/*! This file is auto-generated */ .wp-block-button__link{color:#fff;background-color:#32373c;border-radius:9999px;box-shadow:none;text-decoration:none;padding:calc(.667em + 2px) calc(1.333em + 2px);font-size:1.125em}.wp-block-file__button{background:#32373c;color:#fff;text-decoration:none} Problem 51 The electric field, \(\vec{E}(\v... [FREE SOLUTION] | 91Ó°ÊÓ

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The electric field, \(\vec{E}(\vec{r}),\) and the electric potential \(V(\vec{r}),\) are calculated from the charge distribution, \(\rho(\vec{r}),\) by integrating Coulomb's Law and then the electric field. In the other direction, the field and the charge distribution are determined from the potential by suitably differentiating. Suppose the electric potential in a large region of space is given by \(V(r)=V_{0} \exp \left(-r^{2} / a^{2}\right),\) where \(V_{0}\) and \(a\) are constants and \(r=\sqrt{x^{2}+y^{2}+z^{2}}\) is the distance from the origin. a) Find the electric field \(\vec{E}(\vec{r})\) in this region. b) Determine the charge density \(\rho(\vec{r})\) in this region, which gives rise to the potential and field. c) Find the total charge in this region. d) Roughly sketch the charge distribution that could give rise to such an electric field.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Question: Based on the given electric potential \(V(r) = V_0 \exp \left(-r^2 / a^2 \right)\), find the electric field, charge density, total charge, and roughly sketch the charge distribution. Answer: The electric field is given by \(\vec{E}(r) = 2V_0 \frac{r}{a^2}\exp \left(-r^2 / a^2\right)\hat{r}\). The charge density is given by \(\rho(r) = 2\epsilon_0 V_0 \frac{1}{a^2} \left( 3 \exp \left(-r^2 / a^2\right) - 2r^2 \frac{1}{a^2}\exp \left(-r^2 / a^2\right)\right)\). The total charge of the region is 0. The charge distribution is spherically symmetric, with positive charges concentrated near the center and negative charges surrounding them, creating a net charge of 0.

Step by step solution

01

Find the electric field

We are given the electric potential \(V(r) = V_0 \exp \left(-r^2 / a^2 \right)\), where \(r = \sqrt{x^2 + y^2 + z^2}\). To find the electric field, we will compute the gradient of the potential, \(\vec{E}(\vec r) = -\vec{\nabla} V(\vec{r})\). We can write down the gradient in spherical coordinates: \(\vec{\nabla} V(r) = \frac{\partial V}{\partial r}\hat{r}\). Now, we need to find \(\frac{\partial V}{\partial r}\). \(\frac{\partial V}{\partial r} = \frac{\partial}{\partial r} \left(V_{0} \exp \left(-r^{2} / a^{2}\right)\right) = -2V_0 \frac{r}{a^2}\exp \left(-r^2 / a^2\right)\) So, the electric field is: \(\vec{E}(r) = -\left(-2V_0 \frac{r}{a^2}\exp \left(-r^2 / a^2\right)\right)\hat{r} = 2V_0 \frac{r}{a^2}\exp \left(-r^2 / a^2\right)\hat{r}\).
02

Determine the charge density

Now, we need to find the charge density. We will use Gauss' law, which states that \(\nabla \cdot \vec{E}(\vec r) = \frac{\rho(\vec r)}{\epsilon_0}\). Using spherical coordinates, the divergence is given by: \(\nabla \cdot \vec{E}(r) = \frac{1}{r^2}\frac{\partial}{\partial r}(r^2E_r)\). Let's calculate the result of the differentiation: \(\frac{\partial}{\partial r}(r^2E_r) = \frac{\partial}{\partial r}\left(2V_0 \frac{r^3}{a^2}\exp \left(-r^2 / a^2\right)\right)\). Now, we will apply the product rule for differentiation: \(\frac{\partial}{\partial r}(r^2E_r) = 2V_0 \frac{1}{a^2} \left( 3r^2 \exp \left(-r^2 / a^2\right) - 2r^4 \frac{1}{a^2}\exp \left(-r^2 / a^2\right)\right)\). Therefore, the divergence is: \(\nabla \cdot \vec{E}(r) = \frac{1}{r^2}\left[2V_0 \frac{1}{a^2} \left( 3r^2 \exp \left(-r^2 / a^2\right) - 2r^4 \frac{1}{a^2}\exp \left(-r^2 / a^2\right)\right)\right]\). Now, we can find the charge density using Gauss' law: \(\rho(r) = \epsilon_0 \nabla \cdot \vec{E}(r) = 2\epsilon_0 V_0 \frac{1}{a^2} \left( 3 \exp \left(-r^2 / a^2\right) - 2r^2 \frac{1}{a^2}\exp \left(-r^2 / a^2\right)\right)\).
03

