Problem 4.

1 A cube 2 m on a side is located in the first octant in a Cartesian

coordinate system, with one of its corners at the origin. Find the total charge
contained in the cube if the charge density is given by v = xy2 e2z (mC/m3 ).
Solution: For the cube shown in Fig. P4.1, application of Eq. (4.5) gives
Z Z 2 Z 2 Z 2
Q= v d V = xy2 e2z dx dy dz
V x=0 y=0 z=0
2 2 2
1 2 3 2z 8
= x y e = (1 e4 ) = 2.62 mC.


12 3
x=0 y=0 z=0

2m

2m y
0

2m

Figure P4.1: Cube of Problem 4.1.

Problem 4.5 Find the total charge on a circular disk defined by r a and z = 0 if:
(a) s = s0 cos (C/m2 )
(b) s = s0 sin2 (C/m2 )
(c) s = s0 er (C/m2 )
(d) s = s0 er sin2 (C/m2 )
where s0 is a constant.
Solution:
(a)
Z a Z 2 a 2
r2
Z
s ds = s0 cos r dr d = s0 sin = 0.

Q=
r=0 =0 2 0
0

(b)
Z a Z 2 a Z
r2 2 1 cos 2

Q= s0 sin r dr d = s0
2
d
r=0 =0 2 0 0 2
s0 a2 sin 2 2 a2

= = 2 s0 .
4 2 0

(c)
Z a Z 2 Z a
Q= s0 e r dr d = 2s0
r
rer dr
r=0 =0 0
a
= 2s0 rer er 0

= 2s0 [1 ea (1 + a)].

(d)
Z a Z 2
Q= s0 er sin2 r dr d
r=0 =0
Z a Z 2
= s0 rer dr sin2 d
r=0 =0
= s0 [1 ea (1 + a)] = s0 [1 ea (1 + a)].
Problem 4.6 If J = y4xz (A/m2 ), find the current I flowing through a square with
corners at (0, 0, 0), (2, 0, 0), (2, 0, 2), and (0, 0, 2).
Solution: Using Eq. (4.12), the net current flowing through the square shown in Fig.
P4.6 is
2 2
Z Z 2 Z 2 2 2
I = J ds = (y4xz) (y dx dz) = x z = 16 A.

S x=0 z=0
y=0 x=0 z=0

2m

J y
0

2m
x

Figure P4.6: Square surface.

Problem 4.10 A line of charge of uniform density occupies a semicircle of
radius b as shown in Fig. P4.10. Use the material presented in Example 4-4 to
determine the electric field at the origin.

l
y
b
x

Figure P4.10: Problem 4.10.

Solution: Since we have only half of a circle, we need to integrate the expression for
dE1 given in Example 4-4 over from 0 to . Before we do that, however, we need
to set h = 0 (the problem asks for E at the origin). Hence,

l b (r b + z h)



dE1 = d
40 (b2 + h2 )3/2


h=0
r l
= d
40 b
Z
r l
E1 = dE1 = .
=0 40 b
Problem 4.11 A square with sides of 2 m has a charge of 40 C at each of its four
corners. Determine the electric field at a point 5 m above the center of the square.
Solution: The distance |R| between any of the charges and point P is
p
|R| = 12 + 12 + 52 = 27.

Q R1 R2 R3 R4
E= + + +
40 |R|3 |R|3 |R|3 |R|3

Q x y + z5 x y + z5 x + y + z5 x + y + z5
= + + +
40 (27)3/2 (27)3/2 (27)3/2 (27)3/2
5Q 5 40 C 1.42
= z = z = 106 (V/m) = z 51.2 (kV/m).
(27) 0
3/2 (27) 0
3/2 0
 z

P(0,0,5)

R2
R3

Q3(-1,-1,0) R4 R1

Q2(-1,1,0)

y
Q4(1,-1,0)
Q1(1,1,0)

Figure P4.11: Square with charges at the corners.

Problem 4.22 Given the electric flux density
D = x2(x + y) + y(3x 2y) (C/m2 )
determine
(a) v by applying Eq. (4.26).
(b) The total charge Q enclosed in a cube 2 m on a side, located in the first octant
with three of its sides coincident with the x-, y-, and z-axes and one of its
corners at the origin.
(c) The total charge Q in the cube, obtained by applying Eq. (4.29).
Solution:
(a) By applying Eq. (4.26)

v = D = (2x + 2y) + (3x 2y) = 0.
x y
(b) Integrate the charge density over the volume as in Eq. (4.27):
Z Z 2 Z 2 Z 2
Q= D dV = 0 dx dy dz = 0.
V x=0 y=0 z=0

(c) Apply Gauss law to calculate the total charge from Eq. (4.29)
Z
Q= n
D ds = Ffront + Fback + Fright + Fleft + Ftop + Fbottom ,
Z 2 Z 2


