Physics 210A-Winter 2022 Homework 5 Solutions TA: Pratik Sathe

Problem 1
(Zangwill 8.7 Images in Spheres I) A point charge q is placed at a distance 2R from the center of an
isolated, conducting sphere of radius R. The force on q is observed to be zero at this position. Now
move the charge to a distance 3R from the center of the sphere. Show that the force on q at its new
position is repulsive with magnitude
1 173 q 2
F =
4π0 5184 R2
Hint: A spherical equipotential surface remains an equipotential surface if an image point charge is
placed at its center.
(Link to Solution: 1)

Problem 2
(Zangwill 8.10 Force between a line charge and a conducting cylinder)
Force between a Line Charge and a Conducting Cylinder Let b the perpendicular distance between an
infinite line with uniform charge per unit length λ and the center of an infinite conducting cylinder with
radius R = b/2.
(a) Show that the charge density induced on the surface of the cylinder is
 
λ 3
σ(φ) = −
2πR 5 − 4 cos φ
(b) Find the force per unit length on the cylinder by an appropriate integration over σ(φ).
(c) Confirm your answer to (b) by computing the force per unit length on the cylinder by another
method.
Hint: Let the single image line inside the sphere fix the potential of the cylinder.

(Link to Solution: 2)

Problem 3
A long (consider it infinite) conducting cylindrical shell of radius a is grounded. A point charge q is
placed inside the shell at z = 0 along the axis of the cylinder.
(a) Write the charge density associated with the point charge in cylindrical coordinates.
(b) Find the potential produced by the point charge inside the cylindrical shell.
(Link to Solution: 3)
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 Problem 4
Imagine that all of space is filled with a dielectric with dielectric constant , except for a spherical
vacuum region of radius R. Find a Green Function valid for this vacuum region.
(Link to Solution: 4)

Problem 5
A conducting spherical shell of radius a is split into two hemispheres (insulated from one another by an
infinitessimally thin insulator). The top hemisphere is held at potential +V and the bottom hemisphere
is held at potential −V .
(a) Find a Green function for the space interior to the shell r < a.
(b) Find a Green function for the space exterior to the shell r > a.
(c) Use these expressions to find the potential everywhere along the z-axis.
(Link to Solution: 5)

Disclaimer: The answers below are not guaranteed to be correct. If you spot a mistake please email
me at [email protected].

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 Answer of Problem 1
Borrowed from the solution manual
The sphere cannot be neutral because there is an attractive force between a point charge and any isolated
neutral object. According to image theory, a grounded sphere acquires a charge q 0 = −qR/s where s is
the distance between q and the center of the sphere. The image itself lies a distance d = R2 /s from the
center. Now, suppose we add a second image charge q 00 = Q − q 0 at the center of the sphere. By Gauss’
law, the total charge on the sphere is now Q and the sphere boundary is still an equipotential. This is
the situation we want. We have s = 2R, so q 0 = −q/2, s = R/2, and q 00 = Q + q/2. We need to choose
Q so that the force between q and the two images is zero:
q0 q 00
   
q q −q/2 Q + q/2
F = + = + =0
4π0 (s − d)2 s2 4π0 (2R − R/2)2 (2R)2
7
This gives Q = 18 q. When we move q so that s = 3R, the force formula on the left is still correct with
q = −q/3, d = R/3, and q 00 = Q + q/3. Therefore, the force is
0

q2 q2 1 173 q 2
   
−1/3 7/18 + 1/3 3 13
F = + = − + =
4π0 (3R − R/3)2 (3R)2 4π0 R2 64 162 4π0 5184 R2

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 Answer of Problem 2
Borrowed from the solution manual
(a) We need the potential to compute the charge density. The text shows that the cylinder is an
equipotential if the line charge λ at distance b = 2R from the center is accompanied by an image
line charge with strength −λ placed at a distance R2 /b = R/2 from the center. We are interested
in computing ϕ(ρ, φ) with ρ and φ defined in the diagram below.

