Transformed E&M I homework

Conductors + Capacitors
(Grifths Chapter 2)
Conductors
Question 1 Questions about conductors
DEEPER QUESTIONS: Questions about Conductors (see
P435_ect_!5_Q"#$d% in Uni& o% I''inois Questions %or ecture(# )a* be
so+e ,ood e-tension .uestions %or /0 1ere#
Question 2 Gausss law and cavities
Griffiths 2.36 (p. 101)
Please be sure to explain your reasoning on all parts, and add to this the problem the
folloing!
"n part a, be sure to sketch the #harge distribution.
"n part #, sketch the $ fields (e%eryhere in the problem, i.e. in the #a%ities and also
outside the big sphere)
f) &astly ' if someone mo%ed (a a little off to one side, so it as no longer at the center of
its little #a%ity, hi#h of your ansers ould #hange) Please explain.
I really like this problem, lots of good physics in it! Try to think it through carefully, make
physical sense of all your answers, don't just take someone else's word for it!
Assigned in SP08 (average score: 9.5)
Assigned in FA08
Instructor notes: Many people can get the right answer but not explain
why. Especially problematic was the "force of q1 on q2" question.
Question 3 Coax capacitors
"n *+ 3 you found the $ field e%eryhere in and around a #oaxial #able. +e #an slightly
modify that problem, ma,ing it more realisti# by letting the inner #ylinder be a #ondu#tor
(a ire). -he inner #ondu#ting #ylinder has radius a and the outer #ondu#ting #ylindri#al
shell has inner radius b. "t is physi#ally easy to set up any fixed potential differen#e .
beteen the inner and outer #ondu#tors. "n pra#ti#e, the #able is alays ele#tri#ally
neutral.
/) /ssuming #harge per length 0 and 1 on the inner and out #ylinders, deri%e a
formula for the %oltage differen#e . beteen the #ylinders.
2) /ssuming infinite #ylinders, find the energy stored per length (+3&) inside this
#apa#itor. 4n#e again, let5s do it to ays so e #an #he#,!
i) "ntegrate the energy density stored in the $ field . +rite your anser in terms of .
ii) 6ind the #apa#itan#e per length (73&) of this system, and then use stored energy
+ 8 9 7 (.)
2
2ased on your ansers abo%e, where in spa#e ould you say this energy is physi#ally
stored)
7) $stimate the #apa#itan#e per meter of the #oaxial #able that the #able #ompany uses to
send -. signals into homes.
:) -his is also an ex#ellent model for ;axons;, hi#h are long #ylindri#al #ells (basi#ally
#oax #ables) #arrying ner%e impulses in your body and brain. $stimate the capacitance
(in <" metri# units, 6arads) of your s#iati# ner%e.
Assumptions the sciatic ner!e is the longest in your body, it has a diameter of roughly "
micron, and a length of perhaps " m# $ote that a%ons generally ha!e a !alue of b which
is !ery close to a &i#e# the gap is e%tremely tiny, ba is about " nanometer# ' so you can
simplify your e%pression using ln&"(')
Assigned in SP08 (average score: 8.25)
Assigned in FA08
Instructor notes: Some stuents in!t notice that the question was
"energy"length" an were concerne about the infinite amount of energy
in an infinitely long cyliner.
Question 4 Static charge shock
<uppose you al, a#ross your rug on a dry inter5s day, and see a #entimeter'long blue
spar, =ump from your finger to the door',nob. &et5s estimate the energy in%ol%ed and the
number of ele#trons that passed beteen you and the ,nob.
/) >a,e a %ery rough estimate of the #apa#itan#e beteen you and the door ,nob, =ust
before the spar, =umped. <tate your assumptions #learly. *"?-! !ery rough.
