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A very long solid cylinder of radius R = 3 cm has a uniform volume charge densit

ID: 1430278 • Letter: A

Question

A very long solid cylinder of radius R = 3 cm has a uniform volume charge density p = +6 mu C/m^3. Charge: How much total charge is contained on a 1 m length of this cylinder? C What would be the effective linear charge density along the length of this cylinder? Lambda= C/m For a given length of cylinder, what percentage of its total charge lies between 0 and R/2? % Electric Field Outside: What is the electric field at a radial distance of 4 cm from the axis of the cylinder? Inside: What is the electric field at a radial distance of 2 cm from the axis of the cylinder? Now sketch Er vs. r from r=0 to infinity. Mark off where r=R occurs. Inside the cylinder (r smaller than R), graph's shape is: Outside the cylinder (r greater than R), graph's shape is: Voltage Setting V=0 at r=3R, find the voltage at the following locations: Now sketch V vs. r from r=0 to infinity. Mark off where r=R occurs. Inside the cylinder (r smaller than R), graph's shape is: Outside the cylinder (r greater than R), graph's shape is: (Why were you got able to set V=0 at r=infinity in this problem? Is there anything special about setting it at r=3R?)

Explanation / Answer

part a.i)

total charge=charge density*volume of the cylinder

=6*10^(-6)*pi*radius^2*length

=6*10^(-6)*pi*0.03^2*1=1.69646*10^(-8) C

part a.ii)linear charge density=total charge/length

=1.69646*10^(-8) C/m


part a.iii)

as volume=pi*radius^2*length

and charge=charge density*volume


charge is proportional to volume as charge density is constant

as volume is prportional to square of radius with length being constant


charge contained is directly proportional to square of radius

hence charge contained in radius R/2=(1/2)^2*total charge

=25% of total charge

part b.i)

as 4 cm > radius of the cylinder,

it will behave like an infinite cylindrical charge with linear charge density=1.69646*10^(-8) C/m

then electric field at a distance of 4 cm=charge density/(2*pi*epsilon*distance)

=1.69646*10^(-8)/(2*pi*8.85*10^(-12)*0.04)=7627.118 N/C