Adding the contributions from the two line charges gives

λ λ λ ρ2 λ ρ2 + R2 /4 − ρR cos φ
ϕ(ρ, φ) = − ln ρ2 + ln ρ1 = ln 12 = ln 2
2π0 2π0 4π0 ρ2 4π0 ρ + 4R2 − 4ρR cos φ
Consequently,
∂ϕ
σ(φ) = − 0
∂r ρ=R
 
λ 2ρ − R cos φ 2ρ − 4R cos φ
=− − 2
4π ρ + R /4 − ρR cos φ ρ + 4R2 − 4ρR cos φ
2 2
ρ=R
 
λ 3
=−
2πR 5 − 4 cos φ
(b) If n̂ is the outward normal to the conductor, the net force on the cylinder may be computed from
Z
1
F= dSσ 2 n̂
20
For the cylinder, n̂ = ρ̂ = x̂ cos φ + ŷ sin φ. By symmetry, the force per unit length f is along x̂.
Hence,
Z π
9λ2 cos φ
f= 2 dφ x̂
4π 0 R 0 (5 − 4 cos φ)2
Using Tables of Integrals, Series, and Products by Gradshteyn and Ryzhik (1980),
Z π  π Z π 
cos φ 1 5 sin φ 4
dφ = + dφ
0 (5 − 4 cos φ)2 9 5 − 4 cos φ 0 0 5 − 4 cos φ
The integrated term is zero and
4 π
Z
1 8  −1 π 4π
dφ = tan {3 tan(φ/2)} 0 =
9 0 5 − 4 cos φ 27 27
Hence, the force per unit length that acts on the cylinder is
9λ2 4π 4 λ2
f= x̂ = x̂
4π 2 0 R 27 3 4π0 R
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(c) We can also compute the force on the cylinder as the negative of the force that acts on the line
charge λ. The distance between this line and its image is 3R/2. Therefore,
λ2 4 λ2
f= x̂ = x̂
2π0 (3R/2) 3 4π0 R

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 Answer of Problem 3
(a) In cylindrical coordinates, the charge density of a point charge located at the origin is given by
1
%(ρ, φ, z) = qδ(ρ) × δ(φ) × δ(z)
ρ
where ρ2 = x2 + y 2 . Just so that you see the pattern, below is the charge density in spherical
coordinates:
1 1
%(r, θ, φ) = qδ(r) × δ(θ) × δ(φ)
r r sin θ
(b) Since we have the charge density inside thy cylinder, we just need the Green’s function of the inside
of the cylinder to get the potential, which is given by
∂GD (r, r0 )
Z Z
ϕ(r) = d r GD (r, r ) ρ (r ) − 0 dS 0 ϕS (r0 )
3 0 0 0
V S ∂n0
Since the cylinder is grounded, the second term vanishes. We have % (r0 ) from the last part, so we
just need GD (r, r0 ). This has already been done, almost, in section 8.5.5, but it was for the exterior
of the cylinder. Retracing through the derivation and just making sure that the function is regular
at the origin, the Green’s function is given by
∞ Z ∞  
0 1 X
im(φ−φ0 ) 0 Km (ka)
GD (r, r ) = 2 dke cos k (z − z ) Km (kρ> ) − Im (kρ> ) Im (kρ< )
2π 0 m=−∞ 0 Im (ka)
So the potential is
Z
ϕ(ρ, φ, z) = q dρ0 dφ0 dz 0 δ (ρ0 ) δ (φ0 ) δ (z 0 ) GD (ρ, φ, z; ρ0 , φ0 , z 0 )
= qGD (ρ, φ, z; 0, 0, 0)
∞ Z ∞  
q X
imφ Km (ka)
= 2 dke cos kz Km (kρ) − Im (kρ) δm,0
2π 0 m=−∞ 0 Im (ka)
Z ∞  
q K0 (ka)
= 2 dk cos kz K0 (kρ) − I0 (kρ)
2π 0 0 I0 (ka)
where we used the fact that Im (0) = δm,0 .

