Electrostatic Field Problems:

Spherical Symmetry
EE 141 Lecture Notes
Topic 7
Professor K. E. Oughstun
School of Engineering
College of Engineering & Mathematical Sciences
University of Vermont
2009
Motivation
Spherical Coordinates
Coordinate transformations
x = r sin cos , y = r sin sin , z = r cos (1)
r =

x
2
+y
2
+z
2
, = arctan

x
2
+y
2
z

, = arctan

y
x

(2)
with 0 r , 0 , and 0 < 2.
Unit Basis Vectors in Spherical Coordinates
Unit basis vectors

1
r
=

1
r
(, ) =

1
x
sin cos +

1
y
sin sin +

1
z
cos ,

=

1

(, ) =

1
x
cos cos +

1
y
cos sin

1
z
sin , (3)

=

1

(, ) =

1
x
sin +

1
y
cos ,
where (Orthogonality Relations)

1
r

=

1

=

1
r
, (4)

1
r
=

1

.
Problem 13. Using the relations in Eq. (3), determine expressions for
the unit basis vectors

1
x
,

1
y
, and

1
z
in terms of the unit basis
vectors

1
r
,

1

, and

1

.
Problem 14. Determine the direct coordinate transformation in
matrix notation from cylindrical to spherical coordinates.
Vectors in Spherical Coordinates
Any vector V may be expressed in spherical polar coordinates as
V =

1
V
V =

1
r
V
r
+

1

+

1

, (5)
where
V
r
=

1
r
V
= (

1
x
sin cos +

1
y
sin sin +

1
z
cos )(

1
x
V
x
+

1
y
V
y
+

1
z
V
z
)
= V
x
sin cos +V
y
sin sin +V
z
cos ,
V

=

1

V
= (

1
x
cos cos +

1
y
cos sin +

1
z
sin )(

1
x
V
x
+

1
y
V
y
+

1
z
V
z
)
= V
x
cos cos +V
y
cos sin + V
z
sin , (6)
V

=

1

V = (

1
x
sin +

1
y
cos ) (

1
x
V
x
+

1
y
V
y
+

1
z
V
z
)
= V
x
sin +V
y
cos ,
with magnitude
V = |V| =

V V =

V
2
r
+V
2

+V
2

. (7)
Position Vector in Spherical Coordinates
Position Vector of a point P = P(r , , ) is given by
R =

OP =

1
r
(, )r , (8)
where r =

x
2
+y
2
+z
2
.
Notice that this position vector does not have either a

1

or

1

component. Nevertheless, the orientation of the radial unit vector

1
r
=

1
r
(, ) depends upon the and coordinates of the point P.
Spherical Coordinates - Dierential Elements
Dierential elements of length along the

1
r
,

1

, &

1

-directions:
d
r
= dr , d

= rd, d

= r sin d.
Dierential Length, Surface Area, & Volume
The vector dierential element of length:
d

=

1
r
dr +

1

rd +

1

r sin d. (9)
Fundamental quadratic form or metric form
d
2
= dr
2
+r
2
d
2
+r
2
sin
2
d
2
. (10)
Dierential elements of surface area:
-Spherical Surface: ds
r
=

1
r
(d

) =

1
r
r
2
sin dd.
r -Conical Surface: ds

=

1

(d
r
d

) =

1

r sin drd.
r -Planar Surface: ds

=

1

(d
r
d

) =

1

rdrd.
Dierential element of volume:
dV = d
r
d

= r
2
sin drdd. (11)
Distance Between Two Points
Coordinates of P
1
(x
1
, y
1
, z
1
) = P
1
(r
1
,
1
,
1
):
x
1
= r
1
sin
1
cos
1
, y
1
= r
1
sin
1
sin
1
, z
1
= r
1
cos
1
.
Coordinates of P
2
(x
2
, y
2
, z
2
) = P
2
(r
2
,
2
,
2
):
x
2
= r
2
sin
2
cos
2
, y
2
= r
2
sin
2
sin
2
, z
2
= r
1
sin
1
sin
1
.
Distance between P
1
& P
2
is then given by Pythagoreans theorem as
d =

(r
2
sin
2
cos
2
r
1
sin
1
cos
1
)
2
+(r
2
sin
2
sin
2
r
1
sin
1
sin
1
)
2
+(r
1
sin
1
sin
1
r
1
cos
1
)
2

1/2
=

r
2
1
+r
2
2
2r
1
r
2

cos
1
cos
2
+ sin
1
sin
2
cos (
2

1
)

1/2
.
(12)
Vector Dierential Operators in Spherical Polar
Coordinates
Gradient Operator
=

1
r

r
+

1

1
r

+

1

1
r sin

(13)
The gradient of a scalar function of position f (r) = f (r , , ) is then
given by
f =

1
r
f
r
+

1

1
r
f

+

1

1
r sin
f

. (14)
Laplacian Operator

2
=
1
r
2

r
2

r

+
1
r
2
sin

sin

+
1
r
2
sin
2

2
(15)
Vector Dierential Operators in Spherical Polar
Coordinates
Vector function of position F(r) = F(r , , ) =

1
r
F
r
+

1

+

1

has divergence
F =
1
r
2

r
(r
2
F
r
) +
1
r sin

(F

sin ) +
1
r sin
F

(16)
and curl
F =

1
r
1
r sin

(F

sin )
F

1
r sin

F
r

sin

r
(rF

(17)
+

1
r

r
(rF

)
F
r

.
Field of a Point Charge (Symmetry about a Point)
Consider a point charge Q located at the origin of coordinates (if
not, the origin of coordinates can always be shifted to that point).
The spherical symmetry of the problem then requires that
E(r) =