Find the total charge

To calculate the total charge, we will integrate the charge density over the entire volume: \(Q = \int \rho(\vec r) dV = \int \rho(r) r^2 \sin\theta dr d\theta d\phi\). Evaluating the integral: \(Q = 2\epsilon_0 V_0 \frac{1}{a^2} \int_0^\infty \int_0^\pi \int_0^{2\pi} \left( 3 \exp \left(-r^2 / a^2\right) - 2r^2 \frac{1}{a^2}\exp \left(-r^2 / a^2\right)\right)r^2 \sin\theta dr d\theta d\phi\). Notice that the charge density is spherically symmetric, so we can simplify the integral: \(Q = 4\pi \epsilon_0 V_0 \frac{1}{a^2} \int_0^\infty \left( 3r^2 \exp \left(-r^2 / a^2\right) - 2r^4 \frac{1}{a^2}\exp \left(-r^2 / a^2\right)\right) dr\). Calculating this integral, we get: \(Q = 4\pi \epsilon_0 V_0 a^3 \left( \frac{3\pi}{8} - \frac{3\pi}{4} + \frac{\pi}{4}\right) = 0\). The total charge of the region is 0.
04

Roughly sketch the charge distribution

The charge density is given by \(\rho(r) = 2\epsilon_0 V_0 \frac{1}{a^2} \left( 3 \exp \left(-r^2 / a^2\right) - 2r^2 \frac{1}{a^2}\exp \left(-r^2 / a^2\right)\right)\). Based on this expression, we can see that the charge density is spherically symmetric and centered at the origin. There is higher concentration of charge near the origin, and it decreases exponentially as we move away from the center. Practically, it will be like a Gaussian centered at the origin, having positive charges near the center and negative charges surrounding them to create a net charge of 0.

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Coulomb's Law
Coulomb's Law is a fundamental principle used to determine the force between two point charges. It states that the magnitude of the electrostatic force between two point charges is directly proportional to the product of the magnitudes of charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. This can be mathematically expressed as: \[ F = k \frac{|q_1 q_2|}{r^2} \] Where:
  • \( F \) is the force between the charges,
  • \( q_1 \) and \( q_2 \) are the amounts of the charges,
  • \( r \) is the distance between the charges,
  • \( k \) is Coulomb's constant, approximately \( 8.99 \times 10^9 \, \text{N\,m}^2/\text{C}^2 \).
This principle lays the groundwork for understanding other electric phenomena such as electric fields and potentials. It also explains how charged objects interact with one another through the electrostatic force they exert.
Electric Field
An electric field is a region around charged particles or objects within which a force would be experienced by other charges. It's a vector field, meaning it has both magnitude and direction. The direction of the electric field is defined as the direction of the force experienced by a positive test charge placed in the field. The electric field \( \vec{E} \) can be calculated using the relation: \[ \vec{E} = \frac{\vec{F}}{q} \] where \( \vec{F} \) is the force experienced and \( q \) is the charge.
In terms of electric potential \( V \), the field is also the negative gradient of the potential: \[ \vec{E} = -\vec{abla}V \] This means the electric field points in the direction of greatest decrease of potential. The electric field plays a crucial role in determining how charges will move in a given space and is deeply intertwined with concepts like electric potential and charge density.
Charge Density
Charge density is a measure of electric charge per unit area or volume. There are two types: - Surface charge density, denoted \( \sigma \), which is charge per unit area.- Volume charge density, denoted \( \rho \), is charge per unit volume. These are used to describe how charge is distributed in space. In the context of our problem, we focus on volume charge density which helps to describe how a charge is spread across a region in space. Mathematically, volume charge density is expressed by: \[ \rho(\vec{r}) = \frac{Q}{V} \] where \( Q \) is the total charge and \( V \) is the volume it occupies.
Knowing the charge density is vital when calculating fields and potentials, as it links the distribution of charge to these physical phenomena. In practice, understanding charge density helps design and analyze systems ranging from capacitors to complex electric fields.
Gauss' Law
Gauss' Law connects electric fields to the charges that create them. It states that the total electric flux through a closed surface is equal to the charge enclosed divided by the permittivity of space. Mathematically, this is expressed as: \[ \oint \vec{E} \cdot d\vec{A} = \frac{Q_{\text{enclosed}}}{\varepsilon_0} \] where:
  • \( \vec{E} \) is the electric field,
  • \( d\vec{A} \) is a vector representing an infinitesimal area on the closed surface (with direction normal to the surface),
  • \( Q_{\text{enclosed}} \) is the total charge enclosed within the surface,
  • \( \varepsilon_0 \) is the permittivity of free space.

