Electrostatics: Find relative permitivitty

In summary, relative permittivity, also known as dielectric constant, is a measure of how well a material can store electrical energy in an electric field and is related to electrostatics. It is calculated by taking the ratio of the electric field in a vacuum to the electric field in the material. Some common materials and their relative permittivity values include air (1.0006), water (80.1), glass (4-10), and rubber (2.1-2.8). Relative permittivity also affects capacitance, as it is directly proportional to it. The higher the relative permittivity of a material, the better it is at insulating, as it can store more charge and prevent the flow of
  • #1
gruba
206
1

Homework Statement


Spherical capacitor with two linear and uniform dielectrics with relative permitivitty Ɛr1 and Ɛr2 is connected to constant voltage U. When second dielectric is removed, intensity of electric field by inner electrode is reduced by 1/3, and electric field by outer electrode is increased two times. a=1.5mm, b=6mm, c=12mm. Calculate Ɛr1 and Ɛr2.

Homework Equations


Gauss law

The Attempt at a Solution


In the first case (two dielectrics), Gauss law gives [tex]E_1^{(1)}=\frac{Q}{4\pi\epsilon_0\epsilon_{r1}r^2},a<r<b[/tex]
[tex]E_2^{(1)}=\frac{Q}{4\pi\epsilon_0\epsilon_{r2}r^2},b<r<c[/tex]
[tex]U^{(1)}=\int_a^b \frac{Q}{4\pi\epsilon_0\epsilon_{r1}r^2}\mathrm dr+ \int_b^c \frac{Q}{4\pi\epsilon_0\epsilon_{r2}r^2}\mathrm dr=\frac{Q}{4\pi\epsilon_0}\left(\frac{b-a}{\epsilon_{r1}ab}+\frac{c-b}{\epsilon_{r2}bc}\right)[/tex]
In the second case (second dielectric is removed),
[tex]E_1^{(2)}=\frac{Q}{12\pi\epsilon_0\epsilon_{r1}r^2}[/tex]
[tex]E_2^{(2)}=\frac{Q}{2\pi\epsilon_0r^2}[/tex]
[tex]U^{(2)}=\frac{Q}{2\pi\epsilon_0}\left(\frac{b-a}{\epsilon_{r1}ab}+\frac{c-b}{bc}\right)[/tex]
[tex]E_1^{(2)}=\frac{1}{3}\times E_1^{(1)}\Rightarrow \frac{Q^{(2)}}{4\pi\epsilon_0\epsilon_{r1}r^2} = \frac{1}{3}\frac{Q^{(1)}}{4\pi\epsilon_0\epsilon_{r1}r^2}\Rightarrow Q^{(2)}=\frac{Q^{(1)}}{3}[/tex]
[tex]E_2^{(2)}=2\times E_2^{(1)}[/tex]
[tex]\frac{Q^{(2)}}{4\pi\epsilon_0 r^2} = 2\frac{Q^{(1)}}{4\pi\epsilon_0\epsilon_{r2} r^2}[/tex]
From these equations, I get that [tex]\epsilon_{r2}=6[/tex]
[tex]U^{(1)}=\int_a^b \frac{Q}{4\pi\epsilon_0\epsilon_{r1}r^2}\mathrm dr+ \int_b^c \frac{Q}{4\pi\epsilon_0\epsilon_{r2}r^2}\mathrm dr=\frac{Q^{(1)}}{4\pi\epsilon_0}\left(\frac{b-a}{\epsilon_{r1}ab}+\frac{c-b}{\epsilon_{r2}bc}\right)[/tex]
[tex]U^{(2)}=\frac{Q^{(2)}}{4\pi\epsilon_0}\left(\frac{b-a}{\epsilon_{r1}ab}+\frac{c-b}{bc}\right)[/tex]
[tex]U^{(1)}=U^{(2)}\Rightarrow \epsilon_{r1}=36017.1[/tex]

In my book's solution [tex]\epsilon_{r2}=3[/tex] and [tex]\epsilon_{r1}=6[/tex]
Could someone please check this?
 

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  • #2
gruba said:

Homework Statement


Spherical capacitor with two linear and uniform dielectrics with relative permitivitty Ɛr1 and Ɛr2 is connected to constant voltage U. When second dielectric is removed, intensity of electric field by inner electrode is reduced by 1/3, and electric field by outer electrode is increased two times. a=1.5mm, b=6mm, c=12mm. Calculate Ɛr1 and Ɛr2.

