Problem 1:

1. Find the location (other than∞ ) where the electric field is zero.

The electric field due to a point charge q at a distance r is given by:

⃗ q
E =k 2 e⃗ 1
r

1
Where: k = 4 π ϵ is Coulomb’s constant.
0

For the electric field to be zero at a point, the contributions from all
three charges must cancel out both in magnitude and direction.

 Symmetry Consideration
1. The charges are symmetrically placed at the vertices of an
equilateral triangle.
2. The only points where the electric field can potentially be zero are
along the symmetry axes of the triangle.
 Analysis

The electric field will be zero at the center of the equilateral triangle.
This is because:

1. The center is equidistant from all three charges.

2. The contributions from the three charges will cancel out due to
symmetry.

The center of an equilateral triangle is also known as its centroid or

geometric center. The distance from any vertex to the centroid is:
a
r=
√3
Thus, the electric field is zero at the centroid of the triangle.

2. What are the magnitude and the direction of the electric field E at P
due to the two other charges? Represent ⃗E .

1
Let's denote the charges as q 1 ,q 2 , q 3 located at the vertices of the triangle,
and let P be the position of one of the charges (say q 1). We need to find
the electric field at P due to the other two charges ( q 2 andq 3).

 Electric Field Due to One Charge

The electric field at P due to a single charge q at a distance a is:

⃗ kq
E = 2 e⃗ 1
a

Where e⃗ 1 is the unit vector pointing from the charge to the point P

 Electric Field Due to Two Charges

The electric field at P due to q 2 and q 3 will be the vector sum of the fields
produced by each charge. Since q 2 and q 2 are equidistant from P and form
an angle of 120 ° with each other, their contributions will partially cancel.

The magnitude of the electric field due to each charge is:

kq
E 2= E 3= 2
a

The direction of E2 is along the line from q 2 to Pand the direction of E3 is

along the line from q 3 to P.

 Vector Addition

Using vector addition, the total electric field at P is:

Etotal =E2 + E3

In component form, if we place the triangle in the coordinate system

such that:

 q 1 is at (0, 0),
 q 2 is at (a , 0),
 q is at ( , √ ),
a 3a
3
2 2

The electric fields due to q 2 and q 3 are:

⃗ kq
E2= 2 i⃗
a

2
 ⃗
E3 = 2
a 2
i+ (
kq −1 ⃗ √ 3 ⃗
2
j )

Adding these vectors:

⃗ kq kq −1 ⃗ √ 3 ⃗
Etotal = 2 i⃗ + 2
a a 2
i+
2
j ( )
⃗ kq
(
1 √3 ⃗
Etotal = 2 i⃗ − i⃗ +
a 2 2
j )
⃗
a 2 2(
Etotal = 2 ⃗i + √ ⃗j
kq 1 3
)
The magnitude of the total electric field is:

√( ) ( )
2
+ √
2
kq 1 3
Etotal =|⃗
Etotal|= 2
a 2 2

Etotal = 2
√
kq 1 3 kq
a 4 4 a
kq
+ = 2 √ 1= 2
a

The direction of Etotal is:

()
√3
2
Etotal =tan−1 =tan−1 ( √ 3 )=60 °
1
2

Thus, the electric field at P due to the other two charges is:
kq
2 at 60 ° above the horizontal
a

3. What are the magnitude and the direction of this total force?
Represent ⃗F

The force on a charge q due to an electric field ⃗E is given by:

⃗
F =q ⃗
E

From part (2), the electric field at P due to the other two charges is:

3
 ⃗
(
kq 1 √ 3 ⃗
Etotal = 2 ⃗i +
a 2 2
j )
The force on the charge q at P is:

⃗
F =q . ⃗
a 2 (
Etotal =q . 2 i⃗ + √ ⃗j
kq 1
2
3
)
( 12 i⃗+ √23 ⃗j)
2
⃗ kq
F= 2
a

The magnitude of the force is:

2
kq
F=|⃗
F|= 2
a

The direction of the force is the same as the direction of the electric
field, which is 60 ° above the horizontal.

Thus, the force is:

2
kq
2 at 60 ° above the horizontal
a

4. What is the electric potential at the position of one of the particles

due to the other two particles in the triangle?

The electric potential V due to a point charge q at a distance r is given

by:
kq
V=
r

At the position of one of the charges (say q 1), the potential due to the
other two charges ( q 2 and q 3) is the sum of the potentials due to each
charge. Since q 2 and q 3 are both at a distance a from q 1, the potential is:
kq kq
V total=V 2+V 3 = +
a a

2 kq
V total=V 2+V 3 =
a

4
Thus, the electric potential at the position of one of the particles due to
2 kq
the other two particles is: a

Problem 2:

5
1: Determine the total electric charge on the disk

The total charge Q on the disk is given by the product of the surface charge
density σ and the area of the disk.

The area of the disk is the area of the outer circle minus the area of the inner
circle:

Areaof the disk=π b −π a =π (b ¿ ¿ 2−a )¿

2 2 2

Thus, the total chargeQ is given by:

Q=σ Area=σπ (b ¿ ¿ 2−a )¿

2

Since σ < 0, the total charge Q will also be negative:

Q=σ Area=σπ (b ¿ ¿ 2−a )¿

2

2: Find the expression for the electric field at a point P on the x -axis

The point P is located at a distance x from the center of the disk along the x -
axis. To find the electric field at P , we use the principle of superposition and
integrate the contributions from infinitesimal charge elements on the disk.

 Electric Field Due to a Ring of Charge

Consider a thin ring of radius r and thickness d r on the disk. The area of this
ring is:
dA=2 πr dr

The charge on this ring is:

dq=σ dA=σ (2 πr dr)

The electric field at point P due to this ring can be calculated using the formula
for the electric field due to a ring of charge. For a ring of radius r at a distance x
along the axis, the electric field is:
k dq x
d E x= 3
2 2
(x + r ) 2

6
Substituting dq =σ (2 πr dr )
k σ (2 πr dr ) x
d E x= 3
(x 2 +r 2) 2

Integrate Over the Entire Disk

To find the total electric field at P, we integrate d E x over the entire disk from
r =a to r =b:
b b
k σ (2 πr dr )x
E x =∫ dE x =∫ 3
a a 2 2 2
(x +r )

Factor out constants:

b
r dr
E x =2 πk σx ∫ 3
a 2 2 2
(x + r )

Evaluate the Integral

Let us evaluate the integral:

b
r dr
I =∫ 3
2 πk σx
a 2 2 2
(x +r )

Use the substitution:

2 2 1
u=x + y ⟹ du=2 r dr ⟹ r dr= du
2

Whenr =a , u=x 2 +a2 When r =b , u=x 2 +b2. The integral becomes:

1
2
x +b
2
du 2
x +b
2

2 1
I= ∫2
3
=
2
∫ 2
u−3 /2 du
x +a 2 x +a
u

The antiderivative of u−3 / 2is:

7
 ∫ u−3/ 2 du=−2 u−1 /2
Thus:
1 x +b
2 2
x +b
2 2

I= [−2 u−1 /2 ]x +a =−[ u−1/ 2 ]x +a

2 2 2 2

I =−
(√ 1 1
− 2 2
x +b √ x +a
2
2 )
1 1
I= −
√x 2
+a 2
√ x +b 2
2

Final Expression for the Electric Field

Substitute I back into the expression for E x:

E x =2 πk σx
( 1 1
− 2 2
√ x +a √x +b
2 2 )
Since σ < 0the electric field will point in the negative x -direction if x >0.