A disk of radius a carries a charge whose density varies directly proportional to the radial
position. Calculate the electric field vector at a point P on the symmetry axis perpendicular to
the plane of the disk at a distance z of its center.
Problem data:
- Radius of disk: a;
- Distance to the point where we want the electric field: z.
Problem diagram:
The surface density of charges is directly proportional to the radial position of charges (Figure 1)
\[
\begin{gather}
\sigma (r)=\alpha r \tag{I}
\end{gather}
\]
where α is a constant that makes expression dimensionally consistent. So in the center of the
disk where the radius is zero the density of charge is zero, at the edge where the radius is equal to
a the density of charge is α
a.
Figure 1
The position vector
r goes from an element of charge
dq to point
P where we want to
calculate the electric field, the vector
rq locates the charge element relative
to the origin of the reference frame, and the vector
rp locates point
P
(Figure 2-A).
\[
\mathbf{r}={\mathbf{r}}_{p}-{\mathbf{r}}_{q}
\]
The vector
rq, which is on the
xy plane, is written as
\( {\mathbf{r}}_{q}=x\;\mathbf{i}+y\;\mathbf{j} \)
and the
rp vector only has a component in the
k direction,
\( {\mathbf{r}}_{p}=z\;\mathbf{k} \),
the position vector will be (Figure 2-B)
\[
\begin{gather}
\mathbf{r}=z\;\mathbf{k}-\left(x\;\mathbf{i}+y\;\mathbf{j}\right)\\
\mathbf{r}=-x\;\mathbf{i}-y\;\mathbf{j}+z\;\mathbf{k} \tag{II}
\end{gather}
\]
From expression (II), the magnitude of the position vector
r will be
\[
\begin{gather}
r^{2}=x^{2}+y^{2}+z^{2}\\
r=\left(x^{2}+y^{2}+z^{2}\right)^{\frac{1}{2}} \tag{III}
\end{gather}
\]
setting
x,
y, and
z (Figure 2-B)
\[
\left\{
\begin{array}{l}
x=r_{q}\cos \theta \\
y=r_{q}\sin \theta \\
z=z
\end{array}
\right. \tag{IV}
\]
Solution
The electric field vector is given by
\[ \bbox[#99CCFF,10px]
{\mathbf{E}=\frac{1}{4\pi \epsilon_{0}}\int{\frac{dq}{r^{2}}\;\frac{\mathbf{r}}{r}}}
\]
\[
\begin{gather}
\mathbf{E}=\frac{1}{4\pi \epsilon_{0}}\int{\frac{dq}{r^{3}}\;\mathbf{r}} \tag{V}
\end{gather}
\]
Using the expression of the surface density of charge σ, we have the charge element
dq
\[ \bbox[#99CCFF,10px]
{\sigma (r)=\frac{dq}{dA}}
\]
\[
\begin{gather}
dq=\sigma (r)\;dA \tag{VI}
\end{gather}
\]
where
dA is an element of area with angle
dθ of the disk (Figure 3)
\[
\begin{gather}
dA=r_{q}\;dr_{q}\;d\theta \tag{VII}
\end{gather}
\]
Figure 3
substituting expressions (I) and (VII) into expression (VI)
\[
\begin{gather}
dq=\alpha r_{q}^{2}\;dr_{q}\;d\theta \tag{VIII}
\end{gather}
\]
Substituting expressions (II), (III), and (VII) into expression (V), and as the integration is made on the
surface of the disk, it depends on two variables
r and θ, we have a double integral
\[
\begin{gather}
\mathbf{E}=\frac{1}{4\pi\epsilon_{0}}\iint {\frac{\alpha r_{q}^{2}\;dr_{q}\;d\theta}{\left[\left(x^{2}+y^{2}+z^{2}\right)^{\frac{1}{2}}\right]^{3}}}\left(-x\;\mathbf{i}-y\;\mathbf{j}+z\;\mathbf{k}\right)\\
