Gauss' Law: Charge Density in Cylinders

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Discussion Overview

The discussion focuses on the interactions between a charged cylinder and its surrounding neutral medium, specifically examining how charge densities and geometrical factors like thickness influence these interactions. Participants explore theoretical implications of Gauss' Law in this context.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant describes a closed cylinder filled with charges and questions whether there is attraction from the core to outer charges, depending on charge densities and volume thickness.
  • Another participant seeks clarification on the meaning of the charge notation and suggests that the interaction of charges can be complex, involving integration of charge densities.
  • A later reply emphasizes that the interaction depends on both the total charge density inside the cylinder and the charge density outside, noting that the distance between charges affects the forces experienced.
  • Further clarification is provided regarding the nature of the charges, indicating they are homogeneously mixed and moving, and questions whether the thickness of the cylinder affects the attraction to outside charges.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing interpretations of the initial conditions and the implications of charge densities. There is no consensus on how the cylinder's thickness influences the attraction to outside charges, and the discussion remains unresolved.

Contextual Notes

Participants acknowledge the complexity of the interactions and the need for precise definitions of charge densities and configurations. The discussion highlights assumptions about the nature of the charges and their movement, which may affect conclusions.

somasimple
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Hi all,

A closed cylinder of Length L, with a radius r and a thickness d is filled with m1q1+m2q2 charges. Their respective volume charge densities are \rho1 and \rho2.
The volume is surrounded with a neutral solute (n1q1+n2q2=0) with a volume charge density of \rho3.
(see picture).

Case 1/
m2>m1 => m1q1+m2q2<0
Is there any attraction from the "core" to the outer charges?
Does it depend of the charges densities and volume thickness?
 

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It isn't at all clear what you mean.
'Filled with charges' could mean the annular region or the central core.
m1q1 +m2q2... what does that signify? two sets of charges? do you mean to imply they are of different sign?

Whatever these things mean, you appear to be describing some sort of initial condition for a collection of charges and asking about their interaction from that position.

Put simply, each charge experiences a net force due to the summation of all the fields of each other charge in the configuration. You can work that out in terms of an integration of the charge densities but that would be an instantaneous solution for an unstable configuration, which would tell you nothing about the subsequent behaviour of the system.
 
somasimple said:
Is there any attraction from the "core" to the outer charges?
Does it depend of the charges densities and volume thickness?

The interaction between the cylinder and its surroundings depends both on the total charge density inside the material \rho_1(\textbf{r})+\rho_2(\textbf{r}) and the charge density outside the material \rho_3(\textbf{r}). The reason for this should be fairly clear; the field of a point charge falls off with distance from the charge. Hence, the force a test charge feels from a source charge depnds on the distance between the two charges. So, if you want to calculate the force on each one of the +/- charges in your cylinder due to the surrounding solution, you need to account for each infinitesimal piece of charge, since each will be at a different position relative to your test charge and hence exert a different force on it.

As a simple example, consider a single point charge q at the origin and a physical dipole consisting of a charge q at x=a and a charge -q at x=a+d (assume a\gg d&gt;0 if you like) connected by a rigid neutral rod. The charge at the origin will experience a net repulsive force since it is closer to the positive end of the dipole than it is to the negative end, even though the net charge on the dipole is zero.
 
AJ Bentley said:
m1q1 +m2q2... what does that signify? two sets of charges? do you mean to imply they are of different sign?
The picture tells us that q1 is positive when q2 is negative.
It is initial conditions of a pure hypothesis. And these charges are homogeneously mixed within the core. They are moving charges (a fluid).
gabbagabbahey said:
The interaction between the cylinder and its surroundings depends both on the total charge density inside the material \rho_1(\textbf{r})+\rho_2(\textbf{r}) and the charge density outside the material \rho_3(\textbf{r}).
That's what I meant but failed to explain it clearly.
If we know the charge density of a fluid (concentration of charges per volume?), we know the distance that separate these charges.
I just want to know when we add another distance (the cylinder thickness) if the action of the core may be unable to attract any moving outside charge?
Is there a way to say that inner cylinder action (on outside charges) is dependent of cylinder thickness?
 

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