Ffront = (x2(x + y) + y(3x 2y)) (x dz dy)

y=0 z=0
x=2

Z 2 Z 2
2 2
1 2
= 2(x + y) dz dy = 2z 2y + y = 24,

y=0 z=0 2
x=2 z=0 y=0
Z 2 Z 2


Fback = (x2(x + y) + y(3x 2y)) (x dz dy)

y=0 z=0
x=0

2 2

Z 2 Z 2
2
= 2(x + y) dz dy = zy = 8,

y=0 z=0
x=0 z=0 y=0
Z 2 Z 2


Fright = (x2(x + y) + y(3x 2y)) (y dz dx)

x=0 z=0
y=2

Z 2 Z 2
2 2
3 2
= (3x 2y) dz dx = z x 4x = 4,


x=0 z=0 2
y=2 z=0 x=0

Z 2 Z 2
Fleft = (x2(x + y) + y(3x 2y)) (y dz dx)

x=0 z=0
y=0

Z 2 Z 2
2 2
3 2
= (3x 2y) dz dx = z x = 12,

x=0 z=0 2
y=0 z=0 x=0

Z 2 Z 2
Ftop = (x2(x + y) + y(3x 2y)) (z dy dx)

x=0 z=0
z=2

Z 2 Z 2
= 0 dy dx = 0,

x=0 z=0
z=2
Z 2 Z 2


Fbottom = (x2(x + y) + y(3x 2y)) (z dy dx)

x=0 z=0
z=0
Z 2 Z 2

= 0 dy dx = 0.

x=0 z=0
z=0
Z
Thus Q = n
D ds = 24 8 4 12 + 0 + 0 = 0.
Problem 4.25 The electric flux density inside a dielectric sphere of radius a
centered at the origin is given by

D = R0 R (C/m2 )

where 0 is a constant. Find the total charge inside the sphere.

Solution:
Z Z Z 2
R0 R RR sin d d
2

Q= n
D ds =
S =0 =0 R=a
Z
= 20 a 3
sin d = 20 a cos |0 = 40 a3
3
(C).
0
Problem 4.28 If the charge density increases linearly with distance from the origin
such that v = 0 at the origin and v = 4 C/m3 at R = 2 m, find the corresponding
variation of D.
Solution:

v (R) = a + bR,
v (0) = a = 0,
v (2) = 2b = 40.

Hence, b = 20.
v (R) = 20R (C/m3 ).
Applying Gausss law to a spherical surface of radius R,
Z Z
n
D ds = v d V ,
S V
R4
Z R
DR 4 R2 = 20R 4 R2 dR = 80 ,
0 4
DR = 5R2 (C/m2 ),
D = R DR = R 5R2 (C/m2 ).
Problem 4.30 A square in the xy plane in free space has a point charge of +Q at
corner (a/2, a/2), the same at corner (a/2, a/2), and a point charge of Q at each
of the other two corners.
(a) Find the electric potential at any point P along the x-axis.
(b) Evaluate V at x = a/2.
Solution: R1 = R2 and R3 = R4 .

-Q a/2 Q

R3 R1

-a/2 a/2 P(x,0) x

R4
R2

-Q -a/2 Q

Figure P4.30: Potential due to four point charges.

Q Q Q Q Q 1 1
V= + + + =
40 R1 40 R2 40 R3 40 R4 20 R1 R3

with
r
a 2 a 2
R1 = x + ,
2 2
r
a 2 a 2
R3 = x+ + .
2 2
At x = a/2,
a
R1 = ,
2

a 5
R3 = ,
2
Q 2 2 0.55Q
V= = .
20 a 5a 0 a
Problem 4.33 Show that the electric potential difference V12 between two points in
air at radial distances r1 and r2 from an infinite line of charge with density along
the z-axis is V12 = ( /20 ) ln(r2 /r1 ).
Solution: From Eq. (4.33), the electric field due to an infinite line of charge is
l
E = rEr = r .
20 r
Hence, the potential difference is

rl l
Z r1 Z r1
r2
V12 = E dl = r dr = ln .
r2 r2 20 r 20 r1
Problem 4.35 For the electric dipole shown in Fig. 4-13, d = 1 cm and |E| = 4
(mV/m) at R = 1 m and = 0 . Find E at R = 2 m and = 90 .
Solution: For R = 1 m and = 0 , |E| = 4 mV/m, we can solve for q using Eq. (4.56):

qd
E= (R2 cos + sin ).
40 R3
Hence,

qd
|E| = 2 = 4 mV/m at = 0 ,
40
103 80 103 80
q= = = 0.80 (C).
d 102
Again using Eq. (4.56) to find E at R = 2 m and = 90 , we have

0.80 102 1
E= (R(0) + ) = (mV/m).
40 2 3 4