Department of Physics

IIT Kanpur, Semester II, 2017-18

PHY103A: Physics II Solution # 3 Instructors: AKJ & SC

Solution 3.1: Finding potential, given a charge distribution (Griffiths 3rd ed. Prob 2.26)

b h
x
h r’

r
a y

FIG. 1:

The potential V (a) at point a is given by (see Fig. 1)

√
Z 2h  
1 σ2πx
V (a) = dr
4π0 0 r
√
we have x = r/ 2. Therefore we get,
√
2h
2πσ 1 √
Z  
2πσ 1 σh
V (a) = √ dr = √ ( 2h) =
4π0 0 2 4π0 2 20

The potential V (b) at point b is given by (see Fig. 1)

√
Z 2h  
1 σ2πx
V (b) = dr
4π0 0 r0
√ p √
we have x = r/ 2 and r0 = h2 + r2 − 2hr. Therefore we get,
√ √ !
Z 2h   Z 2h
1 σ2πx 2πσ 1 r
V (b) = dr = √ √ dr
r0
p
4π0 0 4π0 2
h2 + r2 − 2hr 0
 √
√ √ √
q  q
σ h  2h
= √ h2 + r2 − 2hr + √ ln 2 h2 + r2 − 2hr + 2r − 2h 
2 20 2 0
√ √ √
 
σ h h
= √ h + √ ln(2h + 2 2h − 2h) − h − √ ln(2h − 2h)
2 20 2 2
√ ! √ !
σ h h √ √ i σh 2+ 2 σh 2+ 2
= √ √ ln(2h + 2h) − ln(2h − 2h) = ln √ = ln √
2 20 2 40 2− 2 40 2− 2
√ !
σh (2 + 2)2 σh  √ 
= ln = ln 1 + 2
40 2 20

Thus we get the required potential difference to be

σh h  √ i
V (a) − V (b) = 1 − ln 1 + 2
20

1
Solution 3.2: Finding field and charge density, given an electric potential, (Griffiths 3rd ed. Prob 2.46)

e−λr
(a) The electric potential is V (r) = A . Therefore, the electric field E(r) can be written as
r

e−λr r(−λ)e−λr − e−λr

   
∂
E = −∇V = −A r̂ = −A r̂
∂r r r2
r̂
= Ae−λr (1 + λr)
r2

(b) The corresponding charge density ρ(r) can be calculated by using the differential form of Gauss’s Law ρ =
0 ∇ · E. Using the product rule for divergence, ∇ · (f A) = f (∇ · A) + A · (∇f ), we obtain
 
r̂ r̂
ρ = 0 ∇ · E = 0 Ae−λr (1 + λr)∇ · + 0 A 2 · ∇ e−λr (1 + λr)
 
r 2 r

Next we use the properties of the Dirac-delta function and the formula for gradient in spherical coordinates
to get
 
−λr r̂
0 Ae (1 + λr)∇ · = 0 Ae−λr (1 + λr)4πδ 3 (r) = 0 A4πδ 3 (r)
r2
r̂ r̂ ∂  −λr
0 A 2 · ∇ e−λr (1 + λr) = 0 A 2 ·
  
e (1 + λr) r̂
r r ∂r
r̂ 
= 0 A 2 · −λe−λr (1 + λr) + e−λr λ r̂

r
r̂ 
= 0 A 2 · −λ2 re−λr r̂

r
λ2
= −0 A e−λr
r
Therefore, we get the charge density ρ(r) as

λ2 −λr
 
3
ρ = 0 A 4πδ (r) − e
r

(c) The total charge Q can now be calculated to be

Z
Q= ρdτ
Z ∞ −λr Z
3 e 2
= 0 A4π δ (r)dτ − 0 Aλ 4πr2 dr
0 r
Z ∞
= 0 A4π − 0 Aλ2 4π re−λr dr
0 
2 1
= 0 A4π − 0 Aλ 4π
λ2
=0

Therefore the total charge is zero.

2
Solution 3.3: Verifying Poisson’s Equation (Griffiths 3rd ed. Prob 2.29)

½(r’) r = r-r’

r’
r

y
x

FIG. 2:

The potential V (r) at r due to the localized charge distribution is

ρ(r0 ) 0
Z
1
V (r) = dτ ,
4π0 r

We note that the charge distribution has been represented in the (r0 , θ0 , φ0 ) coordinates. We take the Laplacian of the
potential in (r, θ, φ) coordinates. Therefore, we get

ρ(r0 ) 0
Z
1
∇2 V (r) = ∇2 dτ
4π0 r
ρ(r0 ) 0
Z
1
= ∇2 dτ
4π0 r
Z  
1 0 21
= ρ(r ) ∇ dτ 0
4π0 r
Z  
1 0 1
= ρ(r ) ∇ · ∇ dτ 0
4π0 r
 
−r̂
Z
1
= 0
ρ(r ) ∇ · 2 dτ 0
4π0 r
Z
1
= −ρ(r0 )4πδ 3 (r)dτ 0
4π0
Z
1
= −ρ(r0 )4πδ 3 (r − r0 )dτ 0
4π0
1
= − ρ(r)
0
Thus, we see that the given potential satisfies the Poisson’s equation.

