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(a) What is the total charge? (b) Find the electric field on the x axis at x = 6

ID: 2125534 • Letter: #

Question

(a) What is the total charge?

(b) Find the electric field on the x axis at x = 6 m.

(c) Find the electric field on the x axis at x = 10 m.

(d) Find the electric field on the x axis at x = 290 m.

(e) Find the field at x = 290 m, using the approximation that the charge is a point charge at the origin.

Compare your result with that for the exact calculation in part (d).

(field for the point charge divided by the field for the line charge)

A uniform line charge of linear charge density = 2.6 nC/m extends from x = 0 to x = 5 m. What is the total charge? Find the electric field on the x axis at x = 6 m. Find the electric field on the x axis at x = 10 m. Find the electric field on the x axis at x = 290 m. Find the field at x = 290 m, using the approximation that the charge is a point charge at the origin. Compare your result with that for the exact calculation in part (d). (field for the point charge divided by the field for the line charge)

Explanation / Answer

lets take a small length element dx, q is the total charge, l is total length, a is distance from nearer end.
dq=(q/l)dx

dE=dq/{4??o(a+x)^2 }
substitute for dq:

dE = qdx / {4??ol(a+x)^2}

E = q / 4??ol?_0^l?(a+x) ^(-2)dx (integrating giving proper limits upper limit=l, lower limit= 0)

E=q / {4??o(a+l)}

solve for total charge q=2.6 nC/m*5m=13 nC,


E at 6m is l = 5m, a = 6 - 5 = 1m


E =19.49 N/C


E at 10m is l=5, a= 5 m


E = 2.6*10613/4pi 8.85*10^-12*10 = 11.6 N/C


E at 250 m = 13nC/4pi 8.85*10^-12 *290 = 0.403


(e) use columb's law directly, taking q=13 nC, r= 290m,

E=q / {4??o(r)^2} = 13nC/4pi*8.85*10^-12 * 290*290 = 1.39 *10^-3 N/C