DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, MADRAS

PH1020 Physics II Problem Set 2 - Solutions MAR-JUN 23

Figure 1:

1. (a) Following the arguments in section (2.5.1) and (2.5.2) of [1]

qa qb qa + qb
σa = − σb = − σR =
4πa2 4πb2 4πR2

(b) Electric field at a point r(> R) from the center of the sphere

1 qa + q b
E= r
4πϵ0 |r|3

(c) Field inside the cavity with radius a, and at ra from the center of the cavity,

1 qa
E= ra
4πϵ0 |ra |3

Field inside the cavity with radius b, and at rb from the center of the cavity,

1 qb
E= rb
4πϵ0 |rb |3

(d) As both the charges qa and qb are in the cavity inside a conductor, the force on
each of the charges will be zero .

1
 (e) If another charge qc was brought near the conductor then, following the arguments
in section (2.5.1) and (2.5.2) of [1], the surface charge density of the outer surface
σR will change (and hence the electric field out side the conductor will also change)
to make sure the field inside the conductor is zero. Whereas, the surface charge
density of the cavity i.e. σa and σb will not change, neither the force on each
charge.

2. Let the electric fields produced by plate 1 and 2 are E 1 and E 2 respectively. The
magnitude can be written as, |E 1 | = |E 2 | = 2ϵσ0 (where σ = Q
A
). The electric field
σ
between the large conducting plates (region II) is zero and ϵ0 outside (Region I and
III). Hence, the electrostatic pressure

σ2
P =
2ϵ0

Figure 2:

3.
 
q 1 1
V (r) =
4πϵ0 r −r+ −

 2
d2
 
d d
r 2
±
2
=r +
2
2
∓ rd cos θ = r 1 ∓ cos θ + 2
r 4r
(|r| = r)

d
For the regime d ≪ r, we neglect the second order term in r
and the binomial expansion
yields,

 −1/2  
1 ∼1 d ∼ 1 d
= 1 ∓ cos θ = 1± cos θ
r± r r r 2r

2
 Figure 3:

Therefore,
1 1 ∼ d
− = 2 cos θ
r r
+ − r
Hence,

1 qd cos θ 1 qd · r̂ 1 p · r̂
V (r) ∼
= 2
= 2
=
4πϵ0 r 4πϵ0 r 4πϵ0 r2

Once we find the potential of the dipole let’s find the electric field.

E = −∇V
 
∂V 1 ∂V 1 ∂V
=− r̂ + θ̂ + ϕ̂
∂r r ∂θ r sin θ ∂ϕ
 
1 −2 cos θ sin θ
=− qd 3
r̂ − 3 θ̂
4πϵ0 r r
1  
= 3p cos θr̂ − (p cos θr̂ − p sin θ θ̂)
4πϵ0 r3
1
= (3(p · r̂)r̂ − p)
4πϵ0 r3

4. Quadrupole moment of a charge distribution, (Problem 3.52 of [1])

Z
1
3ri′ rj′ − r′2 δij ρ(r′ )dτ ′


Qij =
2
1
The way we have computed the electric field obviously we have not included the origin. If we consider
1 p 3
the origin the right expression would be E = (3(p · r̂)r̂ − p) − δ (r) . We will leave this as an
4πϵ0 r3 3ϵ0
exercise. (Hint: Problem 3 of Problem Sheet 0 )

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 where r′ = {ri′ }i=1,2,3 = (x′ , y ′ , z ′ ) and |r′ |2 = r′2 .
Notice that Qij is symmetric and traceless by definition.
For the given configuration where, −q is located at (0, 0, d1 ) and +q is locate at
(0, 0, −d2 ),

1 X
3x2m − (x2m + ym
2 2
) qm (r′ )


Qxx = + zm
2 m=1,2
q
q
= − −d21 + −d22


2 2
q 2 2


= d − d2
2 1
Similarly one can obtain,
q 2
d1 − d22 , Qzz = −q d21 − d22 ,



Qyy = Qxy = Qyz = Qzx = 0
2
Case I : d1 = d2
Qij = 0 ∀ i, j

Case II : d1 = 1/2, d2 = 3/2

Qxx = Qyy = −q, Qzz = 2q, Qxy = Qyz = Qzx = 0

5. (a) The dipole moment

Z
p= r′ ρ(r′ )dτ ′

Now, if we shift the origin by a constant r0 then the new dipole moment
Z Z
p̃ = (r − r0 )ρ(r )dτ = p − r0 ρ(r′ )dτ ′ = p − r0 Q
′ ′ ′

Then Q = 0 implies p = p̃.

If the total charge is zero the dipole moment is independent of the choice of the origin
(b) From part (a)
p̃ = p − r0 Q
One can always find a r0 = p/Q for Q ̸= 0 such that p̃ vanishes.
(c) For spherically symmetric charge distribution i.e. ρ = ρ(|r|),
Z
1 ρ(|r|)
V (r) = dτ
4πϵ0 |r|
The right hand side is nothing but the monopole term. Hence, the higher moments
in the multipole expansion must vanish.

4
6. We will compute the force on the northern hemisphere due to southern hemisphere.
Following the argument in the section (2.5.3: Surface Charge and the Force on a
σ2
Conductor ) and equation (2.51) of [1], we have the electrostatic pressure P = 2ϵ 0
.
Hence, the magnitude of the force on an infinitesimal area would be,

dF = P da

Now, from the symmetry one can conclude that the net force would be along ẑ. There-
fore,
Z 2
σ
F = ẑ da cos θ
2ϵ0
σ 2 π/2 2π
Z Z
= ẑ cos θR2 sin θdθdϕ
2ϵ0 θ=0 ϕ=0
Z π/2
σ2 2
= ẑ 2πR cos θ sin θdθ
2ϵ0 θ=0
σ2 1
= ẑ 2πR2 ×
2ϵ0 2
Q2 Q
= ẑ (∵ σ = )
32πR2 ϵ0 4πR2

Alternative solution: One can obtain the same answer by calculating the field (E) cre-
ated by the southern (northern) hemisphere on the surface of the northern (southern)
hemisphere. The pressure is σE.

7. We will follow the exact same method we used in problem 4.

Figure 4:

5
 4
1X
3x2m − (x2m + ym2 2
) qm (r′ )


Qxx = + zm
2 m=1
    2 !
q a 2  a 2  q −a  a 2
= 3 −2 − 3 −2
2 2 2 2 2 2
 2 !   
q −a  a 2 q a 2  a 2 
+ 3 −2 − 3 −2
2 2 2 2 2 2
=0

Similarly,
4
1X 2
− (x2m + ym
2 2
) qm (r′ ) = 0


Qyy = 3ym + zm
2 m=1
4
1X 2
− (x2m + ym
2 2
) qm (r′ ) = 0


Qzz = 3zm + zm one can readily see Qzz as −(Qxx + Qyy )
2 m=1
4
1X 1 3qa2 3
Qxy = (3xm ym ) qm (r′ ) = 4 × × = qa2
2 m=1 2 4 2
4
1X
Qyz = (3ym zm ) qm (r′ ) = 0 (zm = 0 ∀ m)
2 m=1
4
1X
Qzx = (3zm xm ) qm (r′ ) = 0 (zm = 0 ∀ m)
2 m=1

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Bibliography

[1] D. J. Griffiths. Introduction to Electrodynamics (4th Edition). Addison-Wesley, 2013.