Electric field of a charged ring.

AI Thread Summary
The discussion focuses on calculating the electric field at point P due to a uniformly charged ring. The charge of the ring is Q=6.10 microCoulombs and its radius is R=1.30 cm, with point P located at z=4.00 cm. The electric field is derived using the formula E=kQ/(r^2) and integrating over the charge elements of the ring, considering symmetry and the vertical direction of the electric field. The final expression for the electric field at point P is E_z = (kQx)/((x^2+R^2)^(3/2)), which simplifies the calculation by integrating from 0 to 2π. The solution emphasizes that alternative methods may exist for deriving the same result.
NeverSummer
Messages
4
Reaction score
0
bionut said:

Homework Statement



As part of the optics in a prototype scanning electron microscope, you have a uniform circular ring of charge Q=6.10 microCoulombs and radius R=1.30 cm located in the x-y plane, centered on the origin as shown in the figure.

What is the magnitude of the electric field, E at point P located at z=4.00 cm ?

2qs5475.gif



Homework Equations


E=kQ/(r^2)

The Attempt at a Solution



dE=kdQ/(r^2)=kdQ/(sqrt(h^2+r^2))=∫(k/4.206)dQ

=2.14*10^9 Q

Now, I'm not sure I've made it thus far correctly, so if I've gone wrong, please let me know. Either way, I have no idea what my limits of integration would be for this, so I'm pretty much stuck here.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
I kind of follow your work, but I'm afraid I don't see the complete equation needed, so I will go ahead and derive it for you.
Alrighty, here's a little picture to help us out.
physicsproblem.jpg


Let's keep this in mind throughout the whole problem.

We know by symmetry that the electric field due to the ring at point P is going to be straight up in the Z direction. In the picture, I have the electric field element \begin{equation} dE \end{equation} due to a charge element \begin{equation} dq \end{equation}.
Let us define that charge element. Because we have a ring, it will have a linear charge density (charge per unit length), \lambda = Q/l = Q/2\pi R, where L (lower case in the equation) is the circumference of the ring, it's length. Let's look at another picture for substitution reasons:

circlepicture.jpg


This picture shows us that \begin{equation} dl=Rd\theta \end{equation}.
So now we can say (using the equations above) \begin{equation} dq=\lambda dl = \frac{Q}{2\pi R} Rd\theta = \frac{Q}{2\pi} d\theta \end{equation}

Let's not forget any of this as we move on!We know from the equation of an electric field that \begin{equation} dE = k \frac{dq}{r^2} \end{equation}. Where \begin{equation} r=\sqrt{R^2+x^2}\end{equation} - from the first picture.
Like said before, we know that the electric field is going to be vertically up in the Z direction, so we want to find the electric field straight up (dE_z) due to our charge element, we can use trig from our first picture to say this: dE_z = dE \cos{\theta}
And we know from our first picture again that \cos{\theta} = R/r

Now let's do some substitution using A LOT of what we have done before:

dE_z = dE\cos{\theta}

dE_z = k \frac{dq}{r^2} \frac{x}{r}

dE_z = k \frac{Q/(2\pi)}{x^2+R^2} \frac{x}{\sqrt{x^2+R^2}} d\theta

\int dE_z = \frac{k}{2\pi} \frac{Qx}{(x^2+R^2)^{3/2}} \int_{0}^{2\pi} d\theta <-- integrating from 0 to 2pi (the whole ring) = 2*pi

And now we have our solution:

E_z = \frac{kQx}{(x^2+R^2)^{3/2}}

Now all you do is plug your numbers in

By the way this is not the only way to reach this solution, just the way I was taught. If you google "electric field due to a ring of charge" - you may find some other ways
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the great explanation, I got it!
 
Thread 'Voltmeter readings for this circuit with switches'
TL;DR Summary: I would like to know the voltmeter readings on the two resistors separately in the picture in the following cases , When one of the keys is closed When both of them are opened (Knowing that the battery has negligible internal resistance) My thoughts for the first case , one of them must be 12 volt while the other is 0 The second case we'll I think both voltmeter readings should be 12 volt since they are both parallel to the battery and they involve the key within what the...
Thread 'Struggling to make relation between elastic force and height'
Hello guys this is what I tried so far. I used the UTS to calculate the force it needs when the rope tears. My idea was to make a relationship/ function that would give me the force depending on height. Yeah i couldnt find a way to solve it. I also thought about how I could use hooks law (how it was given to me in my script) with the thought of instead of having two part of a rope id have one singular rope from the middle to the top where I could find the difference in height. But the...
Back
Top