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Electricity & Magnetism Problem Set 3

This document contains Problem Set 3 for a course on Electricity & Magnetism, detailing various problems related to vector fields, delta functions, and electrostatics. It includes tasks such as applying Helmholtz theorem, proving identities involving delta functions, and evaluating integrals. The problems require the application of mathematical concepts in physics, particularly in the context of electric fields and forces between charges.

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5 views2 pages

Electricity & Magnetism Problem Set 3

This document contains Problem Set 3 for a course on Electricity & Magnetism, detailing various problems related to vector fields, delta functions, and electrostatics. It includes tasks such as applying Helmholtz theorem, proving identities involving delta functions, and evaluating integrals. The problems require the application of mathematical concepts in physics, particularly in the context of electric fields and forces between charges.

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Backup 1
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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PH108 : Electricity & Magnetism : Problem Set 3

∗
Only problems are to be solved in the tut session
1. ∗
Consider a vector field F~ (r), where r = ~r and F~ (r) dies faster than 1
r as
r → ∞, show the following results
(a) Using Helmholtz theorem as discussed in Lecture 5, Show that F~ (r)
may be written as

∇0 · F~ (r0 ) 0 ∇0 × F~ (r0 ) 0
Z Z
1 1
F~ (r) = −∇ · 0
dτ + ∇ × dτ
4π V |r − r | 4π V |r − r0 |

(b) Derive the same expression for F~ (r) using


Z
~
F (r) = dτ 0 F~ (r0 )δ 3 (r − r0 )
V

boundary of the integral is to be understood at ∞.

Hint: Use the following


(i) −4πδ 3 (r − r0 ) = ∇2 |r−r
1
0|

(ii) ∇ × ∇× = ∇∇ · −∇2
1 0 1
(iii) ∇ |r−r 0 | = −∇ |r−r 0 |

~ (r 0 )
 
F
(iv) ∇ × |r−r 0 | = −F~ (r0 ) × ∇ 1
|r−r 0 | and 7(b) from Problem Set 2.
∗
2.
(a) Using the identity: δ(ax) = δ(x)
|a| , a 6=0
Prove that: δ[g(x)] = m |g0 (x1 m )| δ(x − xm ) , where, g(xm ) = 0 and
P

g 0 (xm ) 6= 0
R∞ 1
(b) Confirm that: I= 0 dxδ(cosx)exp(−x) = 2sinh( π
) 2

(c) Show that,


sin mx
D(x) = lim
πx m→∞
R∞
is a representation of δ(x) by showing that −∞ dxf (x)D(x) = f (0)

3. Show that D(r,) demonstrates the peak-character & goes to δ 3 (r) as


→0
1 1
D(r, ) = − ∇2 √
4π r 2 + 2

Hint:
32
(a) Show that D(r, ) = 4π((r 2 +2 )5/2 )

(b) Check that D(0, ) → ∞ as  → 0


(c) Check that D(r, ) → 0 as  → 0, for all r 6= 0
(d) Check that the integral of D(r, ) over all the space is 1

1
4. Evaluate the following integral
Z
r·(d - r)δ 3 (e - r)dτ
V

where d = (5, 5, 5), e = (15, 19, 17), and V is a sphere of radius 7 centered
at (10, 15, 19).
∗
5. Let F be a vector field whose divergence and curl are given as

∇.F = δ(x)δ(y) and ∇ × F = 0

Using the Helmholtz theorem, determine F(x, y, z).


∗
6. A small ball with a positive charge +q hangs by an insulating thread.
Holding this ball vertical, a second ball having charge +q is kept at a
distance a along the horizontal direction. There are an infinite number of
points where a third ball with charge +2q may be positioned so that the
first ball continues to remain vertical when released. Find the equation of
the curve describing these points.
∗
7. After an extremely precise measurement, it was revealed that the actual
force between two point charges is given by -

1 q1 q2  r  −r/λ
F= 1 + e r̂
4π0 r2 λ
Where λ is a constant with dimensions of length, and it is a huge number
which is why the correction is tiny and difficult to notice.
Does this electric field results from a scalar potential? Justify.
And if yes, find the potential due to a point charge q placed at the origin
using infinity as your reference.

8. Which one of the following is possible expression for an electrostatic field?


For the right expression, find a potential which determines this field with
the origin as the reference.
(a) E = A(x2 yz î + 2xz ĵ − 3yz k̂)
(b) E = A([3xz 2 + y 2 ]î + 2xy ĵ + 3x2 z k̂)

9. Find the electric field a distance z above center of a square loop of side l
carrying uniform line charge density λ.

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