Department of Physics

IIT Kanpur, Semester II, 2015-16

Solution # 2

PHY103A: Physics II

Instructors: AKJ & DC

Solution 2.1: Divergence theorem in cylindrical coordinates

(i)

5
(iii)
(iv)

(v)
2

2
(ii)

FIG. 1:

. The formula for divergence in the cylindrical coordinates can then

(a) Let us write the field as V = Vss + V + Vz z
be written as:
V =

1
1 V
Vz
(sVs ) +
+
s s
s
z

Using the above formula, we get

1
1

ss(2 + sin2 ) +
(s sin cos ) +
(3z)
s s
s
z
1
1
= 2s(2 + sin2 ) + s(cos2 sin2 ) + 3
s
s
= 4 + 2 sin2 + cos2 sin2 + 3

V =

= 4 + sin2 + cos2 + 3 = 8
(b) The divergence theorem that we need to verify in this case is
Z
I
( V)d =
vol

(1)

V da.

surf

Let us first calculate the volume integral

Z

/2

8sdsddz = 8 2

( V)d =
s=0

=0

z=0

5 = 40
2

The surface integral has contributions due to the five surfaces shown in Fig. (1).
R
R 2 R /2
(i) z = 5; da = sdsd
z; V da = 3zsdsd = 15sdsd;
V da = 15 s=0 =0 sdsd = 15
R
(ii) z = 0; da = sdsd
z; V da = 3zsdsd = 0;
V da = 0
R
V da = s sin cos dsdz = 0;
(iii) = /2; da = dsdz ;
V da = 0
R
V da = s sin cos dsdz = 0;
(iv) = 0; da = dsdz ;
V da = 0

(v) s = 2; da = sddz
s; Vda = s(2+sin2 )sddz = 4(2+sin2 )ddz;
4 ( + /4) 5 = 25
Therefore, adding all the five contribution, we get
I
V da = 15 + 25 = 40

Vda = 4

R /2 R 5
=0 z=0

(2+sin )ddz =

(2)

Thus, comparing Eqs. 1 and 2, we have verified the divergence theorem.

(c) The formula for curl in the cylindrical coordinate is

1 Vz
V
Vs
Vz 1
Vs

+
V =

s+

(sV )
z
s
z
z
s
s s

The curl for the given vector is then

1 2

V =
(3z)
(s sin cos ) s +
s(2 + sin2 )
(3z) +
(s sin cos )
(s(2 + sin2 )) z
s
z
z
s
s s

1
= (2s sin cos s2 sin cos )
z
s
=0

Solution 2.2: Applications of the Dirac delta function

0
3
0
(a) The electric charge density (r)Rof a point charge
R 3 q at r0 can be written as (r) = q (r r ). This can be verified
by taking the volume integral: (r)d = q (r r )d = q.

(b) The electric charge density in this case can be written as: (r) = q 3 (r a) q 3 (r)
(c) The electric charge density of a uniform, infinitesimally thin spherical shell of radius R and total charge Q is
(r) = A(r R). Please note this is just a one-dimensional Dirac delta function. In the two other dimensions,
and z, the charge density is not zero. We find A by requiring that the total charge is Q, that is,
Z

ZZZ
d = A

Z
(r R)r2 sin drdd = A4

(r R)r2 dr = A 4R2 = Q

r=0

Therefore, we have A =

Q
.
4R2

Solution 2.3: Calculating charge density given an Electric field

To find the charge density from a given field, we need to use the divergence theorem: E = /0 . For the given
field we have

1 2
1
B sin cos
A
B
1
E = 2 (r (A/r)) + 0 +
= 2 + 2 ( sin ) = 2 (A B sin ).
r r
r sin
r
r
r
r
Therefore, the charge density is given by =

0
(A B sin )
r2

Solution 2.4: Physical Electrostatic field

To determine whether a field is physical we need to check if E = 0.

(a)

x
z

E = x y z
Ex Ey Ez

z
y

=
x y z
xy 2yz 3zx

= (0 2y)
x + (0 3z)
y + (0 x)
z 6= 0

(b)

E=

y
z

x

x y z
Ex Ey Ez

x
y
z

x + (0 0)
y + (2y 2y)
z = 00
= (2z 2z)
x
y
z

2
2
y 2xy + z 2yz

Thus, we find that only the second field can be a physical electrostatic field.

