Clarification of E field concepts

In summary, a spherical capacitor consists of two spherical conducting shells, with radii R1 and R4, and a conductive shell with inner and outer radii R2 and R3 inserted between them. The inner shell is charged with +Q. To determine the electric field between R1 and R4, you can use Gauss's law and consider that the conductor will have all its excess charge at the surface, with perpendicular field lines.
  • #1
jimmy1988
4
0
1.
A spherical capacitor consists of two spherical conducting shell centered at the same
point, and their radii are R1 and R4, respectively. Between these two shells, a conductive
shell with inner and outer radii of R2 and R3 is inserted, as shown in Figure 3. If charge
the inner shell ( R1 ) with +Q.
(a) Determine the electric field between R1 and R4 .





I know that each of these charged spheres will provide E fields. Since e fields are vectors, my intention was to take the sum of all the e fields induced by the individual spherical shells. However i am unsure if my concept is sound. please advice. Thank you
 
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  • #2
You can use Gauss's law to find this, keeping in mind that the conductor will have all its excess charge at the surface, and the field lines must be perpendicular at that surface.
 
  • #3
alright thanks! i'll try that
 

Related to Clarification of E field concepts

1. What is an electric field?

An electric field is a physical field that is created by electrically charged objects. It is a vector field, meaning that it has both magnitude and direction, and is responsible for the force that acts on other charged particles within its vicinity.

2. What is the difference between an electric field and an electric potential?

An electric field is a measure of the force that a charged particle experiences in the presence of other charged particles, while electric potential is a measure of the energy that a charged particle possesses by virtue of its position in the electric field.

3. How is the direction of an electric field determined?

The direction of an electric field is determined by the direction in which a positive test charge would move when placed in the electric field. It is always directed away from positively charged objects and towards negatively charged objects.

4. Can electric fields exist in a vacuum?

Yes, electric fields can exist in a vacuum. They are present in all regions of space where electrically charged particles are present, including in a vacuum where no matter is present.

5. How can the strength of an electric field be measured?

The strength of an electric field can be measured using a device called an electric field meter. This device measures the force experienced by a charged test object placed in the electric field and can calculate the strength of the electric field based on this force.

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