Find the Electric field due to two curved rods

In summary, the problem involves finding the magnitude and direction of the electric field at point P, located at the center of a circle formed by two curved plastic rods with charges -q and q on the top and bottom halves respectively. By considering the symmetry of the setup, it is determined that only the y-component of the electric field needs to be calculated. The equation used is dE=dEy=dEsinθ=k∫dqsinθ/r2, where dq represents the charge on a small element of the rod. The limits of integration are from pi to 2pi, and the value of dq is determined to be qrdθ/(r*pi). This calculation takes into account the contribution of both the top and bottom rods, and
  • #1
LeFerret
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Homework Statement


Two curved plastic rods, together form a circle of radius r. The top half of the circle is the first rod with charge -q, the bottom half of the circle is the other rod with charge q. Find the magnitude and direction of the electric field at point P, at the center of the circle.

Homework Equations


dE=k∫dq/r2

The Attempt at a Solution


I'm wondering if my assumptions are correct.
So since the top half of the circle has charge -q, the electric field would go towards the rod, away from the center so it would not contribute.
The bottom half of the circle has charge +q, so the electric field would be directed away from the rod, towards the center of the circle.
By symmetry the x-components of the field would cancel and we would have only the y-components.
Therefore dE=dEy=dEsinθ=k∫dqsinθ/r2
we know that λdx=dq
but we know that dx=rdθ, so by substitution I would have, dq=λrdθ
also λ=q/x=q/(rθ)
so dq=qrdθ/(r*pi)
for my limits of integration I would go from pi to 2pi
does all of this seem reasonable? or is it completely off?
 
Last edited:
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  • #2
Figured out my mistake. Can't assume that the top rod contributes no field.
 

Related to Find the Electric field due to two curved rods

1. What is the formula for calculating the electric field due to two curved rods?

The formula for calculating the electric field due to two curved rods is given by:

E = (1/4πε0) * (q1/r12 + q2/r22) * cosθ

Where q1 and q2 are the charges on the two curved rods, r1 and r2 are the distances from the point where the electric field is being calculated to the rods, and θ is the angle between the line connecting the two rods and the line connecting the point to the rods.

2. How do the charges and distances affect the electric field due to two curved rods?

The electric field is directly proportional to the charges on the two curved rods and inversely proportional to the square of the distances from the point to the rods. This means that an increase in the charges or a decrease in the distances will result in an increase in the electric field.

3. What is the direction of the electric field due to two curved rods?

The direction of the electric field due to two curved rods depends on the relative positions of the two rods and the point where the electric field is being calculated. It will always be directed along the line connecting the two rods and away from the positively charged rod.

4. Can the electric field due to two curved rods be negative?

Yes, the electric field can be negative if the charges on the two curved rods have opposite signs and the point where the electric field is being calculated is located between the two rods. In this case, the electric field will be directed towards the negatively charged rod.

5. How can the electric field due to two curved rods be visualized?

The electric field due to two curved rods can be visualized using electric field lines. These lines represent the direction and strength of the electric field at different points in space. For two curved rods, the field lines will be curved and closer together near the rods, indicating a stronger electric field, and farther apart as you move away from the rods, indicating a weaker electric field.

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