Gauss' Law is often used in situations with high symmetry, simplifying the computation of electric fields. For a spherically symmetric charge distribution, as in the original exercise, Gauss' Law allows us to derive the electric field easily. In this case, the symmetry significantly simplifies the mathematics and helps in visualizing the nature of the electric fields and charge distributions.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

A point charge \(Q\) is placed a distance \(R\) from the center of a conducting sphere of radius \(a,\) with \(R>a\) (the point charge is outside the sphere). The sphere is grounded, that is, connected to a distant, unlimited source and/or sink of charge at zero potential. (Neither the distant ground nor the connection directly affects the electric field in the vicinity of the charge and sphere.) As a result, the sphere acquires a charge opposite in sign to \(Q\), and the point charge experiences an attractive force toward the sphere. a) Remarkably, the electric field outside the sphere is the same as would be produced by the point charge \(Q\) plus an imaginary mirror-image point charge \(q\), with magnitude and location that make the set of points corresponding to the surface of the sphere an equipotential of potential zero. That is, the imaginary point charge produces the same field contribution outside the sphere as the actual surface charge on the sphere. Calculate the value and location of \(q\). (Hint: By symmetry, \(q\) must lie somewhere on the axis that passes through the center of the sphere and the location of \(Q .)\) b) Calculate the force exerted on point charge \(Q\) and directed toward the sphere, in terms of the original quantities \(Q, R,\) and \(a\) c) Determine the actual nonuniform surface charge distribution on the conducting sphere.

A \(2.50-\mathrm{mg}\) dust particle with a charge of \(1.00 \mu \mathrm{C}\) falls at a point \(x=2.00 \mathrm{~m}\) in a region where the electric potential varies according to \(V(x)=\left(2.00 \mathrm{~V} / \mathrm{m}^{2}\right) x^{2}-\left(3.00 \mathrm{~V} / \mathrm{m}^{3}\right) x^{3}\) With what acceleration will the particle start moving after it touches down?

Consider an electron in the ground state of the hydrogen atom, separated from the proton by a distance of \(0.0529 \mathrm{nm}\) a) Viewing the electron as a satellite orbiting the proton in the electrostatic potential, calculate the speed of the electron in its orbit. b) Calculate an effective escape speed for the electron. c) Calculate the energy of an electron having this speed, and from it determine the energy that must be given to the electron to ionize the hydrogen atom.

A proton, initially at rest, is accelerated through a potential difference of \(500 .\) V. What is its final velocity?

A Van de Graaff generator has a spherical conductor with a radius of \(25.0 \mathrm{~cm}\). It can produce a maximum electric field of \(2.00 \cdot 10^{6} \mathrm{~V} / \mathrm{m}\). What are the maximum voltage and charge that it can hold?

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