Electric Field in center of half spherical shell

Join the discussion
Registration is free. Start your own thread to ask a follow-up.
6 replies · 7K views
yevi
Messages
65
Reaction score
0
A half spherical shell as seen in the picture.
[URL=http://img219.imageshack.us/my.php?image=picnw3.jpg][PLAIN]http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/3424/picnw3.th.jpg[/URL][/PLAIN]

charged with surface density [tex]\sigma(\theta)=\sigma_{0}cos\theta[/tex]

Need to find the Electric field in center of the axis.

As I see the direction of the electric field is the Z axis (because of the symmetric)

to find the Field I use:

dE[tex]_{z}[/tex] = [tex]\frac{kdq}{R^2}[/tex]

Finding q, q=2[tex]\pi R^{2}\sigma_{0}cos\theta[/tex]?
 
Last edited:
Physics news on Phys.org
shouldn't Ez be [tex]\frac{kdq}{R^2}cos(\theta)[/tex]

dq = [tex]\sigma(\theta)dA = \sigma_{0}cos\theta dA[/tex]

what is dA here...

plug your dq into your Ez formula... integrate from theta = 0 to pi/2.
 
yevi said:
Why from 0 to pi/2?
Can you explain?

your [tex]dA = 2\pi*Rsin\theta(Rd\theta)[/tex]

My element area is a circle of circumference 2*pi*Rsin(theta) multiplied by ds = Rdtheta. (see what I'm doing... I'm taking a circle of radius Rsin(theta))

to cover the half circle theta needs to go from 0 to pi/2.

to cover the whole circle you'd go from theta = 0 to pi.
 
why do you multiply 2*pi*Rsin(theta) by Rdtheta?
We need area so we must find the integral from circumference...

And what is the logic taking circle 2*pi*Rsin(theta) as element of area?
Why can't i just use 4[tex]\pi r^{2}[/tex] as the area of the shell?
 
yevi said:
why do you multiply 2*pi*Rsin(theta) by Rdtheta?
We need area so we must find the integral from circumference...

And what is the logic taking circle 2*pi*Rsin(theta) as element of area?
Why can't i just use 4[tex]\pi r^{2}[/tex] as the area of the shell?

because your charge density depends on theta. so you need the charge at a particular theta...