Force on a charge at the center of a non-uniform charge density cylinder

In summary, the problem involves finding the force on a charge Q at the center of a charged cylinder with a volume charge given by P+P0 + Bz. The solution involves finding the electric field contribution of a disk with uniform charge density on a point z above the center of the disk. The integral for the electric field is evaluated from 0 to R and then used to evaluate the integral from -z/2 to z/2 on the cylinder. The final expression involves the indefinite integral and the definite integral evaluated from -L/2 to L/2.
  • #1
mjordan2nd
177
1

Homework Statement


Consider a cylinder, radius R and length L. Suppose the cylinder is charged with a volume charge given by P+P0 + Bz, where p0 and B are constants. Find the force on a charge Q at the center of the cylinder.


Homework Equations



E=q/4*pi*e*r^2

The Attempt at a Solution



I first found the electric field contribution of a disk with uniform charge density on a point z above the center of the disk, where e is epsilon-not and o is the charge density on the disk.

[tex]\int \frac{z r o 2 \pi }{4 \pi e \left(r^2+z^2\right)^{3/2}} \, dr[/tex]

The indefinite integral gave me

[tex]-\frac{o z}{2 e \sqrt{r^2+z^2}}[/tex]

Evaluating from 0 to R gave me

(oz/2e)*(1/z-(z^2+r^2)^-1)

I then used this to evaluate the integral from -z/2 to z/2 on the cylinder, and came up with this expression:

[tex]\int_{-\frac{L}{2}}^{\frac{L}{2}} \left(\left(\frac{L}{2}+z\right) b+p\right) z \left(\frac{1}{z}-\frac{1}{\sqrt{r^2+z^2}}\right) \, dz[/tex]

I have two questions:

Have I gone about this problem correctly so far, and how do I proceed from here. I don't know how to evaluate the integral. I figured I'd calculate the E-field first and then the force.

Thanks for any help...
 
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  • #2
Plugging this into mathematica gives

[tex]\text{If}\left[\text{Im}\left[\frac{r}{L}\right]\geq \frac{1}{2}\left\|\text{Im}\left[\frac{r}{L}\right]\leq -\frac{1}{2}\right\|\text{Re}\left[\frac{r}{L}\right]\neq 0,\frac{-2 b L^3-8 b L r^2+4 b L^2 \sqrt{L^2+4 r^2}+8 L p \sqrt{L^2+4 r^2}-4 b r^2 \sqrt{L^2+4 r^2} \text{Log}[2]+b r^2 \sqrt{L^2+4 r^2} \text{Log}[16]-4 b r^2 \sqrt{L^2+4 r^2} \text{Log}\left[-L+\sqrt{L^2+4 r^2}\right]+4 b r^2 \sqrt{L^2+4 r^2} \text{Log}\left[L+\sqrt{L^2+4 r^2}\right]}{8 \sqrt{L^2+4 r^2}},\text{Integrate}\left[\left(b \left(\frac{L}{2}+z\right)+p\right) \left(1-\frac{z}{\sqrt{z^2+r^2}}\right),\left\{z,-\frac{L}{2},\frac{L}{2}\right\},\text{Assumptions}\to !\left(\text{Im}\left[\frac{r}{L}\right]\geq \frac{1}{2}\left\|\text{Im}\left[\frac{r}{L}\right]\leq -\frac{1}{2}\right\|\text{Re}\left[\frac{r}{L}\right]\neq 0\right)\right]\right][/tex]

The indefinite integral gives [tex](-(2 p + b (L + z)) (r^2 + z (z - Sqrt[r^2 + z^2])) +
b r^2 Sqrt[r^2 + z^2] Log[z + Sqrt[r^2 + z^2]])/(2 Sqrt[r^2 + z^2])[/tex]

I could evaluate the indefinite but I'm not sure if I've set the problem up correctly. Again, any help would be appreciated.
 

1. What is the force on a charge at the center of a non-uniform charge density cylinder?

The force on a charge at the center of a non-uniform charge density cylinder is the sum of all the electric forces exerted on the charge by the individual charges that make up the cylinder.

2. How is the force calculated in this scenario?

The force can be calculated using Coulomb's Law, which states that the force between two charges is directly proportional to the product of their magnitudes and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

3. What factors affect the force on a charge in a non-uniform charge density cylinder?

The force on a charge in a non-uniform charge density cylinder is affected by the magnitude and distribution of the charges within the cylinder, as well as the distance between the charge and the center of the cylinder.

4. Can the direction of the force change in this scenario?

Yes, the direction of the force can change depending on the distribution of charges within the cylinder. If the charges are evenly distributed, the force will be directed towards the center of the cylinder. However, if the charges are unevenly distributed, the force may be directed at an angle.

5. How is the force affected by changes in the charge density or size of the cylinder?

The force on a charge at the center of a non-uniform charge density cylinder will increase as the charge density or size of the cylinder increases. This is because there are more charges within the cylinder, resulting in a greater force exerted on the charge at the center.

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