Griffiths E&M: Need Help with Plate Distance?

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Homework Help Overview

This discussion revolves around a problem from Griffiths' Electricity and Magnetism textbook, specifically concerning the distance between capacitor plates and its implications on capacitance and electric fields.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants are considering whether the distance between the plates is necessary for the solution and if it can be treated as a variable that might cancel out. There are also inquiries about the effects of a dielectric on the electric field in the regions between the plates.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with participants exploring different interpretations of the problem and questioning the role of the distance between the plates. Some guidance has been offered regarding the potential to introduce a variable for distance.

Contextual Notes

There is a noted concern about the lack of constants typically provided in similar problems, which may affect how participants approach the solution.

ehrenfest
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Homework Statement


This question refers to Griffiths E and M book.

I am confused about what the answer should be in terms of. Usually he gives us all constants that might be needed in the answer. But we need to know that distance between the plates here don't we?


Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution

 
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I haven't looked at the problem, but maybe the answer doesn't depend on it. You can just introduce a variable for it (like, call the distance d) and see if it cancels out in the final answer.
 
ehrenfest said:

Homework Statement


This question refers to Griffiths E and M book.

I am confused about what the answer should be in terms of. Usually he gives us all constants that might be needed in the answer. But we need to know that distance between the plates here don't we?


Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution


he asks by what fraction the capacitance is increased so the distance will cancel out.
 
He also asks about E, D, and P. I am pretty sure we will see a d in the answer (where d is the distance between the capacitors).

Another question. Do we know that the dielectric does not affect the electric field in the vacuum regions between the plates i.e. is the E-field in those regions E_{vac}?
 
Last edited:

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