Electricity and Magnetism: Review of Electrostatics

MISN-0-504
REVIEW OF ELECTROSTATICS
Electricity and Magnetism

Project PHYSNET Physics Bldg. Michigan State University East Lansing, MI
REVIEW OF ELECTROSTATICS by R. D. Young 1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2. Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 3. Supplementary Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Acknowledgments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
ID Sheet: MISN-0-504 THIS IS A DEVELOPMENTAL-STAGE PUBLICATION OF PROJECT PHYSNET The goal of our project is to assist a network of educators and scientists in transferring physics from one person to another. We support manuscript processing and distribution, along with communication and information systems. We also work with employers to identify basic scientic skills as well as physics topics that are needed in science and technology. A number of our publications are aimed at assisting users in acquiring such skills. Our publications are designed: (i) to be updated quickly in response to eld tests and new scientic developments; (ii) to be used in both classroom and professional settings; (iii) to show the prerequisite dependencies existing among the various chunks of physics knowledge and skill, as a guide both to mental organization and to use of the materials; and (iv) to be adapted quickly to specic user needs ranging from single-skill instruction to complete custom textbooks. New authors, reviewers and eld testers are welcome. PROJECT STAFF Andrew Schnepp Eugene Kales Peter Signell Webmaster Graphics Project Director
Title: Review of Electrostatics Author: R.D. Young, Dept. of Physics, Ill. State Univ. Version: 10/18/2001 Length: 2 hr; 12 pages Input Skills: 1. Vocabulary: conservative force, potential energy (MISN-0-21); conductivity (MISN-0-118). 2. Perform basic vector analysis (MISN-0-503). 3. Expand binomial denominators using the binomial theorem. 4. Represent tensor elements using standard matrix notation (MISN0-491). Output Skills (Knowledge): K1. Vocabulary: volume charge density, electric dipole moment, surface charge density, electric monopole moment, electric quadrupole moment. K2. State the formal expressions for the electrostatic eld and potential of an arbitrary distribution of charge, and the relationship between the eld and the potential. K3. State Gausss law in both integral and dierential form. Derive each form of Gausss law from the other by use of the divergence theorem. K4. Derive the approximate forms (to rst order in the dipole separation) of the electrostatic eld and potential produced by a dipole beginning with the exact forms of each quantity. Output Skills (Rule Application): R1. Compute the monopole, dipole and quadrupole moments of a given charge distribution. R2. For a given set of multipole moments, compute the approximate form of the electrostatic potential far from the charge distribution. External Resources (Required): 1. J. Reitz, F. Milford and R. Christy, Foundations of Electromagnetic Theory, 4th Edition, Addison-Wesley (1993). Evaluation: Stage B0
ADVISORY COMMITTEE D. Alan Bromley E. Leonard Jossem A. A. Strassenburg Yale University The Ohio State University S. U. N. Y., Stony Brook
Views expressed in a module are those of the module author(s) and are not necessarily those of other project participants. c 2001, Peter Signell for Project PHYSNET, Physics-Astronomy Bldg., Mich. State Univ., E. Lansing, MI 48824; (517) 355-3784. For our liberal use policies see: http://www.physnet.org/home/modules/license.html.
MISN-0-504
MISN-0-504
REVIEW OF ELECTROSTATICS by R. D. Young 1. Introduction

You have already studied most of the physical concepts introduced in this unit. For example, the concepts of charge, charge distribution, Coulombs Law, the electrostatic eld E, the electrostatic potential, Gauss Law, and simple electric dipoles. You have also performed numerical calculations using all of these concepts. In this unit you will review those concepts. However, the treatment is more mathematically sophisticated than the previous treatment to which you were exposed. For example, vector analysis will be used more extensively. Also, expressions for Coulombs Law, the electrostatic eld E, and the electrostatic potential will be written with respect to an arbitrary coordinate system rather than having the origin at the position where the electrostatic force, eld, or potential is being calculated. In addition, this unit generalizes the discussion of electric dipoles. This is accompanied by introducing the concept of multipole expansions. By using a multipole expansion, the electrostatic eld and potential of an arbitrary charge distribution can be approximately calculated to any degree of accuracy. This requires the introduction of the concepts of the monopole moment, dipole moment, quadrupole moment, etc., of a charge distribution. The moments of a charge distribution are very important in many elds when approximate calculations are being performed.
4. Write down the derivation of the approximate form of the electrostatic eld (eq. 2-36) of a simple electric dipole to rst order in the dipole separation beginning with the exact form of the electrostatic eld (eq. 2-32). Use the hints in section 2-8. The following formula is useful here, n(n + 1) 2 (1 x)n = 1 nx + x ... 2! for |x| < 1. So, if | | 1 2(r r ) |r r |2 1, then
2 3/2
|r r |2
2(r r ) |r r |2
3/2
3 2(r r ) =1 + + ..., 2 |r r |2 1 2(r r ) |r r |2

2 3/2
|r r
|2
1+
3(r r ) |r r |2
+ ...
to rst order in . Also, lim p = q .

