Electric Field in the matter - D the displacement field

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on understanding the displacement field (D) and its relationship with Gauss's Law in the context of a uniformly polarized sphere. The user attempts to calculate the electric field using two methods: one involving the bounded charge (Pcos(θ)) and the other applying Gauss's Law directly. The user concludes that D equals zero inside the sphere due to the total charge being zero, leading to confusion regarding the electric field (E) calculation. The discussion emphasizes the need for symmetry considerations when applying Gauss's Law to determine the displacement field accurately.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Gauss's Law and its application to electric fields
  • Familiarity with the concept of polarization in materials
  • Knowledge of the relationship between electric displacement field (D), electric field (E), and polarization (P)
  • Basic calculus for evaluating surface integrals
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the derivation and implications of Gauss's Law for electric displacement fields
  • Explore the concept of polarization in dielectrics and its effect on electric fields
  • Learn about the conditions for applying Gauss's Law, particularly in spherical symmetry
  • Investigate the mathematical treatment of electric fields in polarized materials
USEFUL FOR

Students and professionals in physics, particularly those focusing on electromagnetism, electrical engineers, and anyone studying the behavior of electric fields in polarized materials.

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Hi,

I try to understand the concept of the displacement field and the Gauss Law for it (the total flux equals to Q free )
1. Homework Statement
for example I try to find the electric field produced by a uniformly polarized sphere of radius.

3. The Attempt at a Solution
I try to solve this problem in two ways:
the first one is to calculate the bounded charge (equals to Pcos(teta)) and from this to calculate the potential and hence the field.
My second approach (whic probably mistaken approach) is to do the following: Since we know that the D=epsilon_0 * E +P and also according to Gauss law we know that the flux thorugh a Gaussian surface equals to the Q_free_in I built a gaussian surface inside the sphere, the total charge equals to zero and therefore I conclude that D equals to zero(the field inside the sphere is uniform) . If so, I can conclude that E= -p / (epsilon_0).

In each way I got 2 different answers...
where is the problem ?
 
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You seem to be saying that for a concentric spherical Gaussian surface [itex]\mathcal{S}[/itex] of radius [itex]r[/itex], you would get:

[tex]\int_{\mathcal{S}} \vec{D}\cdot\vec{da}=4\pi r^2 |\vec{D}|[/tex]

...is that really true?...Don't there have to be a couple of restrictions (symmetries) on [itex]\vec{D}[/itex]? :wink:
 

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