Solving Physics Homework: Question Redirected

  • Thread starter Thread starter Void123
  • Start date Start date
Click For Summary

Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around solving a physics problem related to potential in spherical coordinates, specifically focusing on boundary conditions and the implications of conducting surfaces.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Conceptual clarification

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the necessity of specifying boundary conditions to determine the potential. Questions arise regarding the assumptions about potential outside the spheroid and how boundary conditions influence the specific solution.

Discussion Status

Some participants have provided references and suggested checking specific resources for examples. There is an ongoing exploration of different interpretations regarding boundary conditions and their role in the solution process.

Contextual Notes

There is mention of a lack of specified boundary conditions, which is critical for solving the problem. The original poster's approach involves considering the potential and its relationship to the conducting nature of the sphere.

Physics news on Phys.org
You use spherical coordinates, but without boundary conditions, you will not be able to find the potential, so you need to specify them.

Barring time-dependent boundary conditions, "conducting" means that the entire sphere is an equipotential.
 
So, my solution will satisfy:

\nabla^{2}\Psi = 0

\Psi = \sum a \Psi

Should I assume there will be no potential outside the spheroid (or whatever)? And do the boundary conditions determine what particular solution (there is a table of different ones) it will be?
 

Similar threads

Cluster Approximation for the Two-Dimensional Ising Model
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
Thermodynamics, isothermal irreversible
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
Free Klein Gordon Homework - Detailed Solution
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
1K
Can Lagrangian Method be Applied to Solve Rocket Motion Equations?
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
3K
Solving Hermitical Operator Homework Questions
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
N-oscillator system with two sides attached
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
3K
Rotational Dynamics, 1.68(SS.Krotov) and 1.264(Irodov)
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
3K
WKB method transmission coefficient
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
3K
Calculate the expectation value of V from Ehrenfest's theorem
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
1K
Gauge Invariance in Hamiltonian
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
1K