Electric field of a non-conducting shell

Join the discussion
Ask a follow-up here, or get your own question answered by working scientists, mathematicians and engineers — people, not an autocomplete.
Real named experts · corrections over time · the nuance an AI answer skips
1 reply · 2K views
motyapa
Messages
4
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement



Not sure if I'm doing this problem correctly (no answer key for these practice problems). I just want to check with people that know this material well enough.

A hollow spherical non-conducting shell of inner radius a and outer radius b carries charge density p = C/r^2 in the region a =< r =< b. Find the electric field in the following regions

r < a
a < r < b
r > b

Homework Equations


[/B]
[tex]\varepsilon_0\int E \cdot dA = Qenc[/tex]

The Attempt at a Solution


[/B]
for r < a

Qenc = 0 so E = 0

for a < r < b

[tex]Qenc = \int _a^r pdV[/tex]

Volume of a sphere with radius r [tex]4/3 \pi r^3[/tex]

so then [tex]dV = 4\pi r^2 dr[/tex]

which means [tex]Qenc = \int_a^r C/r^2 4\pi r^2 dr[/tex] or [tex]\int_a^r4C \pi dr[/tex]

Solving I get [tex]Qenc = 4\pi C (r-a)[/tex]

Now that I have Qenc I can use

[tex]\varepsilon_0\int E \cdot dA = Qenc[/tex]

using a gaussian surface of a sphere with radius r, I do

[tex]\varepsilon_0EA = 4\pi C (r-a)[/tex]

A = 4\pi r^2 so that leaves me with

[tex]E = C(r-a)/r^2\varepsilon_0[/tex]

for r > b

I used a similar process except I did

[tex]Qenc = \int _a^b pdV[/tex]

making [tex]Qenc = 4\pi C (b-a)[/tex]

so then [tex]E = C(b-a)/r^2\varepsilon_0[/tex]while my answers make sense to me, I'd like to make sure I'm not making any mistakes because this question is harder than anything I've done so far!
 
on Phys.org