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 Answer of Problem 4
To find the Green’s function for a given geometry, we want to solve the equation
1
∇2 G (r, r0 ) = − δ (r − r0 )
0
where the differentiation is with respect to the unprimed coordinates (the Green’s function is symmetric
so we can switch all primes and non-primes in this equation), subject to the boundary conditions. Usually
we impose Dirichlet boundary conditions, G (r, r0 ) = 0 whenever r ∈ S, where S is the boundary of the
volume. However, for dielectric problems where we are only given the free charge density, we solve for
0)
G (r, r0 ) inside and outside the volume and impose continuity of G (r, r0 ) and  ∂G(r,r
∂n
when r ∈ S. This
looks exactly like Poisson’s equation where φ(r) = G (r, r0 ) and ρ(r) = δ (r − r0 ), which is the equation
for the potential of a point charge with charge q = 1, located at r0 , where the potential satisfies the
usual boundary conditions. So let’s solve that problem! The potential everywhere will have the form
∞ ∞  l 
0 1 X
l 1 X r< l
Gin (r, r ) = + Al r Pl (cos θ) = l+1
+ 4π0 Al r Pl (cos θ)
4π0 |r − r0 | l=0 4π0 l=0 r>
∞
0
X Bl
Gout (r, r ) = P (cos θ)
l+1 l
l=0
r
Continuity at the boundary, Gin (Rr̂, r0 ) = Gout (Rr̂, r0 ), implies that
r0l l Bl
+ A l R =
4π0 Rl+1 Rl+1
Continuity of the derivative implies that
∂Gin (r, r0 ) ∂Gout (r, r0 )
0 =
∂r r=R ∂r r=R
(l + 1)rll (l + 1)Bl
⇒ l+2
− l0 Al Rl−1 = 
4πR Rl+2
Combining these equations, we get
r0l (l + 1) (1 − r )
Al =
4π0 Rl+2 [r (l + 1) + l]
and therefore the interior Green’s function is
∞  l l l

0 1 X r< r< r> (l + 1) (1 − r )
Gin (r, r ) = l+1
+ 2l+1 Pl (cos θ)
4π0 l=0 r> R [r (l + 1) + l]

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 Answer of Problem 5

(a) We will use the method of images in order to obtain the Dirichlet Green’s function. For a charge
q = 1 placed at r0 inside the sphere, the potential at a point r inside the sphere can be found by
considering an image charge q̃ at location r̃, with

a2 0 a
r̃ = r̂ q̃ = −
r0 r0

Thus, for r, r0 < a, we have

" #
1 1 a 1
GD (r, r0 ) = − .
4π0 |r − r0 | r0 |r − ar20 r̂0 |

(b) For a charge q = 1 at r0 outside the sphere, the potential at r outside the sphere can be found by
placing an image charge q̃ inside the sphere at location r̃ with

a2 0 a
r̃ = r̂ q̃ = − 0 .
r0 r

Thus, for r, r0 > a, the Green’s function is

" #
0 1 1 a 1
GD (r, r ) = − .
4π0 |r − r0 | r0 |r − ar20 r̂0 |

Note that this expression is identical to the one obtained in part (a) above.
(c) In order to obtain the potential everywhere, we can use the magic rule:

∂GD (r, r0 )
Z Z
3 0 0 0 0 0
ϕ(r ∈ V ) = d r GD (r, r ) ρ (r ) − 0 dS ϕS (r )
V S ∂n0

∂GD (r,r0 )
For the regions z 6= a, the first integral vanishes because of a lack of charges. Thus, we need ∂n0
.
First, we note that with r0 = zẑ, we have

1/2
|r − r0 | = z 2 + r02 − 2zr0 cos θ
a 1 1
and 0 a2 =r .
r |r − r0 r̂0 | r02 z 2
+ a2 − 2zr0 cos θ
a2

Thus, for both the interior as well as the exterior of the sphere, we get

∂GD (r, r0 ) 1 (z 2 − a2 )
=
∂r0 4πε0 a (z 2 + a2 − 2az cos θ)3/2

Note that for the interior, ∂G D

∂n0
= ∂G D
∂r0
, while for the exterior, ∂G D
∂n0
= − ∂G D
∂r0
. Thus, once we compute
the potential for the interior, the potential for r > a with be the same expression times −1. For the
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 interior, we have
∂GD (r, r0 )
Z
ϕ(r = zẑ 3 z < a) = −0 dS 0 ϕS (r0 )
S ∂n0
"Z #
1 1
= −ε0 2πa2 dS 0 V (θ)
4πε0 a (z 2 + a2 − 2az cos θ)3/2
"Z #
π/2 Z π
a2 − r 2 sin θdθ sin θdθ
=V 2πa2 −
4πa 0 (z 2 + a2 − 2az cos θ)3/2 π/2 (z 2 + a2 − 2az cos θ)
3/2

V (a2 − z 2 )
 
1 1 2
= + −√
2z |z − a| |z + a| z 2 + a2
Noting that the expression outside is simply −1 times this value, we get for all z 6= a,
V |a2 − z 2 |
 
1 1 2
ϕ(r = zẑ 3 z 6= a) = + −√
2z |z − a| |z + a| z 2 + a2
As expected, taking z → a and z → −a in the expression above, we get ϕ(r = ±aẑ) = ±V .