Calculate the field within a hole on a charged sphere

Click For Summary
SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on calculating the electric field at the center of a positively charged circular piece superimposed on a uniformly charged negative hollow sphere. The key equations used include EA=q/ε and E=(q/ε)*1/(4*pi*r^2). It is established that the electric field generated by the circular piece cancels out with the field from the hollow sphere, leading to a net electric field that can be treated as the sum of the fields from both the disk and the sphere. The conclusion is that the fields superimpose, resulting in a uniform electric field at the center of the disk.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of electrostatics and electric fields
  • Familiarity with Gauss's Law
  • Knowledge of charge distributions and their effects
  • Proficiency in using the equations EA=q/ε and E=(q/ε)*1/(4*pi*r^2)
NEXT STEPS
  • Study Gauss's Law applications in spherical charge distributions
  • Learn about superposition principles in electric fields
  • Explore the concept of electric fields from charged planes
  • Investigate the effects of different charge configurations on electric fields
USEFUL FOR

Students and educators in physics, particularly those focusing on electrostatics, as well as anyone looking to deepen their understanding of electric fields generated by complex charge distributions.

Aesteus
Messages
17
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement



If you have a uniformly-charged negative hollow sphere of charge, with a positive circular piece of charged shell superimposed on the outside, what is the electric field in the center of the circular piece? Also what part of the field going through the piece's center is locally generated?

Homework Equations



EA=q/ε ... E=(q/ε)*1/(4*pi*r^2)

The Attempt at a Solution



I assume that none of the field will be locally generated, because the circular-positive piece will totally cancel out with the field of the sphere. I'm not sure where to go from there though, as I would think the remaining sphere's field would extend radially.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Hint:

The circular piece creates the same magnitude, but opposite direction electric field on the two faces. The rest of the sphere would create the same field in these infinitesimally separated points.

What is the total field inside the charged sphere?
 
Alright so I'm guessing that because the fields point in opposite directions, they superimpose on each other, and because the circular-charged regions are essentially flat that we can treat them as planes of charge. Thus the field going through the disk is essentially the same at any arbitrary point such that the field through its center is E=E(disk)+E(sphere). What do you think?
 
Last edited:

Similar threads

Replies
23
Views
5K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
1K
Replies
14
Views
2K
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
2K
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
3K
Replies
2
Views
3K
Replies
17
Views
2K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
6K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
Replies
6
Views
2K