1
r
E(r ).
Field of a Point Charge (Symmetry about a Point)
Application of Gauss law to a concentric spherical surface S with
radius r > 0 surrounding the point charge Q at the origin O yields
Q

0
=

S
E(r )

1
r

1
r
da = E(r )

S
da = 4r
2
E(r ),
so that
E(r) =

1
r
E(r ) =

1
r
Q
4
0
r
2
, r > 0
The absolute potential due to the point charge is then given by
V(r ) =

1
r
E(r )

1
r
dr =
Q
4
0
r
, r > 0.
Field of a Point Charge (Symmetry about a Point)
0 1 2 3 4
r
0
Q/4
0
E ~ 1/r
2
V ~ 1/r
Field of a Uniform Spherical Charge Distribution
Consider determining the eld due to a uniform spherical charge
distribution of radius r
0
> 0 with volume charge density (r ) =
0
for
r r
0
centered on the origin, where (r ) = 0 for r > r
0
.
The spherical symmetry of the problem then requires that
E(r) =

1
r
E(r ).
Application of Gauss law to a concentric sphere of radius r centered
at the origin then yields
4r
2
E(r ) =
1

0

V
(r )d
3
r =
1

4
3
r
3

0
, r r
0
4
3
r
3
0

0
, r > r
0
Notice that if
0
is positive, then E is directed radially outward from
the origin, whereas if
0
is negative, then E is directed radially inward
toward the origin.
Field of a Uniform Spherical Charge Distribution
The total charge Q contained in the spherical charge distribution is
Q =
4
3
r
3
0

0
,
so that

0
=
3Q
4r
3
0
.
The radial component of the electric eld vector E(r) =

1
r
E(r ) is
then given by
E(r ) =

Q
4
0
r
3
0
r , r r
0
Q
4
0
r
2
, r > r
0
Notice that measurements of the electric eld due to a spherically
symmetric charge distribution localized in space (r r
0
) for r > r
0
are independent of the radius of the charge distribution.
In the limit as r
0
0, the eld due to a point charge Q at the origin
is obtained.
Field of a Uniform Spherical Charge Distribution
The absolute potential [Eq. (4.8)] due to the uniform spherical
charge distribution is then given by (with d

=

1
r
dr )
V(r ) =

r
E(r )dr .
For r r
0
,
V(r ) =
Q
4
0

r
dr
r
2
=
Q
4
0
r
which is the same as that due to a point charge Q at the origin.
For r r
0
,
V(r ) =
Q
4
0

1
r
3
0

r
0
r
rdr +

r
0
dr
r
2

=
Q
8
0
r
3
0

r
2
0
r
2

. .. .
increase in potential above the surface value
+
Q
4
0
r
0
. .. .
potential at the sphere surface
.
Field of a Uniform Spherical Charge Distribution
0 r
0
2r
0

r
0
Q/4
0
r
0
Q/4
0
r
0
3Q/8
0
r
0
2
E(r)
V(r)
Field of a Uniform Spherical Charge Distribution
The potential V(r) may also be determined using Poissons &
Laplaces equations directly, taking advantage of the spherical
symmetry of the source charge distribution.
Inside the uniform charge distribution (r r
0
), Poissons equation

2
V(r ) =
0
/
0
becomes
1
r
2

r
2
V
r

0
=

r

r
2
V
r

0
r
2
r
2
V
r
=

0
3
0
r
3
+C =
V
r
=

0
3
0
r +
C
r
2
V(r ) =

0
6
0
r
2

C
r
....
C = 0
+D = V(r ) =
Q
8
0
r
3
0
r
2
+D.
Field of a Uniform Spherical Charge Distribution
Outside the uniform charge distribution (r r
0
), Laplaces equation

2
V(r ) = 0 becomes
1
r
2

r
2
V
r

= 0 =

r

r
2
V
r

= 0
r
2
V
r
= A =
V
r
=
A
r
2
V(r ) =
A
r
+B; V() 0 = B = 0
V(r ) =
A
r
.
Field of a Uniform Spherical Charge Distribution
Continuity of V(r ) at r = r
0
requires that

A
r
0
=
Q
8
0
r
0
+D,
while continuity of V/r [i.e., continuity of E(r )] at r = r
0
requires
A
r
2
0
=
Q
8
0
r
2
0
= A =
Q
8
0
so that
D =
Q
8
0
r
0

A
r
0
=
Q
8
0
r
0
+
Q
4
0
r
0
.
Field of a Uniform Spherical Charge Distribution
The electrostatic potential is then given by
V(r ) =
Q
8
0
r
3
0

r
2
0
r
2

+
Q
4
0
r
0
; r r
0
V(r ) =
Q
4
0
r
; r r
0
so that the electric eld intensity E(r ) = V(r ) =

1
r
V/r is
E(r ) =

1
r
Q
4
0
r
3
0
r ; r r
0
E(r ) =

1
r
Q
4
0
r
2
; r r
0
in agreement with the result obtained using Gauss law.
Take Home Exam Problem 2
A spherical region of radius a > 0 situated in free space contains a
volume charge density given by
(r ) =
0

1 + r
2

; r a,
with (r ) = 0 for r > a, where
0
and are constants.
1
(20 points) Utilize Gauss law together with the inherent
symmetry of the problem to derive the electrostatic eld vector
E(r) both inside and outside the spherical charge region.
2
(40 points) Use both Poissons and Laplaces equations to
directly determine the electrostatic potential V(r) both inside
and outside the spherical region. From this potential function,
determine the electrostatic eld vector E(r).
3
(40 points) Determine the value of the parameter for which
the electrostatic eld vanishes everywhere in the region outside
the spherical charge region (r > a). Plot E
r
(r ) and V(r ) as a
function of r for this value of .