Tutorial Sheet 1

1. Find the electric field at a height z above the center of a square sheet (side a) carrying a
uniform surface charge σ. Check your result for the limiting cases a→∞ and z>>a.

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2. If the electric field in some region is given (in spherical coordinates) by the expression
k
E ( r )  3rˆ  2 sin  cos sin ˆ  sin  cos ˆ
r
for some constant k, what is the charge density?

3. Find the net force that the southern hemisphere of a uniformly charged solid sphere exerts on
the northern hemisphere. Express your answer in terms of the radius R and the total charge Q.

4. A long coaxial cable carries a uniform volume charge density ρ on the inner cylinder (radius
a), and a uniform surface charge density on the outer cylindrical shell (radius b). This surface
charge is negative and is of just the right magnitude that the cable as a whole is electrically
neutral. Find the electric field in each of the three regions: (i) inside the inner cylinder (s <
a), (ii) between the cylinders (a < s < b), (iii) outside the cable (s > b). Plot |E| as a function
of s.

5. An infinite plane slab, of thickness 2d, carries a uniform volume charge density ρ. Find
the electric field, as a function of y, where y = 0 at the center. Plot E versus y, calling E
positive when it points in the +y direction and negative when it points in the −y direction