Spherical Charge Distribution

[jesuslovesu]

1. The problem statement, all variables and given/known data
There is a charge density rho that exists in a spherical region of space defined by 0 < r < a.
\rho (r) = Ke^{-br}
How do you find the electric field if a charge density varies as such?


3. The attempt at a solution

I found Q total = \int \int \int \rho dV
Now I need to find E.

My real question is can I just put Q (as a function of r) into E = kQ/r^2? Or do I need to reevaluate the integral using dq = \rho r^2 sin(\theta) dr d\theta d\phi

I get two different answers, (and I would have thought they should be the same) so which method is correct? I would have thought either would work.

[Mindscrape]

What do you mean? Q is the integral of the charge density over the volume. Also, I think you mean dr = rho r^2 sin(\theta) dr d\theta d\phi. What did you do for your integral?

[michalll]

Why sin(\theta)? rho depends only on r so dQ = 4\pi Kr^{2}e^{-br}dr

[Mindscrape]

Oh whoops, I shouldn't have had rho in there, and I missed it when you had it. You were right about the dq I was questioning. dq= rho *spherical jacobian (i.e. spherical integration differentials), which is what you had.

Yes, dQ = 4\pi Kr^{2}e^{-br}dr

This is the way you want to go. I don't really understand what other way you would have gone about it.