3
Solution 3.4: Electrostatic energy of two spherical shells (Griffiths 3rd ed. Prob 2.34)

1 q
(a) The electric field due to the two shells is given by E(r) = r̂, for (a < r < b), and E(r) = 0, otherwise.
4π0 r2
The energy of this configuration is:
2 Z b 2
q2
Z    
0 0 q 1 1 1
W = E 2 dτ = 4πr2 dr = −
2 2 4π0 a r2 8π0 a b

(b) Let’s us first calculate the energy of the individual shells. The electric filed due to the shell of radius a is
1 q
Ea (r) = r̂, for (r > a), and Ea (r) = 0, otherwise. The electric filed due to the shell of radius b is
4π0 r2
1 q
Eb (r) = − r̂, for (r > b), and Eb (r) = 0, otherwise. Therefore, the energy of the first spherical shell is:
4π0 r2
2 Z ∞  2
q2
Z 
0 2 0 q 1 2
Wa = Ea dτ = 4πr dr =
2 2 4π0 a r2 8π0 a

Similarly, the energy of the second spherical shell is

2 Z ∞ 2
q2
Z  
0 0 q 1
Wb = Eb2 dτ = 4πr2 dr =
2 2 4π0 b r2 8π0 b

The interaction energy of this system is therefore:

q2 q2
Z
Wint = 0 Ea · Eb dτ = W − Wa − Wb = − −
8π0 b 8π0 b
q2
=−
4π0 b

Solution 3.5: Electrostatic Force

(a) z (b) z

Q R Q R dτ
da
θ θ

FIG. 3:

1 Q
(a) The electric filed due to the metal sphere of radius R is given by E(r) = r̂, for (r ≥ R), and E(r) = 0,
4π0 r2
otherwise. From the symmetry of the problem, it is clear that the total electrostatic force on northern
hemisphere will be in the z direction. Now, the electrostatic force per unit area in the z-direction at the area

4
 element da, as shown in Fig. 3(a), is:

E(r) Q 1 1 Q Q2
fz = σEother · ẑ = σ · ẑ = cos θ = cos θ
2 4πR2 2 4π0 r2 32π 2 0 R4
Therefore, the total repulsive force on the northern hemisphere is
π/2 2π
Q2
Z Z Z  
Fz = fz da = cos θ R2 sin θdθdφ
θ=0 φ=0 32π 2 0 R4
2 Z π/2
Q
= 2π cos θ sin θdθ
32π 2 0 R2 θ=0
Q2 1
= 2π
32π 2 0 R2 2
Q2
=
32π0 R2

1 Qr
(b) The electric filed inside a uniformly charged sphere of radius R and charge Q is given by E(r) = r̂.
4π0 R3
From the symmetry of the problem, it is clear that the total electrostatic force on the northern hemisphere will
be in the z direction. Now, the electrostatic force per unit volume in the z-direction on the volume element
dτ , as shown in Fig. 3(b), is:

3Q 1 Qr 3Q2
fz = ρE(r) · ẑ = 3 3
cos θ = r cos θ
4πR 4π0 R 16π 2 0 R6
Therefore, the electrostatic force on the northern hemisphere is
R π/2 2π
3Q2
Z Z Z Z  
Fz = fz dτ = r cos θ r2 sin θdθdφ
0 θ=0 φ=0 16π 2 0 R6
R π/2 2π
3Q2
Z Z Z
= r3 cos θ sin θdθdφ
16π 2 0 R6 0 θ=0 φ=0
R π/2 2π
3Q2
Z Z Z
3
= r dr cos θ sin θdθ dφ
16π 2 0 R6 0 θ=0 φ=0
3Q2 R4 1
= 2 6
× × × 2π
16π 0 R 4 2
3Q2
=
64π0 R2

Solution 3.6: Capacitance of coaxial metal cylinders (Griffiths 3rd ed. Prob 2.39)

Suppose that for a length L, the charge on the inner cylinder is Q and the charge on the outer cylinder is −Q. Using
Q 1
the Gaussian surface as shown in Fig. 4, it can be shown that the field in between the cylinders is E(s) = ŝ.
2π0 L s
The potential difference between the cylinders is therefore,
Z b Z b  
Q 1 Q b
V (b) − V (a) = − E · dl = − ds = − ln .
a 2π0 L a s 2π0 L a
 
Q b
We see that a is at a higher potential. So, we take the potential difference as V = V (a) − V (b) = ln . The
2π0 L a

5
capacitance C of this configuration is therefore given by
Q 2π0
C= =  
V b
ln
a

b -Q

s Q
a

FIG. 4: