I think there are mistakes in the concept that I'm applying -- Charged sphere's potential

And, I guess, that is a reason to use the latex formatting. The OP should use ## \epsilon_o ## and ## \xi_o ## wherever appropriate. That's the standard notation.
  • #1
Neolight

Homework Statement


A sphere of radius R has a volume charge density proportional to distance from center. Total charge contained in the sphere is Q. If electric potential at infinity is taken to be zero , potential at it's center is

Homework Equations


Here given are
ρ= βr where β is a constant

The Attempt at a Solution


Since in this question the charger density is not uniform so I attempted the question by first finding out the electric field on the inside and outside region by using Gauss law than.

IMG_20171101_002557.jpg


IMG_20171101_003427.jpg
Please give me some hints on what I have done wrong because the answer is
V= Q/3Πξ.R
And I also think that somehow we have to find the value of β

And one final personal question
Is this question a difficult level question because I have spent like 2 hours in a day for 4 days and haven't been able to answer due to mistakes here and there and lately because of this I have started losing confidence in myself because I can't even solve this question.
 

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  • #2
I don't want to read your sideways picture, but ## Q=\int\limits_{0}^{R} \beta r \, 4 \pi r^2 dr ##. That will allow you to find ## \beta ##. You then need to find ## E(r) ##, (by Gauss' law), as a function of ## r ## both inside and outside the sphere. That will allow you to compute ## V(r)=-\int\limits_{+\infty}^{r} E(r') \, dr' ##. ## \\ ## Maybe I'm a little fussy, but I think it is asking a lot to have someone need to turn their computer sideways to try and read a sideways picture.
 
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  • #3
IMG_20171101_002557_01.jpg
IMG_20171101_003427_01.jpg


I'm really sorry about that tilted photos.
Here are my calculations
 

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  • #4
It looks quite accurate. The equation ## \beta \pi R^4=Q ## applies, so that ## \beta=Q/( \pi R^4) ##. You basically computed this, but didn't include it. You can substitute this for ## \beta ## in your final answer. From what I can tell it looks right=I didn't see any mistakes.
 
  • #5
Neolight said:
View attachment 214150 View attachment 214151

I'm really sorry about that tilted photos.
Here are my calculations

You say your answer of V= Q/3Πξ.R is wrong. I cannot figure out if you mean ##\frac{Q}{2 \pi \xi R}## or ##\frac{Q}{3 \pi \xi} R## or something else. Parentheses would help.

Anyway, why do you think you answer is wrong? What is the apparent correct answer?

(I, for one, will not look at posted images; I look at typed work only, except for diagrams.)
 
  • #6
Ray Vickson said:
You say your answer of V= Q/3Πξ.R is wrong. I cannot figure out if you mean ##\frac{Q}{2 \pi \xi R}## or ##\frac{Q}{3 \pi \xi} R## or something else. Parentheses would help.

Anyway, why do you think you answer is wrong? What is the apparent correct answer?

(I, for one, will not look at posted images; I look at typed work only, except for diagrams.)
Looks like the OP got the right answer, which is ## V=\frac{Q}{3 \pi \epsilon_o R} ##. And the OP should use an ## \epsilon_o ## (epsilon), rather than a ## \xi_o ## (xi).
 
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1. What is the concept of a charged sphere's potential?

The concept of a charged sphere's potential refers to the electrical potential energy per unit charge at any given point in space around a charged sphere. It is a measure of the work required to bring a unit positive charge from infinity to that point in the electric field created by the charged sphere.

2. How is the potential of a charged sphere calculated?

The potential of a charged sphere can be calculated using the formula V = kQ/r, where V is the potential, k is the Coulomb constant, Q is the charge of the sphere, and r is the distance from the center of the sphere.

3. Can there be mistakes in the concept of a charged sphere's potential?

Yes, there can be mistakes in the concept of a charged sphere's potential. These mistakes could be due to incorrect calculations, incorrect assumptions, or not taking into account other factors that may affect the potential, such as the presence of other charged objects.

4. How does the potential of a charged sphere change with distance?

The potential of a charged sphere is inversely proportional to the distance from the center of the sphere. This means that as the distance from the center of the sphere increases, the potential decreases. The potential also becomes more negative as the distance increases.

5. Why is the concept of a charged sphere's potential important in science?

The concept of a charged sphere's potential is important in science because it helps us understand and predict the behavior of charged objects in an electric field. It is also used in practical applications such as in the design of electronic devices and in the study of electrostatics.

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