\mathbf{E}=\frac{1}{4\pi\epsilon_{0}}\iint {\frac{\alpha r_{q}^{2}\;dr_{q}\;d\theta}{\left(x^{2}+y^{2}+z^{2}\right)^{\frac{3}{2}}}}\left(-x\;\mathbf{i}-y\;\mathbf{j}+z\;\mathbf{k}\right) \tag{IX}
\end{gather}
\]
substituting expressions (IV) into expression (VIII)
\[
\begin{gather}
\mathbf{E}=\frac{1}{4\pi \epsilon_{0}}\iint {\frac{\alpha r_{q}^{2}\;dr_{q}\;d\theta}{\left[\left(r_{q}\cos \theta\right)^{2}+\left(r_{q}\sin \theta\right)^{2}+z^{2}\right]^{\frac{3}{2}}}\left(-r_{q}\cos \theta\;\mathbf{i}-r_{q}\sin \theta\;\mathbf{j}+z\;\mathbf{k}\right)}\\[5pt]
\mathbf{E}=\frac{1}{4\pi\epsilon_{0}}\iint {\frac{\alpha r_{q}^{2}\;dr_{q}\;d\theta}{\left[r_{q}^{2}\cos ^{2}\theta +r_{q}^{2}\sin ^{2}\theta+z^{2}\right]^{\frac{3}{2}}}\left(-r_{q}\cos \theta\;\mathbf{i}-r_{q}\sin \theta\;\mathbf{j}+z\;\mathbf{k}\right)}\\[5pt]
\mathbf{E}=\frac{1}{4\pi\epsilon_{0}}\iint {\frac{\alpha r_{q}^{2}\;dr_{q}\;d\theta}{\left[r_{q}^{2}\left(\underbrace{\cos ^{2}\theta+\sin ^{2}\theta}_{1}\right)+z^{2}\right]^{\frac{3}{2}}}\left(-r_{q}\cos \theta\;\mathbf{i}-r_{q}\sin \theta\;\mathbf{j}+z\;\mathbf{k}\right)}\\[5pt]
\mathbf{E}=\frac{1}{4\pi\epsilon_{0}}\iint {\frac{\alpha r_{q}^{2}\;dr_{q}\;d\theta}{\left(r_{q}^{2}+z^{2}\right)^{\frac{3}{2}}}\left(-r_{q}\cos \theta\;\mathbf{i}-r_{q}\sin \theta\;\mathbf{j}+z\;\mathbf{k}\right)}
\end{gather}
\]
The constant of proportionality σ is moved outside of the integral, and the integral
of the sum is equal to the sum of the integrals
\[
\mathbf{E}=\frac{\sigma}{4\pi \epsilon_{0}}\left(-\iint {\frac{r_{q}^{3}\cos \theta \;dr_{q}\;d\theta}{\left(r_{q}^{2}+z^{2}\right)^{\frac{3}{2}}}}\;\mathbf{i}-\iint {\frac{r_{q}^{3}\;\sin \theta \;dr_{q}\;d\theta}{\left(r_{q}^{2}+z^{2}\right)^{\frac{3}{2}}}}\;\mathbf{j}+\iint {\frac{z r_{q}\;dr_{q}\;d\theta}{\left(r_{q}^{2}+z^{2}\right)^{\frac{3}{2}}}}\mathbf{k}\right)
\]
The limits of integration will be 0 and
a in
drq, along the disk radius, 0 and
2π in
dθ, a complete lap in the disk, the integral can be separated
\[
\begin{split}
\mathbf{E}=& \frac{\alpha}{4\pi \epsilon_{0}}\left(-\int_{0}^{a}{\frac{r_{q}^{3}\;dr_{q}}{\left(r_{q}^{2}+z^{2}\right)^{\frac{3}{2}}}}\underbrace{\int_{0}^{2\pi}{\cos \theta \;d\theta}}_{0}\;\mathbf{i}-\right.\\
& \left. -\int_{0}^{a}{\frac{r_{q}^{3}\;dr}{\left(r_{q}^{2}+z^{2}\right)^{\frac{3}{2}}}}\underbrace{\int_{0}^{2\pi}{\sin \theta \;d\theta}}_{0}\;\mathbf{j}+z\int_{0}^{a}{\frac{r_{q}\;dr_{q} }{\left(r^{2}+z^{2}\right)^{\frac{3}{2}}}}\int_{0}^{2\pi}{d\theta}\;\mathbf{k}\right)
\end{split}
\]
Integration of
\( \displaystyle \int_{0}^{2\pi}\cos \theta \;d\theta \)
1st method
\[
\begin{split}
\int_{0}^{2\pi}\cos \theta \;d\theta &=\left.\sin \theta\;\right|_{\;0}^{\;2\pi }=\sin 2\pi-\sin 0=\\
&=0-0=0
\end{split}
\]
2nd method
The graph of cosine between 0 and 2π, has a "positive" area above the x-axis between 0 and
\( \frac{\pi}{2} \)
and between
\( \frac{3\pi}{2} \)
and 2π, and a "negative" area below the x-axis between
\( \frac{\pi}{2} \)
and
\( \frac{3\pi}{2} \),
these two areas cancel in the integration and the integral is equal to zero (Figure 4).
