Why Does the Solution Manual Use \( \frac{Q}{\pi R} \cdot d\theta \cdot R \)?

  • Thread starter Thread starter mrtubby
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Charged Wire
Join the discussion
Registration is free. Start your own thread to ask a follow-up.
1 reply · 2K views
mrtubby
Messages
3
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement



Charged Wire laid out in a semicircle, test charge at the center of the "Circle"
what is the charge of dQ. This isn't my whole question but is the bit of it that I can't understand the actual question asks you to go the whole nine yards with calculating the force on the test charge

24eddn7.jpg


The Attempt at a Solution



Charge density: [tex]\frac{total charge}{length of tiny wire piece}=\frac{Q}{\frac{2\pi R}{2}} = \frac{Q}{\pi R}[/tex]

so charge of wire chunk = [itex]\frac{Q}{\pi R} * d\theta[/itex]

when my solution manual uses the charge of the wire chunk it uses [itex]\frac{Q}{\pi R} * d\theta * R[/itex]

I can't figure out why, any hints?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
The charge density is charge per unit length. The length of that wire segment is R*dθ, not just dθ.