Charge and excess electrons in a rod

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on calculating the number of excess electrons on a charged nonconducting rod, specifically a 3.00 m rod with a cross-sectional area of 5.37 cm². For a uniform volume charge density of -2.54 µC/m³, the calculation yields approximately 2.6 x 1010 excess electrons. In contrast, for a nonuniform charge density defined by ρ = -1.36 µC/m5 x², the integration process was incorrectly performed over a length of 2 m instead of the full 3 m, leading to an incorrect result of 1.22 x 1010 excess electrons.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of volume charge density and its units (C/m³)
  • Familiarity with calculus, specifically integration techniques
  • Knowledge of Coulomb's law and electric charge calculations
  • Basic geometry of circles for area calculations
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  • Review integration techniques for variable charge densities in electrostatics
  • Study the application of Coulomb's law in calculating electric forces
  • Learn about the properties of nonconducting materials in electrostatics
  • Explore the concept of charge distribution and its effects on electric fields
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Students in physics, particularly those studying electrostatics, as well as educators and anyone involved in solving problems related to electric charge distributions and calculations.

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Homework Statement



A charged nonconducting rod, with a length of 3.00 m and a cross-sectional area of 5.37 cm2, lies along the positive side of an x-axis with one end at the origin. The volume charge density ρ is charge per unit volume in coulombs per cubic meter. How many excess electrons are on the rod if ρ is (a) uniform, with a value of -2.54 µC/m3, and (b) nonuniform, with a value given by ρ = bx2, where b = -1.36 µC/m5?


Homework Equations


F=kQq/r^2
q=volume charge density*area of circle*length




The Attempt at a Solution


q=p*(pi)r^2*L=-2.54e-6C/m^3*5.37cm^2*3.00m=-4.09e-9
q/e=-4.09e-9/-1.6e-19=2.6e10e<--this was correct

part b: p=bx^2=-1.36e-6x^2
dq=Apdx
dq=5.37e-4*-1.36e-6x^2 dx
did the integral procedure and it may be wrong:
integral(dq)=7.3032e-10 *integral (x^2) from 0 to 2 =-1.94e-9
q/e=-1.94e-9/-1.6e-19 = 1.22e10<-- marked incorrect

I don't know how to fix this.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Why did to integrate from 0 to 2 if the length of the rod is 3 m?
 
I was practicing the example from the book and mistakenly used that value haha... Thanks!
 

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