| |0
Of course the charge q must increase as limit, so that p remains nite.
decreases, in going to the
These results are used in the derivation. Write down the derivation of the approximate form of the electrostatic potential (eq. 2-39) to rst order in the dipole separation beginning with the exact form of the electrostatic eld. 5. Write down the expression of the approximate form of the electrostatic potential (eq. 2-48) of an arbitrary charge distribution beginning with the exact form of the potential (eq. 2-45). This expression requires some comment. The charge is localized in the volume V with charge density (r ) as shown in Fig. 2-12. Suppose the parameter d is a dimension characteristic of the spatial extent of the volume V . Then the observation point is taken to be r such that d/r 1 where r = |r|. Then, the expansion of the denominator |r r |1 is made in terms of r /r. Terms involving cube and higher powers of r /r are dropped. This is the reasoning used
2. Procedures
1. Read Ch. 2 of the text. 2. Write down or underline the denitions, terms, and equations called for in Output Skills K1-K2. See the Supplementary Notes. 3. Write down the details of the derivation of the dierential form of Gauss Law as given at the end of section 2-6, between eqs. 2-25 to 2-28. This proof can also run in the opposite direction by beginning with the dierential form of Gauss Law and deriving the integral form.
MISN-0-504
MISN-0-504
between eq. 2-46 and 2-47 of the text. The nal approximate result for the potential can be expressed as: 1 Q p r 1 xi xj V (r) = + 3 + Qij + . . . 4 0 r r 2 r5 i=1 j=1 where Q = (monopole moment) =
V
z' q1 ` r1 q O' x' Figure 1. . ` ri
(q i is an arbitrary charge in the assembly) qi ` rn qn y'
(r )dV r(r )dV
p = (dipole moments) =
V
Qij = (quadrupole moments) =

V
(3xi xj ij r 2 )(r )dV
3. Supplementary Notes
Reference to an arbitrary origin In your past experiences with electrostatics, you have written down expressions for electrostatic forces, elds, and potentials where the point of interest was at the origin of the coordinate system. For example, consider the electrostatic force on a point charge q due to an assembly of point charges q1 , q2 , . . . , qn located at r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , . . . , r n respectively. The point charge q is located at the origin (see Fig. 1). Then the force F on q is given by Coulombs Law as, F = q 4
n
This type of expansion is known as a multipole expansion.1 The approximation gets better the more terms which are included. The next higher-order term beyond the quadrupole moment term is the octopole moment term. The octopole moment is important in nuclear physics but we shall not delve into it here. Note that the monopole moment is just the total charge. 6. Solve the following problems in the text: 2-23, 2-24, 2-25. Note: to solve 2-23 start with the expression: Fext = q Eext (r) + q Eext (r + ) where Eext (r + ) Eext (r) + Eext (r) + . . . Also, in 2-24 do not plot the equipotential surfaces. Keep up to the quadrupole term in the potential, however.
1
qi
0 i=1
(r i ) |r i |3
where r i = xi i + yi j + z i k and |r i | = xi2 + yi2 + zi2
Q11 =
V
(3x1 x1 11 r 2 )dV =
V
(3x12 x12 x22 x32 )dV
Q11 =
V
(2x12
x22
x32 )dV , since 11 = 1 3x1 x2 dV

V
The minus sign is present because the vector r i between qi and q is usually drawn from qi to q rather than from q to qi as we have it here. In the present text, the situation is generalized by allowing the charge q to be located at r relative to some coordinate system (see Fig. 2). This arbitrary coordinate system is denoted by unprimed quantities. It should be pointed out that the vectors ri are considered as constant
Q12 =
V
(3x1 x2 12 r 2 )dV =
MISN-0-504
MISN-0-504
z' z O' x' ` r q y' ` ri y ` r = x + y + z ` ri = xi + yi + zi ` ri' qi
Acknowledgments
The author would like to thank Illinois State University for support in the construction of this lesson. Preparation of this module was supported in part by the National Science Foundation, Division of Science Education Development and Research, through Grant #SED 74-20088 to Michigan State University.
O x
Figure 2. .
vectors (so the components are just constant scalars). This happens because the charge assembly is xed. However, the charge q is free to move so the vector i is considered as a variable vector. It is obvious that, ri = r + r and that, r i = r r i Combining (I-1) and (I-2) gives, F = F (r) = q 4
n i
qi
0 i=1
(r ri ) |r r|3
This is the rst term in eq. (2-7) of the text. The other terms can be obtained in a similar manner. The notation in (I-4) is meant to dramatize that the force is now a function of the position vector r of the charge q. So, F = F (r) = (Fx (x, y, z)i + Fy (x, y, z)j + Fz (x, y, z)k and Fx (x, y, z) = q 4
n
qi
0 i=1
x xi [(x xi )2 + (y yi )2 + (z zi )2 ]3/2
etc.. Keep in mind that (x, y, z) are variables above while all other symbols, including (xi , yi , zi ), are constants.
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MISN-0-504

Electricity and Magnetism

REVIEW OF ELECTROSTATICS by R. D. Young 1. Introduction

3 2(r r ) =1 + + ..., 2 |r r |2 1 2(r r ) |r r |2

to rst order in . Also, lim p = q .

Of course the charge q must increase as limit, so that p remains nite.

decreases, in going to the

z' q1 ` r1 q O' x' Figure 1. . ` ri

(q i is an arbitrary charge in the assembly) qi ` rn qn y'

(r )dV r(r )dV

Qij = (quadrupole moments) =

(3xi xj ij r 2 )(r )dV

where r i = xi i + yi j + z i k and |r i | = xi2 + yi2 + zi2

(3x12 x12 x22 x32 )dV

x32 )dV , since 11 = 1 3x1 x2 dV

z' z O' x' ` r q y' ` ri y ` r = x + y + z ` ri = xi + yi + zi ` ri' qi

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