Energy Density in the Electric Field of a Charged Sphere

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around calculating the energy density in the electric field of a charged isolated metal sphere with a specified potential. The subject area includes concepts from electrostatics and energy density in electric fields.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Mathematical reasoning

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss various methods to find the charge (q) on the sphere, including using the relationship between potential (V), charge, and radius. There is an exploration of the energy density formula and attempts to reconcile different approaches to arrive at the correct answer.

Discussion Status

Some participants have provided guidance on expressing potential in terms of charge and radius, while others have shared their calculations and results. There is acknowledgment of a mistake regarding the diameter and radius, which led to a correction in the final answer.

Contextual Notes

Participants are working under the constraints of a homework problem, which may impose specific methods or approaches to be used in the calculations. There is a focus on ensuring that the correct values are used in the formulas, particularly regarding geometric dimensions.

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Homework Statement


A charged isolated metal sphere of diameter 10cm has a potential of 8000V relative to V=0 at infinity. Calculate the energy density in the electric field near the surface of the sphere


Homework Equations


u=1/2[tex]\(epsilon x E^2)<br /> E=kq/r^2<br /> <br /> <br /> <h2>The Attempt at a Solution</h2><br /> I have tried this like an example given in my book, which gives the q value, but since q=CV, can't i find C of the sphere, solve for q, put that into E, and subsequently solve for u? The answer in my book is .11 J/m^3, but when i use the above strategy, I get around .028. Could someone point me in the right direction?[/tex]
 
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Express V in terms of q and r, then solve for q. It's a slightly roundabout way to calculate the energy density this way, but since you want to find q, this will work.
 
Last edited:
I tried that using V=kq/r and put q into E=kq/r^2. I also got E using V=Ed and got about 80000 V/m or N/C both times. I still get around .028 J/m^3 for my answer when i put that into the density formula.
 
Oh, you probably just confused diameter and radius.
 
Thats exactly what i did wrong. I corrected and got .11J/m^3. thanks
 

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