09/03/2022
Continuous Charge Distribution
• So far, we have seen how to calculate the forces due to point charges.
• In many applications, however, electric forces are exerted by charge objects in the form of
rods, plates, or solids.
• For simplicity, we assume that the objects are insulators, and that charge is spread
throughout the surface or volume of the object, forming a continuous charge distribution.
• The general method for finding the electric field of a continuous charge distribution is as
follow:
• Divide the charge distribution into infinitesimal elements dq, expressing the charge element dq as λ ds,
σ dA, or ρ dV, depending on whether the charge is distributed over a line (λ = linear charge density or
charge per unit length dq/ds), surface (σ = surface charge density or charge per unit area dq/dA), or
volume (ρ =volume charge density or charge per unit volume dq/dV)
• Choosing an arbitrary charge element, we write the magnitude of the contribution to
the electric field at the observation point P as if dq were a point charge:
𝑑𝐸 = ………. (1)
• The total resultant field at P for the entire distribution is obtained by adding the
contributions from all the charge elements of the object, taking into account the
different directions that all the 𝑑𝐸might have:
𝐸 = ∫ 𝑑𝐸 ………. (2)
• In cartesian coordinates, we can regard above equation as a shorthand representation
of the three component equations:
𝐸 = ∫ 𝑑𝐸 ; 𝐸 = ∫ 𝑑𝐸 ; 𝐸 = ∫ 𝑑𝐸 ………. (3)
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Field of a Line of Charge
+y-axis
Positive electric charge Q is distributed uniformly
along a line with infinite length, lying along the Q +∞
+
y-axis between −∞ to +∞ (Fig.1). Find the +
electric field at point P on the x-axis at a distance +
‘x’ from the origin. 𝒅𝑬𝒙 = 𝒅𝑬𝒄𝒐𝒔𝜽
+ y r d𝑬
+
Solution: + θ P θ
𝒅𝑬𝒚 = 𝒅𝑬𝒔𝒊𝒏𝜽
O x +x-axis
We divide the line charge into infinitesimal + θ θ 𝒅𝑬𝒚 = 𝒅𝑬𝒔𝒊𝒏𝜽
d𝑬
segments, each of which acts as a point + y
charge. Let the length of a typical segment + r 𝒅𝑬𝒙 = 𝒅𝑬𝒄𝒐𝒔𝜽
at height ‘y’ from origin ‘O’ be ‘dy’. + where
If the charge is distributed uniformly, then dy
+
dQ
r 2 = 𝐱 𝟐 + 𝒚𝟐
the charge segment dQ can be written as +
linear charge density ‘λ’, −∞
dQ = λdy (Fig.1)
So the magnitude of field dE at P due to this
segment is,
λdy
𝑑𝐸 = =
𝐱 𝟐 𝒚𝟐
We represent this field dE in terms of its x- and y-components:
𝒅𝑬𝒙 = 𝒅𝑬𝒄𝒐𝒔𝜽; 𝒅𝑬𝒚 = 𝒅𝑬𝒔𝒊𝒏𝜽
To find the total field components 𝑬𝒙 and 𝑬𝒚 , we integrate these expressions, noting that include all of Q, we must
integrate from 𝒚 = −∞ to 𝒚 = +∞. The final results are
𝑬𝒚 = ∫ 𝒅𝑬𝒚 = 𝟎 (see Fig.1)
So,
E = 𝑬𝒙 = ∫ 𝒅𝑬𝒙 = ∫ λdy λ 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝜽
𝒅𝑬𝒄𝒐𝒔𝜽 = ∫ 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝜽 = ∫ dy
(𝐱 𝟐 𝒚𝟐 ) (𝐱 𝟐 𝒚𝟐 )
λ 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝜽 λ 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝜽
⇒ 𝑬 = 2. dy = dy
4𝜋𝜖 (𝐱 𝟐 +𝒚𝟐 ) 2𝜋𝜖 (𝐱 𝟐 +𝒚𝟐 )
𝟎 𝟎
Let, 𝒚 = 𝒙𝒕𝒂𝒏𝜽 𝒚 → 𝟎; 𝜽 → 𝟎
⇒ 𝒅𝒚 = 𝒙𝒔𝒆𝒄𝟐 𝜽𝒅𝜽 𝒚 → ∞; 𝜽 → 𝝅 𝟐
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𝝅 𝝅
𝟐 𝟐
⇒ λ 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝜽 λ 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝜽
𝑬= (𝒙𝒔𝒆𝒄𝟐 𝜽𝒅𝜽) = (𝒙𝒔𝒆𝒄𝟐 𝜽𝒅𝜽)
𝟐𝝅𝝐𝒐 (𝐱 +𝒙𝟐 𝒕𝒂𝒏𝟐 𝜽)
𝟐 𝟐𝝅𝝐𝒐 𝒙𝟐 (𝟏 + 𝒕𝒂𝒏𝟐𝜽)
𝟎 𝟎
𝝅
𝟐
λ 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝜽
= (𝒔𝒆𝒄𝟐 𝜽𝒅𝜽) 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒, 𝟏 + 𝒕𝒂𝒏𝟐 𝜽 = 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝟐 𝜽
𝟐𝝅𝝐𝒐 𝒙(𝒔𝒆𝒄𝟐 𝜽)
𝟎
𝝅
𝟐
λ λ
𝝅
𝟐 λ 𝝅 λ
= 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝜽𝒅𝜽 = 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝜽 = 𝒔𝒊𝒏 − 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝟎 = 𝟏 −𝟎
𝟐𝝅𝝐𝒐 𝒙 𝟐𝝅𝝐𝒐 𝒙 𝟎 𝟐𝝅𝝐𝒐 𝒙 𝟐 𝟐𝝅𝝐𝒐 𝒙
𝟎
λ The field magnitude depends only on the distance of point P from
𝑬 = the line of charge. So, at any point P at a perpendicular distance r
𝟐𝝅𝝐𝒐 𝒙
from the line in any direction, 𝑬 has magnitude
λ
𝑬= ̂ (or in vector form) λ
𝟐𝝅𝝐𝒐 𝒙 𝑬 = (Infinite line of charge)
𝟐𝝅𝝐𝒐 𝒓
𝟏 𝒅𝑸 𝟏 𝒅𝑸
Field of a Ring of Charge 𝒅𝑬 = . 𝟐 =
𝟒𝝅𝝐𝒐 𝒓
. 𝟐
𝟒𝝅𝝐𝒐 𝒙 + 𝒂𝟐
A ring-shaped conductor with radius ‘a’ carries a 𝒅𝑬𝒙 = 𝒅𝑬𝒄𝒐𝒔𝜽 𝒅𝑬𝒚 = −𝒅𝑬𝒔𝒊𝒏𝜽
total charge Q uniformly distributed around it
(Fig.2). Find the electric field at a point P that lies 𝑬𝒚 = 𝒅𝑬𝒚 = 𝟎
on the axis of the ring at a distance ‘x’ from its So, 𝟏 𝒅𝑸 𝒙
center. 𝒅𝑬𝒙 = 𝒅𝑬𝒄𝒐𝒔𝜽 = . .
