Classical Electrodynamics PHY5346

HOMEWORK 7
(October 24, 2012)
Due on Thursday, November 1, 2012
PROBLEM 19
A point charge of magnitude q is located in free space a distance d away from the
center of a dielectric sphere of radius a and dielectric constant . Note that the charge
q is located outside the dielectric sphere (a<d).
(a) Find the potential at all points in space as an expansion in Legendre polynomials.
(b) Compute the polarization surface-charge density induced at the surface of the
sphere.
(c) Discuss your results in the limit of =1 and .
PROBLEM 20
Three point-like charges of magnitude +q, 2q, and +q are located at the following
positions, respectively:
r
1
= (0, 0, +a) ; r
2
= (0, 0, 0) ; r
3
= (0, 0, a) .
(a) Compute the electrostatic potential due to the above conguration of charges in
the limit in which: q , a 0, but the product Q qa
2
remains constant.
(b) The above charge conguration is placed at the center of a sphere of radius R
which is lled with an homogeneous and isotropic dielectric material of dielectric
constant . Find the electric eld in all regions of space.
(c) Compute the polarization surface-charge density induced at the surface of the
sphere.
PROBLEM 21
Consider a sphere of radius R that is lled with a homogeneous and isotropic dielectric
of dielectric constant . The sphere is placed in an external electrostatic potential
initially given by
(r) = Ar
2
1
2

3 cos
2
1

.
(a) Compute the electrostatic potential in all regions of space.
(b) Compute the bound charge density inside the sphere.
(c) Compute the bound surface-charge density induced at the surface of the sphere.