Suppose the field inside a large piece of dielectric is E0, so that the electric displacement is D0=ε0E0+P.

(a) Now a small spherical cavity (Fig. 4.19a) is hollowed out of the material. Find the field at the center of the cavity in terms of E0and P. Also find the displacement at the center of the cavity in terms of D0and P. Assume the polarization is "frozen in," so it doesn't change when the cavity is excavated. (b) Do the same for a long needle-shaped cavity running parallel to P (Fig. 4.19b).

(c) Do the same for a thin wafer-shaped cavity perpendicular to P (Fig. 4.19c). Assume the cavities are small enough that P,E0, and D0are essentially uniform. [Hint: Carving out a cavity is the same as superimposing an object of the same shape but opposite polarization.]

Short Answer

Expert verified

(a)

The value of center of the cavity in terms of E0and P isE=E0+P3ε0 .

The value of displacement at the center of the cavity in terms of D0and P isD=D0-23P .

(b) The value of same for a long needle-shaped cavity running parallel to P isD=D0-P .

(c)

The value of field due to short, fat cylinder is approx. one of a parallel-plate capacitor isE=E0=Pε0 . same for a long needle-shaped cavity running parallel to P

The value of same for a thin wafer-shaped cavity perpendicular to P isD=D0 .

Step by step solution

01

Write the given data from the question.

Consider thefield inside a large piece of dielectric is E0.

Consider the electric displacement isD0=ε0E0+P .

02

Determine the formula of center of the cavity in terms of D0 and P, long needle-shaped cavity running parallel to P and thin wafer-shaped cavity perpendicular to P.

Write the formula of displacement at the center of the cavity in terms of D0and P.

D=ε0E …… (1)

Here,ε0 is relative permittivity and Eis electric field.

03

(a) Determine the value of center of the cavity in terms of E0and P.

Determine the E0plus the field of a sphere equally polarized with polarization -P will make up the electric field within the hollowed-out hole.

E=E0--P3ε0=E0+P3ε0

Since the cavity is developed of polarized material.

Determine thecenter of the cavity in terms of E0and P.

SubstituteE0+P3ε0 for Einto equation (1).

D=ε0E0+P3=Da=p+p3=D0-23P

Therefore, the value of displacement at the center of the cavity in terms of D0and P isD=D0-23P

04

(b) Determine the value of same for a long needle-shaped cavity running parallel to P.

The thin needle may be modeled as a very thin cylinder, acting as a dipole with a dipole moment antiparallel to the P. The ends are far distant if we measure the field at the center of the thin needle, so:

EE0

Determine thelong needle-shaped cavity running parallel to P.

SubstituteE0forEinto equation (1).

D=ε0E0=D0-P

Therefore, the value of same for a long needle-shaped cavity running parallel to P isD=D0-P .

05

(c) Determine the value of same for a thin wafer-shaped cavity perpendicular to P.

Determine the field due to the short, fat cylinder is approximately the one of a parallel-plate capacitor:

E=E0-σbε0p=E0--Pε0=E0+Pε0

Now determine the same for a thin wafer-shaped cavity perpendicular to P.

Substitute E0+Pε0for Einto equation (1).

D=ε0E0+Pε0=D0

Therefore, the value of same for a thin wafer-shaped cavity perpendicular to P is D=D0.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

In a linear dielectric, the polarization is proportional to the field:

P=0χeE.If the material consists of atoms (or nonpolar molecules), the induced

dipole moment of each one is likewise proportional to the fieldp=αE . Question:

What is the relation between the atomic polarizabilityand the susceptibility χe? Since P (the dipole moment per unit volume) is P (the dipole moment per atom)times N (the number of atoms per unit volume),P=Np=NαE, one's first inclination is to say that

χe=Nα0

And in fact this is not far off, if the density is low. But closer inspection reveals

a subtle problem, for the field E in Eq. 4.30 is the total macroscopicfield in the

medium, whereas the field in Eq. 4.1 is due to everything except the particular atom under consideration (polarizability was defined for an isolated atom subject to a specified external field); call this field Eelse· Imagine that the space allotted to each atom is a sphere of radius R ,and show that

E=1-Nα30Eelse

Use this to conclude that

χe=Nα/01-Nα/30

Or

α=30Nr-1r+2

Equation 4.72 is known as the Clausius-Mossottiformula, or, in its application to

optics, the Lorentz-Lorenzequation.

A thick spherical shell (inner radius a, outer radius b) is made of dielectric material with a "frozen-in" polarization

P(r)=krr^

Where a constant and is the distance from the center (Fig. 4.18). (There is no free charge in the problem.) Find the electric field in all three regions by two different methods:

Figure 4.18

(a) Locate all the bound charge, and use Gauss's law (Eq. 2.13) to calculate the field it produces.

(b) Use Eq. 4.23 to find D, and then getE from Eq. 4.21. [Notice that the second method is much faster, and it avoids any explicit reference to the bound charges.]

(a) For the configuration in Prob. 4.5, calculate the forceon p2due to p1and the force on p1due to p2. Are the answers consistent with Newton's third law?

(b) Find the total torque on p2 with respect to the center ofp1and compare it with

the torque onp1 about that same point. [Hint:combine your answer to (a) with

the result of Prob. 4.5.]

Earnshaw's theorem (Prob. 3.2) says that you cannot trap a charged

particle in an electrostatic field. Question:Could you trap a neutral (but polarizable) atom in an electrostatic field?

(a) Show that the force on the atom is F=12αE2

(b) The question becomes, therefore: Is it possible for E2 to have a local maximum (in a charge-free region)? In that case the force would push the atom back to its equilibrium position. Show that the answer is no. [Hint:Use Prob. 3.4(a).]

A point charge qis imbedded at the center of a sphere of linear dielectric material (with susceptibilityχeand radius R).Find the electric field, the polarization, and the bound charge densities,ρb and σb.What is the total bound charge on the surface? Where is the compensating negative bound charge located?

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