2) @noing the brea,don %oltage of air, estimate the energy stored in the #harged
human3door ,nob #apa#itor =ust before the spar, =umped.
7) $stimate the #harge on you, =ust before the spar,. Gi%e your anser in #oulombs and
in number of ele#trons.
Assigned in FA08
Question 5 Charge distribution on ball near etal c!linder
74?:A7-4B (7. <ingh) 1 74?7$P- -$<-)
/ small aluminum ball hanging from a thread is pla#ed at the #enter of a tall metal
#ylinder and a positi%ely #harged plasti# rod is brought near the aluminum ball in su#h a
ay that the metal all is in beteen the rod and the ball. +hi#h of the folloing is the
#orre#t (ualitati%e pi#ture of the #harge distribution in this situation)
Question " #orce between ball and charged rod
74?:A7-4B (<ingh) 1 74?7$P- -$<-) / positi%ely #harged plasti# rod is ta,en
#lose to (but not tou#hing) a neutral aluminum ball hanging from a thread. -he
aluminum ball is grounded by #onne#ting it ith a ire that tou#hes the ground. +hi#h
of the folloing statements is true about the for#e beteen the ball and the rod)
/. -he aluminum ball ill not feel any for#e due to the #harged rod
2. -he aluminum ball ill be attra#ted to the #harged rod and the for#e of attra#tion
is the </>$ as that ithout the grounding ire
7. -he aluminum ball ill be attra#ted to the #harged rod and the for#e of attra#tion
is >4B$ than that ithout the grounding ire
:. -he aluminum ball ill be attra#ted to the #harged rod and the for#e of attra#tion
is &$<< than that ithout the grounding ire
$. -he aluminum ball ill be attra#ted or repelled depending upon the magnitude of
the #harge on the rod.
Question $ #orce between insulator and charged rod
74?:A7-4B 1 74?7$P- -$<-) (74PCB"G*- 7. <ingh)
/ small aluminum ball hanging from a thread is pla#ed at the #enter of a tall #ylinder
made ith a good insulator (<tyrofoam) and a positi%ely #harged plasti# rod is brought
near the ball in su#h a ay that the <tyrofoam all is in beteen the rod and the ball.
+hi#h one of the folloing statements is true about this situation)
/. -he aluminum ball ill not feel any for#e due to the #harged rod
2. -he aluminum ball ill be attra#ted to the #harged rod and the for#e of attra#tion
is the </>$ as that ithout the <tyrofoam #ylinder
7. -he aluminum ball ill be attra#ted to the #harged rod but the for#e of attra#tion
is >4B$ than that ithout the <tyrofoam #ylinder
:. -he aluminum ball il be attra#ted to the #harged rod and the for#e of attra#tion is
&$<< than that ithout the <tyrofoam #ylinder
$. ?one of the abo%e
Question % #orce between conductor and charged rod
74?:A7-4B 1 74?7$P- -$<-) (74PCB"G*- 7. <ingh)
/ small aluminum ball hanging from a thread is pla#ed at the #enter of a tall >$-/&
#ylinder and a positi%ely #harged plasti# rod is brought near the ball in su#h a ay that
the metal all is in beteen the rod and the ball. -he distan#e beteen the rod and the
ball is the same as in the pre%ious problem hen the metal all as not there. +hi#h
one of the folloing statements is true about this situation)
6. -he aluminum ball ill not feel any for#e due to the #harged rod
G. -he aluminum ball ill be attra#ted to the #harged rod and the for#e of attra#tion
is the </>$ as that ithout the metal #ylinder
*. -he aluminum ball ill be attra#ted to the #harged rod but the for#e of attra#tion
is >4B$ than that ithout the metal #ylinder
". -he aluminum ball il be attra#ted to the #harged rod and the for#e of attra#tion is
&$<< than that ithout the metal#ylinder
D. ?one of the abo%e

