Use Gauss' Law to find the magnitude of E in a sphere

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on applying Gauss' Law to determine the electric field magnitude inside a non-uniformly charged sphere with a volume charge density defined as ρ(r) = C/(r²). The constant C is derived as C = Q/(4πR₀) based on the total charge Q and radius R₀. For the electric field E inside the sphere (r ≤ R₀), the correct expression is E = (Qr)/(4πR₀³ε₀), which contrasts with the incorrect attempts made by the participants. The solution emphasizes the importance of integrating the charge density to find the enclosed charge for accurate application of Gauss' Law.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Gauss' Law and its application in electrostatics.
  • Familiarity with volume charge density and its mathematical representation.
  • Knowledge of integral calculus for solving charge distribution problems.
  • Basic concepts of electric fields and their relationship with charge distributions.
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the derivation of electric fields from non-uniform charge distributions.
  • Learn about the application of Gauss' Law in different geometries, including spheres and cylinders.
  • Explore integral calculus techniques for evaluating charge density integrals.
  • Review the concept of electric fields in uniformly charged spheres for comparative analysis.
USEFUL FOR

Students of electromagnetism, physics educators, and anyone seeking to deepen their understanding of electric fields in non-uniform charge distributions.

Bluewrath
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Problem
Problem 27.56

A sphere of radius R_0 has total charge Q. The volume charge density (C\m^3) within the sphere is \rho(r) = C/(r^2), where C is a constant to be determined.

Part A
The charge within a small volume dV is dq = \rhodV. The integral of \rhodV over the entire volume of the sphere is the total charge Q. Use this fact to determine the constant C in terms of Q and R_0.
Express your answer in terms of pi, Q, and R_0.

Part B
Use Gauss's law to find an expression for the magnitude of the electric field E inside the sphere, r \leq R_0.
Express your answer in terms of Q, R_0, r and appropriate constants.

Relevant equations and whatnot :-)
Gauss' Law for a sphere: 4pi(r^2)E = Q_in/\epsilon_0
Q = \rho * V

Solution attempt(s) (and the miserable failure(s))
I've already found Part A, through \rho = Q/v; the answer is C = Q/(4*pi*R_0).

For Part B, I've tried the following:

Use Gauss' Law to set up:

E = Q_in/(A*\epsilon_0)

Define Q_in as:

Q_in / Q = (4/3)*pi*r^3 / (4/3)*pi*((R_0)^3) ==> Q_in = Q*r^3/((R_0)^3)

Define A as:

A = 4*pi*r^2

and plug everything into get:

E = Qr / ( (R_0)^3) * 4 * pi * \epsilon_0 )

Which is apparently wrong :-(

So, I figured that they probably were intending to make the students use the solution to Part A, in which we found the C constant of \rho(r) = C/(r^2).

So, using the same setup and the same A and the same \epsilon_0 (like that's going to change :-), I defined Q_in as:

Q_in = \rho(r) * V(r) = (C/r^2) * ((4/3)*pi*r^3) = (Qr/3*(R_0))

Again plugging in all the variables, I got stuck with:

E = Q / ( 3 * 4 * pi * r * (R_0) * \epsilon_0 )

And that too is also wrong, apparently (unless there's a huge conspiracy against me involving Dr. Randall Knight and quite possibly the US government whom are intent on sabotaging my efforts). And now, I'm lost and have no idea what to do. There's a question in the book that asks for the electric field inside a uniformly charged sphere, and the answer is E = Qr / ( (R_0)^3) * 4 * pi * \epsilon_0 ), which is what I got at my first try. Am I missing something here? Helpy please! :-D
 
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The problem is that this is not a uniformly charged sphere. To find the charge enclosed within a Gaussian sphere of radius r, set up the integral of \rho dV. (The integral is easy to solve.)
 
Whats the answer for the second part then?
 

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