Homework Equations


Gauss law

The Attempt at a Solution


In the first case (two dielectrics), Gauss law gives [tex]E_1^{(1)}=\frac{Q}{4\pi\epsilon_0\epsilon_{r1}r^2},a<r<b[/tex]
[tex]E_2^{(1)}=\frac{Q}{4\pi\epsilon_0\epsilon_{r2}r^2},b<r<c[/tex]
[tex]U^{(1)}=\int_a^b \frac{Q}{4\pi\epsilon_0\epsilon_{r1}r^2}\mathrm dr+ \int_b^c \frac{Q}{4\pi\epsilon_0\epsilon_{r2}r^2}\mathrm dr=\frac{Q}{4\pi\epsilon_0}\left(\frac{b-a}{\epsilon_{r1}ab}+\frac{c-b}{\epsilon_{r2}bc}\right)[/tex]
In the second case (second dielectric is removed),
[tex]E_1^{(2)}=\frac{Q}{12\pi\epsilon_0\epsilon_{r1}r^2}[/tex]
[tex]E_2^{(2)}=\frac{Q}{2\pi\epsilon_0r^2}[/tex]
[tex]U^{(2)}=\frac{Q}{2\pi\epsilon_0}\left(\frac{b-a}{\epsilon_{r1}ab}+\frac{c-b}{bc}\right)[/tex]
[tex]E_1^{(2)}=\frac{1}{3}\times E_1^{(1)}\Rightarrow \frac{Q^{(2)}}{4\pi\epsilon_0\epsilon_{r1}r^2} = \frac{1}{3}\frac{Q^{(1)}}{4\pi\epsilon_0\epsilon_{r1}r^2}\Rightarrow Q^{(2)}=\frac{Q^{(1)}}{3}[/tex]
[tex]E_2^{(2)}=2\times E_2^{(1)}[/tex]
[tex]\frac{Q^{(2)}}{4\pi\epsilon_0 r^2} = 2\frac{Q^{(1)}}{4\pi\epsilon_0\epsilon_{r2} r^2}[/tex]
From these equations, I get that [tex]\epsilon_{r2}=6[/tex]
[tex]U^{(1)}=\int_a^b \frac{Q}{4\pi\epsilon_0\epsilon_{r1}r^2}\mathrm dr+ \int_b^c \frac{Q}{4\pi\epsilon_0\epsilon_{r2}r^2}\mathrm dr=\frac{Q^{(1)}}{4\pi\epsilon_0}\left(\frac{b-a}{\epsilon_{r1}ab}+\frac{c-b}{\epsilon_{r2}bc}\right)[/tex]
[tex]U^{(2)}=\frac{Q^{(2)}}{4\pi\epsilon_0}\left(\frac{b-a}{\epsilon_{r1}ab}+\frac{c-b}{bc}\right)[/tex]
[tex]U^{(1)}=U^{(2)}\Rightarrow \epsilon_{r1}=36017.1[/tex]

In my book's solution [tex]\epsilon_{r2}=3[/tex] and [tex]\epsilon_{r1}=6[/tex]
Could someone please check this?
The question mentions that the electric field is reduced BY 1/3 and not to 1/3 as you have assumed.The rest of it seems right.
 

1. What is relative permittivity and how is it related to electrostatics?

Relative permittivity, also known as dielectric constant, is a measure of how well a material can store electrical energy in an electric field. It is related to electrostatics because it affects the strength of the electric field and the amount of charge that can be stored in a material.

2. How is relative permittivity calculated?

Relative permittivity is calculated by taking the ratio of the electric field in a vacuum to the electric field in the material. This value is then compared to the permittivity of a vacuum, which is 8.85 x 10^-12 F/m.

3. What are some common materials and their relative permittivity values?

The relative permittivity of a material depends on its composition and structure. Some common values for materials include air (1.0006), water (80.1), glass (4-10), and rubber (2.1-2.8).

4. How does relative permittivity affect capacitance?

Capacitance is directly proportional to the relative permittivity of a material. This means that as the relative permittivity increases, the capacitance increases as well. In other words, a material with a higher relative permittivity can store more charge and has a larger capacitance.

5. How does the relative permittivity of a material affect its insulating properties?

The higher the relative permittivity of a material, the better it is at insulating. This is because a material with a high relative permittivity can store more charge and therefore, can better prevent the flow of electricity through it.

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