Question & Charge on conducting shell
74?:A7-4B (<ingh)
/ spheri#al #ondu#ting shell has a and b as the inner and outer radii. / #harge 0( is
pla#ed off'#enter in the #a%ity, and a #harge 'E( is pla#ed on the #ondu#tor. (a) <ho the
e(uilibrium #harge #onfiguration by draing on the figure belo. $xplain your
reasoning. (b) +rite an expression for the ele#tri# field in ea#h region and s,et#h the
ele#tri# field lines in ea#h region of your figure. $xplain your reasoning.
Question 1' #lat slabs and conductors
a) Griffiths ($x 2.E) or,s out the $'field e%eryhere in spa#e due to an
infinite thin plane of #harge, ith surfa#e #harge density . &et5s assume
our sheet lies in the x'y plane. <,et#h the F'#omponent of the $ field as a
fun#tion of F (in#lude both 0 and ' F)
b) ?o e ha%e an infinite conducting slab of metal hi#h has a #harge density 0GG on
ea#h surfa#e (both top and bottom) +rite a mathemati#al fun#tion
for ((F) (and again s,et#h the result) for the $'field e%eryhere in
spa#e. (-his slab is oriented li,e the sheet in part a, parallel to the

0 +
+ +

0
+
+
+
+

xy plane, and is still infinite in the x'y dire#tions, but this slab has a finite thi#,ness d, in
the F'dire#tion).
2riefly state hat ould change if the #harge density had been negati%e, i.e. 'GG on each
surfa#e, top and bottom.
#) ?o imagine two su#h #ondu#tors, ell separated by a distan#e
&HHd. <uppose, for the sa,e of this problem, that the upper one
#ould still be exa#tly as des#ribed in part b (i.e. it has 0GG on ea#h
surfa#e, top and bottom) and the loer one is li,e part b only ith 'G
G on ea#h surfa#e, top and bottom) Ase the prin#iple of
superposition to find the $ field e%eryhere in spa#e. (-hat means
beteen the slabs, outside either slab, but also "?<":$ ea#h slab).
/s you may re#all from Phys 1120, the $ field inside of a slab of metal is supposed to be
Fero. <o... hat do you suppose might ha%e gone rong) *a%e you applied superposition
right) "s Gauss5 la in%alid here) *o does nature resol%e this in#onsisten#y)
Assigned in SP08 (average score: a) 7.28, b) 67.28, c) 6.24)
Instructor notes: Many stuents ma#e the mista#e of rawing $ector
fiels instea of graphs% suggesting that the problem coul be rewore.
Se$eral stuents also put the &aussian surface entirely within the slab%
thus wrongly concluing that the flux through the surface is 'ero%
gi$ing the wrong answer for part (c). Stuents require a lot of expert
iscussion on part (c). *ne stuent sai natures resolution is that
there are ne$er infinite slabs.
Capacitors
Question 11 )an de Graa*
B$/&'+4B&:, 7/P/7"-4B
/ .an de Graaf is a spheri#al #ondu#ting shell, ith a rotating belt that #arries #harge to
the inside. / ire #onne#ts the belt to the inside of the sphere, so that negati%e #harge
=umps out onto the ire (this needs to be ritten #learly). -hus, e ha%e a uniformly
#harged sphere. +hat is the #apa#itan#e of a sphere 20 #m in diameter) "f . is 30 ,.
(measured by brea,don of air), hatIs amount of #harge on sphere) +hat is . or $
outside surfa#e of sphere. +hatIs $ inside. +hatIs . inside sphere (30 @.). *oltage
constant, but + field ,ero#
Question 12 (arth as spherical capacitor + thunderstors
7/P/7"-4B. B$/&'+4B&:. (&orrain 3.1J)
$earthIs ele#tri# field maintained by thunderstorms. $arth as spheri#al #apa#itor. <urfa#e
of earth is #ondu#tor and so is ionisphere, so you ha%e a #on#entri# spheri#al #apa#itor.
-hunderstorms are a battery that #harges #apa#itor. -he ground is negati%e and the
ionisphere is positi%e, during #ourse of day the . on #apa#itor %aries sinusoidally. Pea,
of #harge o##urs at one time of day, Epm in "ndia, be#ause most lightening storms o%er
"ndian o#ean. 7an do real #al#ulation of #apa#itor ith diameter of earth separated by d
of ionisphere. +hatIs diele#tri# #onstant of air) -ee .eynman lectures on lightening#

'

+
+
+


+
+
???
Question 13 (arth as spherical capacitor+ #arads
B$/&'+4B&:K A?"-< (6rom +angsness, $le#tromagneti# 6ields, Problem 6'3)
-he farad is a#tually an enormous unit of #apa#itan#e. -o illustrate this, treat the $arth as
a #ondu#ting sphere and find its #apa#itan#e.
Question 14 #arada!s ice pail experient
7/P/7"-4B<, P4&/B"L/-"4?
&oo, up 6aradayIs i#e pail experiment. -hey probably ha%e this in demos. Glass =ar,
filled ith #ondu#ting ater, rap in al foil and #harge. 7apa#itor. Bemo%e glass =ar
from /l foil and pour out ater. /nother oneM the glass =ar has an indu#ed polariFation
and thatIs stored and it dis#harges into ne one. ?i#e intro to polariFation.
Question 15 Capacitance o* non,parallel plate capacitor
&">"-"?G 7/<$<, /PPB4N">/-"4?, 7/&7A&/-"4? (6rom +angsness,
$le#tromagneti# 6ields, Problem 6'13)
<uppose that a parallel plate #apa#itor has re#tangular plates but the plates are not
exa#tly parallel. -he separation at one edge is d O a and d 0 a at the other edge, here a
PP d. <ho that the #apa#itan#e is gi%en approximately by
here / is the area of the plate.
Question 1" Capacitance o* coaxial c!linders+ nerve axons
$<-">/-"4? (A +/<*"?G-4?)