Integration of
\( \displaystyle \int_{0}^{2\pi}\sin \theta \;d\theta \)
1st method
\[
\begin{split}
\int_{0}^{2\pi}\sin \theta \;d\theta &=\left.-\cos \theta\;\right|_{\;0}^{\;2\pi }=-(\cos 2\pi -\cos 0)=\\
&=-(1-1)=0
\end{split}
\]
2nd method
The graph of sine between 0 and 2π, has a "positive" area above the x-axis between 0 and
π and a "negative" area below the x-axis between π and 2π, these two areas cancel in
the integration and the integral is equal to zero in i and j directions (Figure 5).
Note: The two integrals, in directions i and j which are zero, represent
the mathematical calculation for the assertion that is usually done that the components of the
electric field parallel to the xy plane, dEP, cancel. Only
normal components to the plane dEN contribute to the total electric
field (Figure 6). As the integrals in sine and cosine are zero, we do not have to calculate the
integral of the radius.
Figure 6
Integration of
\( \displaystyle \int_{{0}}^{a}{\frac{r_{q}\;dr_{q}}{\left(r_{q}^{2}+z^{2}\right)^{\frac{3}{2}}}} \)
Changing the variable
\[
\begin{array}{l}
u=r_{q}^{2}+z^{2}\\
\dfrac{du}{dr_{q}}=2r_{q}\Rightarrow dr_{q}=\dfrac{du}{2r_{q}}
\end{array}
\]
changing the limits of integration
for
r = 0
we have
\( u=0^{2}+z^{2}\Rightarrow u=z^{2} \)
for
r =
a
we have
\( u=a^{2}+z^{2} \)
\[
\begin{split}
\int_{z^{2}}^{{a^{2}+z^{2}}}{\frac{r_{q}}{u^{\frac{3}{2}}}\;\frac{du}{2r_{q}}} &\Rightarrow\frac{1}{2}\int_{z^{2}}^{{a^{2}+z^{2}}}{\frac{1}{u^{\frac{3}{2}}}\;du}\Rightarrow\frac{1}{2}\left.\frac{u^{-{\frac{3}{2}+1}}}{-{\frac{3}{2}+1}}\;\right|_{\;z^{2}}^{\;a^{2}+z^{2}}\Rightarrow\\[5pt]
&\Rightarrow\frac{1}{2}\left.\frac{u^{\frac{-3+2}{2}}}{\frac{-{3+2}}{2}}\;\right|_{\;z^{2}}^{\;a^{2}+z^{2}}\Rightarrow\frac{1}{2}\left.\frac{u^{-{\frac{1}{2}}}}{-{\frac{1}{2}}}\;\right|_{\;z^{2}}^{\;a^{2}+z^{2}}\Rightarrow\\[5pt]
&\Rightarrow\left.-u^{-{\frac{1}{2}}}\;\right|_{\;z^{2}}^{\;a^{2}+z^{2}}\Rightarrow\left.-{\frac{1}{u^{\frac{1}{2}}}}\;\right|_{\;z^{2}}^{\;a^{2}+z^{2}}\Rightarrow\\[5pt]
&\Rightarrow-\left(\frac{1}{\sqrt{a^{2}+z^{2}}}-\frac{1}{\sqrt{z^{2}}}\right)\Rightarrow\frac{1}{z}-\frac{1}{\sqrt{a^{2}+z^{2}}}
\end{split}
\]
Integration of
\( \displaystyle \int_{{0}}^{{2\pi}}\;d\theta \)
\[
\int_{{0}}^{{2\pi}}\;d\theta =\left.\theta \;\right|_{\;0}^{\;2\pi}=2\pi -0=2\pi
\]
\[
\begin{gather}
\mathbf{E}=\frac{\alpha}{4\pi \epsilon_{0}}\left[0\;\mathbf{i}-0\;\mathbf{j}+z\;\left(\frac{1}{z}-\frac{1}{\sqrt{a^{2}+z^{2}\;}}\right)2\pi\;\mathbf{k}\right]\\
\mathbf{E}=\frac{\alpha}{\cancelto{2}{4}\cancel{\pi} \epsilon_{0}}\left[\;\left(\frac{z}{z}-\frac{z}{\sqrt{a^{2}+z^{2}}}\right)\cancel{2}\cancel{\pi}\;\mathbf{k}\right]
\end{gather}
\]
\[ \bbox[#FFCCCC,10px]
{{\mathbf{E}}=\frac{\alpha}{2\epsilon_{0}}\;\left(1-\frac{z}{\sqrt{\;a^{2}+z^{2}\;}}\right)\;{\mathbf{k}}}
\]
Figure 7