4CCP1501 Tutorial 10 Page 1 of 3 (A.T.P.

29 November 2017)

4CCP1501 Solutions to Tutorial 10

T10.1 We start by writing = krn , and then we need to find the constant k. Its a bit like
the problem of last week. First, how are we going to set up the integration? Imagine
the infinitesimally thin spherical shell of matter within the sphere, having radius r
and thickness dr. Its volume is
4 
dV = (r + dr)3 r3 = 4r2 dr + O(dr2 )

3
after throwing away terms smaller than dr. The amount of charge in this shell is
its volume times the charge density, dQ = dV . Now we can write the total charge
in the sphere by summing all these infinitesimal shells from radius zero to radius a.
We do this with an integration,
Z a Z a Z a
Q= dQ = dV = 4k rn+2 dr
0 0 0
 a
1 n+3 1
= 4k r = 4k an+3 (1)
n+3 0 n + 3
Good. We now have
1 n+3
k= Q n+3 (2)
4 a
To find the electric field at a distance r from the centre of the sphere we use Gausss
law: flux is charge enclosed divided by 0 . The enclosed charge is found by do-
ing the integral again, now between zero and r. So by comparison with (1) and
substituting (2)
1 n+3 Q
Qenclosed = 4k r = n+3 rn+3
n+3 a
(note the 4 and n + 3 cancel out). The area of the the gaussian surface is 4r2 and
so Gausss law reads
1 1 Q n+3
E 4r2 = Qenclosed = r
0 0 an+3
The final result is
1 Q n+1
E= n+3
r
40 a
Note a few things. (i ) The field increases inside the sphere as rn+1 . To get things
dimensionally right, theres a an+3 in the denominator; this is a useful check that
youre on the right track. (ii ) If you can, always do the most general case. Then
if youre asked about a problem in which the charge density goes like, say, the cube
of the distance, then youve already done it. (iii ) Now go back to the last problem,
T8.1 from last week, and do the general case J = rn .

If r > a then the electric field is the same as that of a point charge of amount Q at
the origin and you can check that at r = a the field is
1 Q
E(a) =
40 a2
as youd hope it would be.
 4CCP1501 Tutorial 10 Page 2 of 3 (A.T.P. 29 November 2017)

T10.2 Angular velocity is

d
= [radian s1 ]
dt
We have
distance travelled in one period = 2r
2
time taken over one period =

and therefore
speed = distance time = r
Then
velocity, v(r) = speed unit vector v
= rv
= r( sin + cos )
= y + x
You can show it another way,

dr d d dx d dy d
v= = x + y = +
dt dt dt d dt d dt
d d
= r sin + r cos
dt dt
= y + x

Or yet another way by calculating v = r . . .

Now you have the velocity vector field you can find its curl and divergence. Instinc-
tively I hope you can see that the field has circulation, that is, non zero curl; but
zero divergencethere is no source of water anywhere. To prove it just do

 k
 

 
v(r) =  x y z


 y x 0 

= 2 k

so the curl vector points in the z-directionperpendicular to the plane of the

vortexand has a magnitude of twice the angular velocity. To show that the diver-
gence vanishes,

v(r) = (y) + (x)
x y
=0
 4CCP1501 Tutorial 10 Page 3 of 3 (A.T.P. 29 November 2017)

T10.3 Area of pillbox is A. The only flux is through the top surface. So,

1
E(x) A = Qenclosed
0

The volume of the pillbox lying inside the sheet is Ax, therefore

Qenclosed = Ax

and so
1
E(x) = x
0
and if we want to include the direction as well as magnitude of the field, we write

1
E= x
0

I can take the divergence of both sides of this,

 
1
E = + + k x
x y z 0
1 1
= =
0 0

which is, indeed, Gausss Law. To show that the circulation, or curl, of the electric
field is zero, write  
 k 
 
E =  x y z  = 0

 1
 x 0 0 
0