PH-108

Lecture 10

Punit Parmananda
Line integral of E Work done per unit charge (Potential V)

any reference point

Usually Potential Difference is important

Conservative field

From Gradient theorem

Potential V is a scalar function, grad of which gives the electric

field
Potential obeys superposition principle
V = V1 + V2 + ….. A simple scalar sum
Potential V due to a spherical shell

Electric field due to a spherical shell outside, E = 0

inside (Gauss’ Law)
Potential V outside

Total charge is centered at the origin

Potential V inside (depends on what the ef outside is!)

Potential is constant
inside while E = 0 ????
 Potential due to CONTINUOUS CHARGE DISTRIBUTIONS
LINE CHARGE P


dl
SURFACE CHARGE P

dS
P
VOLUME CHARGE

d
Potential due to uniformly charged disk (), radius a, along the
axis
z

O y
Potential at the centre of disk, d = 0
r dS

???
Potential at the rim of disk

Potential is max. at the centre of disk and decreases towards the rim! DISK is
NOT an EQUIPotential surface

If d >> a ???
 The Work Done in Moving a charge

A test charge Q feels a force Q 𝐸 (from the stationary source charges).

To move this test charge, we have to apply a force 𝐹 = −𝑄𝐸
conservative
The total work we do is
𝑏 𝑏
𝑊= 𝐹. 𝑑 𝑙 = −𝑄 𝐸. 𝑑𝑙 = 𝑄[𝑉 𝑏 − 𝑉 𝑎 ]
𝑎 𝑎

V b  V  a   W
Q

So, to bring a charge from  to P, the work we do

W  Q V ( P )  V ()   QV ( P )

V ( )  0
The Energy of a Point Charge Distribution

It takes no work to bring in first charge ???

W1  0 for q1

Work needed to bring in q2 is :

1 q1 1 q1
W2  q2 [ ] q2 ( )
4 0 R12 4 0 R12

Work needed to bring in q3 is :

1 q1 1 q2 1 q1 q2
W3  q3[  ] q3 (  )
4 0 R13 4 0 R23 4 0 R13 R23

Work needed to bring in q4 is :

1 q1 q2 q3
W4  q4 [   ]
4 0 R14 R24 R34
Total work
W=W1+ W2+ W3 +W4
1  q1q2 q1q3 q2 q3 q1q4 q2 q4 q3q4 
      
4 0  R12 R13 R23 R14 R24 R34 
n n qq
 1 
i j
4 0 Rij
i 1 j 1
Rij  R ji n n
qi q j n n q 
8 0   Rij
1  1  qi   1
j

i 1 j 1
2  4 0 Rij 
i 1  j 1 
j i j i
n n
W  1  qiV  Pi 
qj
V  Pi    1
2
i 1 4 0 Rij
j 1
j i
Work done to assemble “n” charges
 The Energy of a Continuous Charge Distribution
n
1  q   d
W  1  qiV  Pi  W    Vdτ
2 2 Volume charge density
i 1

𝜌 = 𝜖0 𝛻. 𝐸 𝛻. EV = 𝛻. 𝐸 𝑉 + 𝐸 . (𝛻𝑉)
𝜖0 𝜖0
(𝛻. 𝐸)𝑉𝑑𝜏 = 𝛻. (𝐸𝑉)𝑑𝜏 + 𝐸. −𝛻𝑉 𝑑𝜏
2 2

𝑉𝐸. 𝑑𝑎 𝐸
𝑆
𝜖0
= ( 𝑉𝐸. 𝑑𝑎 + 𝐸 2 𝑑𝜏)
2 𝑆 𝑉

0
surface    W
2  E 2dτ Surface integral goes to zero ???
all space
Find the energy of a uniformly charged spherical shell of total charge q and radius R

q 1
1st method: q  4 R  2
V
4 0 R
1 1 1 q 1 q 1 q2
W   Vd   Vda   da 
2 2 2 A 4 0 R 8 0 R
𝑞 q2
Alternate: 𝐸= 2
𝑟 E2  E=E(outside) ???
4𝜋𝜖0 𝑟 (4 0 ) r 2 4

W
0
2  E d 
2 0 outer q2
2 space (4  o)
2
1
r 4  r 2 sin  d d dr 
q2   1  1 q2
 2 
2  2  2 dr  
32  0  R r  8 0 R
 Comments on Electrostatic Energy
1 Apparent Contradiction
0
2 all space
W E 2d  Energy  0

or
1 n
W   qiV ( Pi )
2 i 1
n n qi q j  Energy  0 or  0
1
W
4 0
  rij
i 1 j 1
j i

 0
EX: for point charge
1 q 2
q1  q , q2   q  W 
4 0 r12
 0
W
2 all space E 2dτ is more complete

the energy of a point charge itself,

W
0
2(4 0 )
q2 2
2 4 
( ) r sin θdθdφdr 
r
q2

 1
8 π 0 0 r 2 
dr  

1 n
W   qi V  Pi  ; V ( Pi ) does not include qi
2 i 1
1 ; V ( P)
W    Vd is the full potential
2
There is no distinction for a continuous distribution,
because d  0
 (d ) p 0
(2) Where is the energy stored? In charge or in field ?
Both are fine in ES. But, it is useful to regard the energy
as being stored in the field with a density
E2
0  Energy per unit volume
2
(3)The superposition principle, for ES energy ???
0 0
W1   E12 d W2   2 dτ
2
E
2 2
𝜖0 2
𝑊𝑡𝑜𝑡 = ∫ 𝐸1 + 𝐸2 𝑑𝜏
2
𝜖0
= (𝐸12 + 𝐸22 + 2𝐸1 . 𝐸2 ) 𝑑𝜏
2
= 𝑊1 + 𝑊2 + 𝜖0 ∫ 𝐸1 . 𝐸2 d𝜏
 Curl of E (Static Electric Field)
𝑞𝑟
For point charge 𝐸 =
4𝜋𝜖0 𝑟 2

E  0  E  da  0 STOKES THEOREM

remain true for E   Ei

i
 Electrostatic boundary conditions
E(1) E(2)
E above
  A

(1) (2)

Ebelow

NORMAL component of E is discontinuous by an

amount /0 across a surface charge
E(1) E(2)

 l 
E// above
(1) (2)

E// below

PARALLEL component of E is continuous