Solution 2.5: Calculating electric field for a given charge distribution

(a) Let us draw the Gaussian surface as shown in Fig. 2(a). We thus have
I
Qenc
1 4 3
E da = E 4r2 =
r k
=
0
0 3
Therefore, we have
E=

1
krr
30

(b) We calculate the electric field in the three regions by drawing appropriate Gaussian surfaces and then using
Gausss law:
(i) Qenc = 0. So E = 0
(ii)
I

Therefore,

E da =

Qenc
0

Qenc
1
=
0
0

E da = E 4r2 ;

E=

k
0

d =

ra
r2

1
0

r
r 0 =0

=0

=0

k 02
4k
r sin drdd =
(r a)
02
r
0

r.

(iii)
I
E da = E 4r

Therefore,

E da =

Qenc
0

Qenc
1
=
0
0

E=

k
0

1
d =
0

ba
r2

b
r 0 =0

=0

=0

k 02
4k
r sin drdd =
(b a).
r02
0

r.

r =
r.
30
30
Let us take r+ and r to be the radius vectors to a point in the overlap region from the centers of the positively
and negatively charged sphere, respectively. The electric field in the overlap region is equal to the sum of the
electric fields due to the positively and negatively charged spheres. Thus the electric field Eoverlap in the overlap
region is [See Fig. 2(c)]

(c) As shown in part (a), the field inside a uniformly charged sphere of charge density is given by E =

Eoverlap =

r+
r =
(r+ r+ ) =
d
30
30
30
30

(a)

(c)

(b)
R

r+

rd

d=r+-r-

FIG. 2:

Solution 2.6: Scalar and Vector Potentials

(a) The curl of a vector v is defined as

vy
vz
vx
vz
vx
vy
+
+

v =

z
y
z
z
x
x
y
Using this formula, we get,
v1 = (0 6xz)
x + (0 + 2z)
y + (3z 2 0)
z
v2 = (0 2y)
x + (0 3z)
y + (0 x)
z
v3 = (2z 2z)
x + (0 0)
y + (2y 2y)
z=0
Therefore the vector v3 can be expressed as the gradient of a scalar.
(b) The divergence of a vector v3 is defined as
v =

vx
vy
vz
+
+
x
y
z

Using this formula, we get

v1 = 2x 2x + 0 = 0
v2 = y + 2z + 3x
v3 = 0 + 2x + 2y
Therefore the vector v1 can be expressed as the curl of a vector A, that is, v1 = A. We write the vector
+ Ay y
+ Az z
. Therefore, we have
as A = Ax x
Az
Ay

= x2
y
z
Ax
Az

= 3z 2 x
z
x
Ay
Ax

= 2xz
x
y
Choosing Ax = 0, we get
Az
3
= 3z 2 x Az = x2 z 2 + f (y, z)
x
2
Ay
= 2xz Ay = x2 z + g(y, z)
x
Az
Ay
f
g
f
g

=
+ x2
= x2

=0
y
z
y
z
y
z
32 x2 z 2 z
. This vector is not unique. Any
We may even choose f = g = 0, and thus the vector is A = x2 z y
gradient can be added to this vector without changing the curl
4

Solution 2.7: Electric Potential

Let us consider the thin stripe on the hemisphere as shown in Fig. 3. Every point on this stripe is at equal distance
(R) from the center. Therefore, the potential Vcenter at the center can be written as
Vcenter

1
=
40

1
da =
R
40 R

/2

=0

R2 sin dd =

=0

1
R
2R2 =
40 R
20

The potential Vcenter at pole can be written as

Vpole =
We have

1
40

da =

R2 + R2 2R2 cos =

Vpole =
Thus Vpole Vcenter =

2R2

40 2R

/2

=0

1
40

/2

=0

=0 r

R2 sin dd =

2R2
40

/2

=0 r

sin d

2R 1 cos . Therefore,

/2

sin
R
R
R

d = (2 1 cos )
= (1 0) =
0
1 cos
2 20
20
20

R
( 2 1).
20

FIG. 3: