# Uniformly charged cylinder

ok for one of my problem sets i have come across a problem im a little unsure of:

a uniformly charged cylinder of radius R, length L, and volume charge density rho is aligned along the z-axis from z=0 to z=-L. Find the electric field a distance D above the top of the cylinder(ie at z=D).[ Hint consider the cylinder as a stack of disks of thickness dz.]

ok now i already computed the charge for a flat disk and obtained

E= $$\frac{ \sigma*z}{2*\epsilon}*(\frac{1}{z} - \frac{1}{\sqrt{z^2+R^2}})$$

so now i was thinking that all a cylinder is is many of these disks with a thickness dz i can simply take the integral

$$\frac{\rho}{2*\epsilon}\int_{-L}^{D}(1- \frac{z}{\sqrt{z^2+R^2}})dz$$

$$\frac{\rho}{2*\epsilon}*(L+\sqrt{L^2+R^2}+D-\sqrt{D^2+R^2})$$

does this seem right? if not it would be great if someone could point me to my error

thanks

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Dr Transport
Gold Member
You only have to integrate over the cylinder height fom -L to 0.

even if the electic field at point D is well above the cylinder?

mukundpa
Homework Helper
ya the charge is only on the cylincer.

mukundpa
Homework Helper
Charge density above the cylinder is zero.