Example 1.

Consider an infinitely long cylinder with charge density ,

dielectric constant 0 and radius r0 . What is the electric field in
and around the cylinder?

r0

Solution

Because of the cylinder symmetry one expects the electric field

to be only dependent on the radius, r. Applying Gauss's law one
finds:
E A = E 2 rL =

Q r 2 L
=
for r < r0
0
0
and

E A = E 2 rL =

Q r02 L
=
for r > r0
0
0

where a cylinder with length L was chosen to define the surface

A, and edge effects were ignored. The electric field then equals:

E (r) =

r
r02
for r < r0 and E ( r ) =
for r > r0
2 0
2 0 r

The electric field therefore increases within the cylinder with

increasing radius as shown in the figure below. The electric
field decreases outside the cylinder with increasing radius.

09/ 04/ 02

B. Van Zeghbroeck, 1998

E
r0
2 0

r
0

r0