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?

Short Answer

Expert verified

The electric field isq4πε0(1+χe)r^r2 .

The polarization is qχe4π(1+χe)r^r2.

The volume bound charge density is qχe1+χeδ3(r).

The surface bound charge density is qχe4π(1+χe)r2.

The total bound surface charge isQsurface=qχe(1+χe) .

Step by step solution

01

Define function

Write the expression for the electric displacement.

D=q4πr2r^ …… (1)

Here,q is the charge,r is the radius of dielectric sphere andr^ is the unit vector.

02

Determine electric field

We know that,

D=εE …… (2)

Then write the expression for electric field.

E=Dε …… (3)

Substituteq4πr2r^ forD

E=q4πεr^r2 …… (4)

Now, write the relation between permittivity(ε) and susceptibility of linear dielectric sphere (χe).

ε=ε0(1+χe) …… (5)

Here,ε0 is the permittivity for free space.

Substituteε0(1+χe) forε in equation (4)

E=q4πε0(1+χe)r^r2 …… (6)

Therefore, the electric field isE=q4πε0(1+χe)r^r2 .

03

Determine polarization

Write the expression for Polarization.

P=ε0χeE ……. (7)

Substitutionq4πε0(1+χe)r^r2 forE in equation (7)

P=ε0χeq4πε0(1+χe)r^r2P=qχe4π(1+χe)r^r2 …….. (8)

Therefore, the polarization isP=qχe4π(1+χe)r^r2 .

04

Determine volume bound charge density

With the expression for volume bound charge density.

ρb=P ……. (9)

Substituteqχe4π(1+χe)r^r2 forP in equation (9).

ρb=qχe4π(1+χe)r^r2=qχe4π(1+χe)r^r2 …... (10)

We know that,

r^r2=4πδ3(r)

Substitute4πδ3(r) forr^r2 in equation (10)

ρb=qχe4π(1+χe)r^r2=qχe4π(1+χe)(4πδ3(r))=qχe1+χeδ3(r)

Therefore, the volume bound charge density is qχe1+χeδ3(r).

05

Determine surface density

Write the expression for surface bound charge density.

σb=Pr^ …… (11)

Substituteqχe4π(1+χe)r^r2forPin equation (11).

σb=Pr^=qχe4π(1+χe)r^r2(r^)=qχe4π(1+χe)r2(r^r^)=qχe4π(1+χe)r2

Therefore, the surface bound charge density is qχe4π(1+χe)r2.

But the surface charges are distributed only on surface of the sphere, thus substitute Rfor r.

σb=qχe4π(1+χe)r2=qχe4π(1+χe)R2

Now, write the expression for total bound surface charge.

Qsurface=(σb)4πR2 …… (12)

Substituteqχe4π(1+χe)R2for σbin equation (12)

Qsurface=(σb)4πR2=qχe4π(1+χe)R24πR2=qχe(1+χe)

Therefore, the total bound surface charge is Qsurface=qχe(1+χe).

Because surface charge density and volume charge are independent of angular distribution, the highest negative charge should be at the sphere's center. It means that the charge distribution is symmetric.

Q=ρbdτ …… (13)

Substitute qχe1+χeδ3(r)for ρbin equation (13)

Q=ρbdτ=qχe1+χeδ3(r)dτ=qχe1+χeδ3(r)dτ=qχe1+χe

Therefore,Q=qχe1+χe .

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Most popular questions from this chapter

For the bar electret of Prob. 4.11, make three careful sketches: one

of P, one of E, and one of D. Assume L is about 2a. [Hint: E lines terminate on

charges; D lines terminate on free charges.]

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 sphere of radius R carries a polarization

P(r)=kr,

Where k is a constant and r is the vector from the center.

(a) Calculate the bound charges σband ρb.

(b) Find the field inside and outside the sphere.

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).]

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.

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