Conducting spherical shells with radii a=10cm and b=30cm are maintained at a potential difference of 100V such

that V(r=b)=0 and V(r=a)=100V. Determine V and E in the region between the shells. If  =2.5 in the region,
determine the total charge Induced on the shells and the capacitance of the capacitor.

V depends only on r and hence Laplace’s equation becomes

After first integration After dividing by r2

Potential V(r) due to conducting spherical shells

After 2nd integration
Constants A and B are determined from the boundary conditions
The capacitance is easily determined as

Substituting a=0.1m, b=0.3m Vo=100V yields

Method of Images

Image theory states that a given charge configuration above an infinite conducting
plane may be replaced by the charge configuration itself, its image and an
equipotential surface in place of conducting plane.

In applying the image method, two conditions must always be satisfied:

1.Theimage charge(s) must be located in the conducting region.
2.The image charge(s) must be located such that on the conducting surface(s) the potential is zero or constant.

The first condition is necessary to satisfy Poisson’s equation, and the second
condition Ensures that the boundary conditions are satisfied.
A Point Charge Above a Grounded Conducting Plane


No of images=

Point charge between two semi infinite

Conducting planes.
An infinite line charge of 50 (nC/m) lies 3 (m) above the ground, which is at zero potential. Choosing the ground as the
xy-plane and the line charge as parallel to the x-axis, find by the method of images the following:
a) E at (0, 4, 3), and
b) E and s, at (0, 4, 0).
E=E1+E2
z

r1 E 1= ar1 E2=-  ar2

50 nc/m (0,0,3) P(0,4,3)
r1=4ay
r2=4ay+6az
r2
ar1=ay
y

-50 nC/m (0,0,-3)

Steady Current density

There are two type of electric current caused by the motion of free charge :
convection current and conduction current

Convection current are due to the motion of positively or negatively charged particles in a vacuum or rarefied gas.
It does not obey Ohm’s law
When an external electric field is applied on a conductor, an organized motion of the conduction electrons will
result producing an electric current known as conduction current. It obeys Ohm’s law.

Convection Current density

Consider the steady motion of one kind of charge carriers, each of charge q (which is negative for electrons),
across an element of surface s with a velocity u. as shown in Fig. 1f N is the number of charge
carrier per unit volume, then in time t each charge carrier moves a distance u t and the amount of charge
passing through the surface s is

Since current i the time rate of change of charge,

We have written s = an s quantity. It is convenient to define a vector point function, volume current density, or
simply current density. J, ampere/m2. .
 Conduction Current density
In the case of conduction currents there may be more than one kind of
charge carriers (electrons, holes, and ions) drifting with different velocities.

For metallic conductors we write J=Neqeue

where  e is the electron mobility measured in (m2/V-s)

The electron mobility for copper is 3.2 x 10-3 (m2/V.s). It is 1.4 x 10-4 (m2/V.s) for aluminum

e=Neqe

= conductivity of metallic conductor

For semiconductor
For a current density of 7(A/mm2) in copper. find
a) the electric intensity. and
b) the electron drift velocity.

J=E
ue=eE
E=J/
Ohm’s Law

Ohm’s law
Equation of Continuity and KCL
Due to the principle of charge conservation, the time rate of decrease of charge within a given volume must be equal to the
net outward current flow through the closed surface of the volume. Thus current Iout coming out of the closed surface is

Where Qin is the total charge enclosed by the closed surface. Invoking divergence theorem
Comparing 1 and 2
(1)

(2)

Continuity equation
For steady current
(KCL)
 Solving v using continuity equation

Relaxation time is the time

required to reach the charge
density 36.8% of the initial
charge density.

Where Inv0 is a constant of integration. Thus

The time constant Tr (in seconds) is known as the relaxation time or rearrangement time.
Relaxation Time for Good Conductor and Dielectric
For Fused Quartz
For Copper

Joule’s Law
 Joule’s law

Resistance Calculation
When the dielectric medium is lossy (having a small but nonzero conductivity), a current will
flow from the positive to the negative conductor, and a current-density field will be established
in the medium. Ohm' law, J = E, ensure· that the streamlines for J and E will be the same in an
isotropic medium the resistance between the conductor is
The per unit length capacitance of a co-axial cable is
Problem

However by setting t=

We obtain the total charge that has passed

through a closed surface as 5 mC. Because
there is no further transportation of the
charge, the current through the surface is
zero. Therefore the total charge placed
inside the conductor at t=0 must be 5 mC.
Determine the time rate of change of the volume charge density if
the current density in the medium is

J  sin(10 x )aˆ x  yaˆ y  e  3 z aˆ z

=-(10cosx+1-3 )
Governing Equation and Boundary Condition

For steady current From Ohm’s law J=E

Differential form

To obtain integral form integrating the divergence equation over the

volume and apply Divergence theorem,

To obtain integral form integrating the curl equation over the volume and apply Stoke’s theorem
 (i) a divergence-less field has a continuous normal component ( and (ii) a curl-free field has a
continuous tangential component

At the boundary of two ohmic media with conductivities 1 and 2

Lightning strikes a lossy dielectric sphere- = 1.20 , = 10 (S/m)-of radius 0.1 (m) at time t = 0, depositing uniformly
in the sphere a total charge 1 (mC). Determine, for all r,
a) the electric field intensity both inside and outside the sphere,
b) the current density in the sphere.
c) Calculate the time it takes for the charge density in the sphere to diminish to 1% of its initial value.

= 1.20 , = 10(S/m) Q=1 mC

0=1x10-3/(4/3)0.13=0.238
Tr=/=1.2x8.854x10-12/10=1.0625x10-12
0e
-t =1/Tr=9.41x1011
Inside Conductor
E=aRER=(Q/4)1/R2aR

Charge at any time t Q=0e-t(4/3)R3 0.010=0e-t

R

J=E T=4.8ps
 a

R1 C1

R2 C2

R1=d1/1S R2=d2/2S
I=V0/(R1+R2)
b
C1=1S/d1 C2=2S/d2 J=I/s

1E1= 2E2 (1) E1d1+E2d2=V0 (2)