer to
part (d) and discuss).
The total work done is
W =
1
2
n

i=1
q
i
V (r
i
)
2W = qV (r
q
) qV (r
i
)
2
_

q
16
0
d
_
= V (r
q
) V (r
i
)

q
8
0
d
= V (r
q
) V (r
i
)
The potential energy between the charges is half of the work done for one charge.
It makes sense because the work done is consider for only one part of the space.
(f ) Find the answer to part (d) in electron volts for an electron originally one
angstrom from the surface.
W =
(1.6 10
19
eV )
2
16(8.85 10
12
F/m)10
10
m
= 3.6 eV
3
Jackson, 2.2 Using the method of images, discuss the problem of a point charge q inside
a hollow grounded, conducting sphere of inner radius a. Find:
(a) the potential inside the sphere;
This problem is similar as the one in the text, but here the charge q is inside
the sphere. Therefore, the potential at a point x is:
(x) =
1
4
0
_
q
|x y|
+
q

|x y

|
_
Following the example of the book, to keep the potential in the surface of the
sphere equals to zero, we have to choose: q/a = q

/y

and y/a = a/y

. Thus
the potential is:
(x) =
1
4
0
_
q
|x y|
+

q
ay
|x
a
2
y
|
_
=
q
4
0
_
_
1
|x y|

1

y
a
x
a
y
y

_
_
Finally, returning to our initial problem, the potential inside the sphere is:
(x) =
q
4
0
_
_
1

y
a
x
a
y
y

_
_
(b) the induced surface-charge density;
For this we need the potential in spherical coordinates:
(x) =
q
4
0
_
_
1
y
a

x
a
2
y
2
y

_
_
=
qa
4
0
y
1
_
x
2
2x
a
2
y
cos +
a
4
y
2
where is the angle between x and y. Now we can calculate the surface-charge
density:
=
0

x=a
=
q
4ay
1
a
2
y
2
_
1 2
a
y
cos +
a
2
y
2
_
3/2
(c) the magnitude and direction of the force acting on q.
To calculate the force, we can use the results from (a):
F = qE = q
= q

y
_
_

q
4
0
_
_
1
y
a

x
a
2
y
2
y

_
_
_
_
x=a
=
q
2
a
4
0
y
1
_
1
a
2
y
2
_
2
(d) Is there any change in the solution if the sphere is kept at a xed potential V?.
If the sphere has a total charge Q on its inner and outer surfaces?
If the sphere is kept at a xed potential doesnt change our results because we
have not use the value of the potential in our calculation. In the second case,
it doesnt change neither because the this total charge Q would aect a charge
outside the sphere.
4
Jackson, 2.7 Consider a potential problem in the half-space dened by z 0, with Dirich-
let boundary conditions on the plane z = 0 (and at innity).
(a) Write down the appropiate Green function G(x, x

).
This problem is similar to the point charge q a distance z to a conducting sheet
in the plane z = 0. Using the method of the images for an image charge q

at
(x

, y

, z

), we have:
=
1
4
0
q
_
(x x

)
2
+ (y y

)
2
+ (z z

)
2

1
4
0
q

_
(x x

)
2
+ (y y

)
2
+ (z +z

)
2
The Green functions requires that
G(x, x

) =
1
|x x

|
+F(x, x

)
while the Dirichlet boundary conditions requires that G
D
= 0. From this con-
dition, we found that if we replace (z = 0) = 0 on the potential above, then
q

= q. Then,
=
q
4
0
_
1
_
(x x

)
2
+ (y y

)
2
+ (z z

)
2

1
_
(x x

)
2
+ (y y

)
2
+ (z +z

)
2
_
Therefore, if we take the charge as 4
0
, we found the Green function:
G
D
(x, x

) =
1
_
(x x

)
2
+ (y y

)
2
+ (z z

)
2

1
_
(x x

)
2
+ (y y

)
2
+ (z +z

)
2
(b) If the potential on the plane z = 0 is specied to be = V inside a circle of radius
a centered at the origin, and = 0 outside that circle, nd an integral expres-
sion for the potential at the point P specied in terms of cylindrical coordinates
(, , z).
The potential function for a problem with a Greens function satisfaying Dirich-
let boundary conditions is given by:
(x) =
1
4
0
_
V
(x

)G
D
(x, x

)d
3
x

1
4
_
S
(x

)
G
D
n

da

In the case of our problem, the integrals are over half of the space. Also, as = 0
outside the circle the rst term vanishes. Thus we have to solve the second part
for a potential = V inside a circle in cylindrical coordinates:
(x) =
1
4
_
a
0
_
2
0
(x

)
G
D
n

=
V
4
_
a
0
_
2
0
G
D
n

According to our problem, lets take n

pointing out of the volume n

= z

, so
the potential at the surface is positive, then:
(x) =
V
4
_
a
0
_
2
0
G
D
z

5
The Green function in cylindrical coordinates is:
G
D
=
1
_

2
+
2
2

cos(

) + (z z

)
2

1
_

2
+
2
2

cos(

) + (z +z

)
2
Then,
G
D
z

=
(z z

)
(
2
+
2
2

cos(

) + (z z

)
2
)
3/2
+
(z +z

)
(
2
+
2
2

cos(

) + (z +z

)
2
)
3/2
G
D
z

=0
=
2z
(
2
+
2
2

cos(

) +z
2
)
3/2
Finally, replacing this derivative in the potential we found:
(x) =
V
4
_
a
0
_
2
0
2z
(
2
+
2
2

cos(

) +z
2
)
3/2

(c) Show that, along the axis of the circle ( = 0), the potential is given by
= V
_
1
z

a
2
+z
2
_
We have to replace this condition in the potential found in (b):
(x) =
V
2
_
a
0
_
2
0
z
(
2
+z
2
)
3/2

= V z
_
a
0

(
2
+z
2
)
3/2
=
zV
2
_
a
2
+z
2
z
2
du
u
3/2
if u =
2
+z
2
, du = 2

= zV
_
1

a
2
+z
2

1

z
2
_
= V
_
1
z

a
2
+z
2
_
(d) Show that at large distances (
2
+z
2
>> a
2
) the potential can be expanded in a
power series in (
2
+z
2
)
1
, and that the leading terms are
=
V a
2
2
z
(
2
+z
2
)
3/2
_
1
3a
2
4(
2
+z
2
)
+
5(3
2
a
2
+a
4
)
8(
2
+z
2
)
2
+...
_
Verify that the results of parts (c) and (d) are consistent with each other in their
common range of validity.
6
From the potential in (b):
(x) =
_
V
2
_
a
0
_
2
0
z
(
2
+
2
2

cos(

) +z
2
)
3/2

_
(
2
+z
2
)
3/2
(
2
+z
2
)
3/2
=
zV
2(
2
+z
2
)
3/2
_
a
0
_
2
0
d

_
1 +

2
2

cos(

2
+z
2
_
3/2
=
zV
2(
2
+z
2
)
3/2
_
a
0
_
2
0
d

_
1
3
2

2
2

cos(

2
+z
2
+
+
15
8
(
2
2

cos(

))
2
(
2
+z
2
)
2
+...
_
After integrate every term, we found that:
(x) =
zV a
2
2(
2
+z
2
)
3/2
_
1
3a
2
4(
2
+z
2
)
+
5(3
2
a
2
+a
4
)
8(
2
+z
2
)
2
+...
_
In the case of the potential along the axis of the circle, i.e. = 0:
=
V a
2
2z
2
_
1
3a
2
4z
2
+
5a
4
8z
4
+..
_
= V
_
1
_
1
a
2
2z
2
+
3a
4
8z
4

5a
6
16z
6
+...
__
= V
_
1
_
1 +
a
2
z
2
_
1/2
_
= V
_
1
z

a
2
+z
2
_
That is exactly what we found in part (c).
7
Jackson, 2.9 An insulated, spherical, conducting shell of radius a is in a uniform electric
eld E
0
. If the sphere is cut into two hemispheres by a plane perpendicular to the
eld, nd the force required to prevent the hemispheres from separating
(a) if the shell is uncharged;
We can use the results of the book, section 2.5, about the conducting sphere in a
uniform electric eld. There, we found that the induced surface-charge density
is = 3
0
E
0
cos . Also we know that the force on each element of area da is
F = (
2
/2
0
)da, thus we calculate the force:
F =

2
2
0
da
=
1
2
0
_
2
0
_

0
(3
0
E
0
cos )
2

2
sin dd
=
9
0
E
2
0
a
2

2
_
2
0
cos
2
sin d
=
9
4

0
E
2
0
a
2

(b) if the total charge on the shell is Q.

In this case, in addition to the surface charge density of (a), we need to add a
density due to the charge Q:
= 3
0
E
0
cos +
Q
4a
2
As we have found the force for the rst term, we need to repeat the procedure
of (a) for the second term:
F =

2
2
0
da
=
1
2
0
_
2
0
_

0
_
Q
4a
2
_
2

2
sin dd
=
Q
2
32
0
a
2
Finally, the total force is:
F =
9
4

0
E
2
0
a
2
+
Q
2
32
0
a
2
8