𝟒𝝅𝝐𝒐 𝒙𝟐 𝒂𝟐 𝒙𝟐 𝒂𝟐
𝟏 𝒙𝒅𝑸
𝒅𝑬𝒙 = .
𝟒𝝅𝝐𝒐 𝒙𝟐 𝒂𝟐 𝟑⁄𝟐
To find the total x-component Ex of the field at P, we
integrate this expression over all segments of ring:
𝑬𝒙 =∫ 𝒅𝑬𝒙 =
𝟏 𝒙𝒅𝑸 𝟏 𝒙
∫ 𝟒𝝅𝝐 . 𝟑⁄𝟐 = .
𝟒𝝅𝝐𝒐 𝒙𝟐 𝒂𝟐 𝟑⁄𝟐
∫ 𝒅𝑸
𝒐 𝒙𝟐 𝒂𝟐
Finally, 𝟏 𝑸𝒙
𝑬 = 𝑬𝒙 ̂ = . ̂
𝟒𝝅𝝐𝒐 𝒙𝟐 𝒂𝟐 𝟑⁄𝟐
At x = 0, E=0
(Fig.2) And when x>>a 𝟏 𝑸
then
𝑬= . ̂
𝟒𝝅𝝐𝒐 𝒙𝟐
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Surface charge density = 𝝈 = 𝒅𝑸⁄𝒅𝑨
Field of a uniformly Charged Disk dQ = 𝝈.dA = 𝝈 (2πrdr) or, dQ = 2πσrdr
“Find the electric field caused by a disk of The field component dEx at point P due to ring of
radius R with a uniform positive surface charge charge dQ is
density (charge per unit area) σ, at a point
along the axis of the disk a distance ‘x’ from its 𝟏 𝒙𝒅𝑸 𝟏 𝒙(2πσrdr)
𝒅𝑬𝒙 = . = .
center. Assume that x is positive.” 𝟒𝝅𝝐𝒐 𝒙𝟐 𝒓𝟐 𝟑⁄𝟐 𝟒𝝅𝝐𝒐 𝒙𝟐 𝒓𝟐 𝟑⁄𝟐
To find the total field due to all the rings, we integrate
dEx over r from r = 0 to r = R:
𝑹
𝟏 𝒙(2πσrdr) 𝝈𝒙 𝑹
rdr
𝑬𝒙 = . 𝟐 𝟐 𝟑⁄ 𝟐
= 𝟑⁄𝟐
𝟎 𝟒𝝅𝝐𝒐 𝒙 + 𝒓 𝟐𝝐𝒐 𝟎 𝒙𝟐 + 𝒓𝟐
Take, 𝑹
rdr from the above expression
𝒙𝟐 + 𝒓𝟐 𝟑⁄𝟐
𝟎
Let,
z = 𝒙𝟐 + 𝒓 𝟐
=> dz = 2rdr
=> dz/2 = rdr Putting in above expression, we have
𝟏 𝑹 d𝒛 𝟏 𝑹
𝟏 𝒛
𝟏
𝟐 R
= ∫𝟎 =
𝟐
𝒛 𝟑⁄𝟐 𝒅𝒛
=
𝟐 𝒛 𝟑⁄𝟐 𝟎 𝟐 −𝟏
𝟐 0
R R R
=- 𝒛
𝟏
𝟐 =- 𝟏
=- 𝟏 =-
𝟏
−
𝟏
=
𝟏
−
𝟏
0 𝒛 𝟐 0 (𝒙𝟐 𝒓𝟐 ) 𝟐 0 (𝒙𝟐 𝑹𝟐 𝒙 𝒙 (𝒙 +𝑹𝟐
𝟐
Finally,
𝝈𝒙 𝟏 𝟏 𝝈 𝟏
𝑬𝒙 = − = 𝟏−
𝟐𝝐𝒐 𝒙 (𝒙𝟐 𝑹𝟐 𝟐𝝐𝒐 (𝑹𝟐 ⁄𝒙𝟐 ) 𝟏
when R>>x, then the term 𝟏⁄ 𝑹𝟐 ⁄𝒙𝟐 + 𝟏 in above eq.
becomes negligibly small, and we get
𝝈
𝑬=
𝟐𝝐𝒐
Hence, the electric field produced by an infinite plane sheet of charge is independent of the distance from the sheet.
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END OF LECTURE
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