Equipotential Surfaces for Different Charge Configurations

AI Thread Summary
The discussion focuses on sketching equipotential surfaces for various charge configurations, including a point charge, spherically symmetric charge distribution, uniformly charged plane sheet, long charged cylinder, and an electric dipole. Participants express uncertainty about the correct representations, particularly for the spherically symmetric distribution and the long cylinder. Suggestions include utilizing Gauss' law for better understanding and visualizing the configurations in three dimensions. There is a specific emphasis on how to depict the long cylinder accurately and the importance of considering field lines. The conversation highlights the challenges of visualizing these concepts and the need for clarity in drawing equipotential surfaces.
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Homework Statement



Sketch the equipotential surfaces which result from the following charge configurations:
(a) a point charge
(b) a spherically symmetric charge distribution
(c) a very large, plane, uniformly-charged sheet
(d) a long, uniformly-charged cylinder
(e) an electric dipole.

sorry I have posted this already but i figured since i mainly just need a check id stick it in a different thread.
I am pretty sure that a and e are correct, unsure of b and d and I need some help with c... thanks

Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution

 

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It might help understanding to think about these in terms of http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/Hbase/electric/gaulaw.html" .

B is wrong. D is probably better drawn in 3D if you can. For C, think about the gravitational field right at the surface of the Earth - this is a good approximation.
 
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sorry but could you give me a bit more of a hand - I've never heard of Gauss' law (excluding the million things in maths he did) D i don't think i can draw in 3d?, b i have no idea what else to do and c i will look at the gravitational field right at the surface of the Earth now
 
What will B look like from a huge distance away? (Think about stars in the sky! :smile:)

D is misleading in 2D. If the marking is really picky it might even be wrong - remember how to draw field lines into and out of a page? to draw in 3D just draw a coke can, then rub out the ends or something!
 
been a year since i did this in high school but i think that x means out of page and dots mean in??
 
is this what you meant for d? (really dodgy)
 

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Its long, so you can ignore the effects at the ends presumably.

Describe what it should look like. Again, you can picture it from far away.
 
I really can't picture it ay. so for d if I cut off the ends will it be right then?
 
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