Paper 3, Section II, A

Electromagnetism | Part IB, 2015

A charge density ρ=λ/r\rho=\lambda / r fills the region of 3-dimensional space a<r<ba<r<b, where rr is the radial distance from the origin and λ\lambda is a constant. Compute the electric field in all regions of space in terms of QQ, the total charge of the region. Sketch a graph of the magnitude of the electric field versus rr (assuming that Q>0Q>0 ).

Now let Δ=ba0\Delta=b-a \rightarrow 0. Derive the surface charge density σ\sigma in terms of Δ,a\Delta, a and λ\lambda and explain how a finite surface charge density may be obtained in this limit. Sketch the magnitude of the electric field versus rr in this limit. Comment on any discontinuities, checking a standard result involving σ\sigma for this particular case.

A second shell of equal and opposite total charge is centred on the origin and has a radius c<ac<a. Sketch the electric potential of this system, assuming that it tends to 0 as rr \rightarrow \infty.

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