PHYS 4231 Homework 6 ANSWERS

February 27, 2008; due March 5, 2008

‘Graded’ problems:

1. (3.2) In one sentence, justify Earnshaw’s Theorem: A charged particle cannot be held in a stable equilibrium
by electrostatic forces alone. As an example, consider the cubical arrangement of fixed charges in the figure
below. It looks, off hand, as though a positive charge at the center would be suspended in midair, since it is
repelled away from each corner. Where is the leak in this ”electrostatic bottle”?
In a region free of charges, we know that there can be no maxima or minima except at the boundary,
so if we look at a spherical region surrounding the center of the cube, the center cannot be a potential
minimum or maximum. The only place a leak can occur is through the center of the faces, since this is
the area furthest from the charge. This is illustrated below; the potential is plotted through the x = 0
slice of the cube:

potential for x = 0

4.62
4.615 0.4
4.61 0.2
-0.4 0
-0.2 z
-0.2
0
0.2 -0.4
y 00.4
4

2. (3.4) Prove that the field is uniquely determined when the charge density ρ is given and either V or the normal
derivative ∂V /∂n is specified on each boundary surface. Do not assume the boundaries are conductors, or that
V is constant over any given surface.
Here’s the way I know how to solve it: Let us assume again that we have two solutions to Poisson’s
equation, V1 and V2 , i.e.
∇2 Vi = 0, i = 1, 2,

1
 and that each of these satisfies the same boundary conditions on each surface of interest. We define
again V3 ≡ V1 − V2 . For each boundary surface, then, we either have V3 = 0 on the boundary or
∂V3 /∂n = 0. Now comes the trick: let us look at the integral of ∇2 V32 through the volume:
   
 
∇2 V33 dτ = 2 ∇ · (V3 ∇V3 )dτ = 2 (∇V3 · ∇V3 ) + V ∇2 V3 dτ = 2 ∇V3 · ∇V3 dτ.

the last step comes from ∇2 V3 = 0. We may also write this equation using Gauss’ theorem as
  
∂V3
2 ∇ · (V3 ∇V3 )dτ = 2 V3 ∇V3 · da = 2 V3 da.
S S ∂n

Putting these equations together, we have

 
∂V3
|∇V3 |2 dτ = V3 da.
S ∂n

But the right-hand side of this equation must be equal to zero, because either V3 = 0 on the boundary
or ∂V3 /∂n = 0. We therefore have 
|∇V3 |2 dτ = 0.

This can only happen if ∇V3 = 0 everywhere, or V3 is a constant. Therefore V1 and V2 can only differ
by a constant, and since the field is defined by E = −∇V , the fields produced by V1 and V2 must be
the same.
3. (3.6) Find the force on the charge +q in the figure below. (The xy plane is a grounded conductor.)

3d +q

d −2q
y

Two images charges are ‘induced’ in the grounded conductor, a charge −q at z = −3d and a charge
+2q at z = −d. The total force on the charge +q is due to these two image charges and the charge
−2q above the plane. Putting these together, with their proper signs, we have
 
q2 −2 −1 2
Fq = + + .
4π0 (2d)2 (6d)2 (4d)2

4. (3.7):

2
 (a) Using the law of cosines, show that Eq. (3.17) can be written as follows:


1 q q
V (r, θ) = √ − .
4π0 r 2 + a2 − 2ra cos θ R + (ra/R)2 − 2ra cos θ
2

where r and θ are the usual spherical polar coordinates, with the z axis along the line through q. In this
form it is obvious that V = 0 on the sphere, r = R.
(b) Find the induced surface charge on the sphere, as a function of θ. Integrate this to get the total induced
charge.
(c) Calculate the energy of this configuration.

(a) The answer is as given!

(b) Here we use
∂V
σ = −0
.
∂n
Taking the derivative of the potential with respect to r, and then letting r = R, we find that
q a2 /R − R
σ=− .
4π (R2 + a2 − 2Ra cos θ)3/2
Integrating this over the surface of the sphere, we find that the total charge on the sphere is −q,
as we might expect.
(c) Here we use the force of attraction between the charge and the sphere, given by Eq. (3.18),
1 q 2 Ra
F =− .
4π0 (a2 − R2 )2
We then use the formula,
 a  a
1 q 2 Rl 1 q2 R
W = F dl = − dl = − .
∞ 4π 0 ∞ (l2 − R2 )2 8π0 a2 − R2

5. (3.14) A rectangular pipe, running parallel to the z-axis (from −∞ to ∞), has three grounded metal sides, at
y = 0, y = a, and x = 0. The fourth side, at x = b, is maintained at a specified potential V0 (y).

(a) Develop a general formula for the potential within the pipe.
(b) Find the potential explicitly, for the case V0 (y) = V0 .

The general formula may be written as

∞
  nπy  nπx
V (x, y) = An sin sinh ,
n=1
a a

where sinh is the hyperbolic sine. The An can be found using the regular Fourier series tricks,
 a
2 mπy
Am = V0 (y) sin dy.
a sinh(mπb/a) 0 a

3
Extra problems:

1. (3.15) A cubical box (sides of length a) consists of five metal plates, which are welded together and
grounded. The top is made of a separate sheet of metal, insulated from the others, and held at a
constant potential V0 . Find the potential inside the box.
2. (3.9) A uniform line charge λ is placed on an infinite straight wire, a distance d above a grounded con-
ducting plane. (Let’s say the wire runs parallel to the x-axis and directly above it, and the conducting
plane is the xy plane.)
(a) Find the potential in the region above the plane.
(b) Find the charge density σ induced on the conducting plane.

3. For the case of a point charge outside of a grounded spherical conductor, let the point charge move
to infinity, and thus calculate the charge distribution on a grounded spherical conductor in a uniform
field E.
4. For a long square conducting pipe of side length a, suppose that the potential on the sides at x = ±a/2
is 0, and the potential on the sides at y = ±a/2 is V0 cos(πx/a). Then find V (x, y) in the pipe.

PHYS 5231 additional problems:

1. (3.10) Two semi-infinite grounded conducting planes meet at right angles. In the region between them,
there is a point charge q, situated as shown in Fig. 3.15. Set up the image configuration, and calculate
the potential in this region. What charges do you need, and where should they be located? What is
the force on q?
2. Problem 2.52.