Understanding symmetry in electric field calculations

Join the discussion
Registration is free. Ask a follow-up in this thread, or start your own.
1 reply · 1K views
Vaentus
Messages
4
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement


Consider the specific case of a point above the axis of a circular ring of charge, how do the calculations follow to cancel the radial components? I understand the concept of the symmetry but don't understand how to express it in the expression without just removing the term.

Homework Equations


[tex]E=\frac{1}{4\pi\epsilon_0}\int{\frac{1}{r^2}\hat{r}dq}[/tex]

The Attempt at a Solution


Integration of the integral is very straight forward due to the constant radius of the circle and constant height of the point as well as that dl can be simplified to RdΦ such that dΦ is from 0 to 2π but I still have a term in the radial direction that doesn't disappear.
 
Physics news on Phys.org