Physics 333-1 Homework 03

due: Monday, April 17, 2023

(32 points total)

1. (12 points) Gauss’s Law: sphere. A ball of radius R has the following charge density:
(
A(R − r) r ≤ R
ρ(r) =
0 r>R

where A is a constant. ρ(r) has a maximum at r = 0 and a minimum of zero at r = R.

(a) Show that the total charge Q of the ball is πAR4 /3.
~
(b) What is the electric field E(r) for r > R (magnitude and direction)?
~
(c) What is E(r) inside the ball?
(d) Calculate the scalar potential V (r) for all r. Set the reference point at infinity so that
V → 0 when r → ∞.
(e) Provide a good quality sketch of E(r) and V (r) for all r.
(f) What are E(r) and V (r) at r = 0?
Feel free to comment or provide your own observations.

2. (14 points) Gauss’s Law: slab. A flat, infinite slab has a constant charge density ρ > 0.
This slab has thickness 2b and is centered about the xy plane. (In other words, the charge
distribution is nonzero for −b < z < b.)

(a) What is Ez (z) for z > b, z < −b, and −b < z < b?
(Note: I am asking for the z-component of E~ so the sign is meaningful. Ez > 0 means
~ ~
E k ẑ and Ez < 0 means E k −ẑ.)
(b) Are there any discontinuities in Ez ? Are there any surface charge distributions in this
problem?
(c) What is the scalar potential V (z)? Make sure you set the reference point O at the origin
and not at infinity.
(d) Sketch the behavior of Ez and V as functions of z.
(e) What is ∆Ez = Ez (100b) − Ez (−100b)?
What is ∆V = V (100b) − V (−100b)?
(f) What is the work W required to move a point charge q from z = 10b to z = b? What is
the work required to move q from z = b to z = −b?
(g) What is energy density w (i.e., the energy per unit volume) for z > b?

3. (6 points) Work. A line of positive charge with constant linear density λ > 0 is fixed on the
x-axis between x = −L and x = 0. How much work is done to bring negative charge −q < 0
from infinity to x = a?