Electric Field of a Finite Line
- assignment Line Sources Using Coulomb's Law
assignment Homework
Line Sources Using Coulomb's Law
Static Fields 2023 (6 years)- Find the electric field around a finite, uniformly charged, straight rod, at a point a distance \(s\) straight out from the midpoint, starting from Coulomb's Law.
- Find the electric field around an infinite, uniformly charged, straight rod, starting from the result for a finite rod.
- group Scalar Surface and Volume Elements
group Small Group Activity
30 min.
Scalar Surface and Volume Elements
Static Fields 2023 (7 years)Students use known algebraic expressions for length elements \(d\ell\) to determine all simple scalar area \(dA\) and volume elements \(d\tau\) in cylindrical and spherical coordinates.
This activity is identical to Vector Surface and Volume Elements except uses a scalar approach to find surface, and volume elements.
- group Vector Surface and Volume Elements
group Small Group Activity
30 min.
Vector Surface and Volume Elements
Static Fields 2023 (4 years)Students use known algebraic expressions for vector line elements \(d\vec{r}\) to determine all simple vector area \(d\vec{A}\) and volume elements \(d\tau\) in cylindrical and spherical coordinates.
This activity is identical to Scalar Surface and Volume Elements except uses a vector approach to find directed surface and volume elements.
- assignment Find Area/Volume from $d\vec{r}$
assignment Homework
Find Area/Volume from \(d\vec{r}\)
Static Fields 2023 (5 years)Start with \(d\vec{r}\) in rectangular, cylindrical, and spherical coordinates. Use these expressions to write the scalar area elements \(dA\) (for different coordinate equals constant surfaces) and the volume element \(d\tau\). It might help you to think of the following surfaces: The various sides of a rectangular box, a finite cylinder with a top and a bottom, a half cylinder, and a hemisphere with both a curved and a flat side, and a cone.
- Rectangular: \begin{align} dA&=\\ d\tau&= \end{align}
- Cylindrical: \begin{align} dA&=\\ d\tau&= \end{align}
- Spherical: \begin{align} dA&=\\ d\tau&= \end{align}
- accessibility_new Acting Out Charge Densities
accessibility_new Kinesthetic
10 min.
Acting Out Charge Densities
Static Fields 2023 (6 years)density charge density mass density linear density uniform idealization
Students, pretending they are point charges, move around the room acting out various prompts from the instructor regarding charge densities, including linear \(\lambda\), surface \(\sigma\), and volume \(\rho\) charge densities, both uniform and non-uniform. The instructor demonstrates what it means to measure these quantities. In a remote setting, we have students manipulate 10 coins to model the prompts in this activity and the we demonstrate the answers with coins under a doc cam. - group Electric Potential of Two Charged Plates
group Small Group Activity
30 min.
Electric Potential of Two Charged Plates
Students examine a plastic "surface" graph of the electric potential due to two charged plates (near the center of the plates) and explore the properties of the electric potential. - assignment Sphere in Cylindrical Coordinates
assignment Homework
Sphere in Cylindrical Coordinates
Static Fields 2023 (4 years) Find the surface area of a sphere using cylindrical coordinates. Note: The fact that you can describe spheres nicely in cylindrical coordinates underlies the equal area cylindrical map project that allows you to draw maps of the earth where everything has the correct area, even if the shapes seem distorted. If you want to plot something like population density, you need an area preserving map projection. - keyboard Electrostatic potential and Electric Field of a square of charge
keyboard Computational Activity
120 min.
Electrostatic potential and Electric Field of a square of charge
Computational Physics Lab II 2023 (2 years) Students write python programs to compute the potential due to a square of surface charge, and then to visualize the result. This activity can be used to introduce students to the process of integrating numerically. - assignment Electric Field from a Rod
assignment Homework
Electric Field from a Rod
Static Fields 2023 (5 years) Consider a thin charged rod of length \(L\) standing along the \(z\)-axis with the bottom end on the \(xy\)-plane. The charge density \(\lambda\) is constant. Find the electric field at the point \((0,0,2L)\). - assignment Icecream Mass
assignment Homework
Icecream Mass
Static Fields 2023 (6 years)Use integration to find the total mass of the icecream in a packed cone (both the cone and the hemisphere of icecream on top).
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Consider the finite line with a uniform charge density from class.
- Write an integral expression for the electric field at any point in space due to the finite line. In addition to your usual physics sense-making, you must include a clearly labeled figure and discuss what happens to the direction of the unit vectors as you integrate.Consider the finite line with a uniform charge density from class.
- Perform the integral to find the \(z\)-component of the electric field. In addition to your usual physics sense-making, you must compare your result to the gradient of the electric potential we found in class. (If you want to challenge yourself, do the \(s\)-component as well!)
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