Calculate the electric field in the middle of half sphere

In summary, the conversation revolves around calculating the electric field in the middle of a half-sphere with radius R using spherical coordinates and integrating from 0 to PI/2. The participants discuss whether rings or shells should be used in the integration process and the correct formula for the electric field of a ring. They also mention the possibility of using Gauss's law and the importance of considering the source charge.
  • #1
en.yokhai
7
0
hey guys

i'm new here...i got here with a question...

i want to calculate the electric field in the middle of half sphere with raduse R ,
so..i made a rings out of the sphere,ds,which in fact is (2PI*R^2)sin(teta)d(teta), and tried to integrate from 0 to PI/2.

i did get something...i'd like to know if I'm right or not...

thanks:)
 
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  • #2
I'd like to know what you got...
 
  • #3
[tex]\sigma[/tex]\2[tex]\epsilon[/tex]

sigma dividd by 2 epsilon
 
  • #4
en.yokhai said:
[tex]\sigma[/tex]\2[tex]\epsilon[/tex]

sigma dividd by 2 epsilon

well that's got to be wrong.. The electric field at any point is dependent on the radius vector... You equation has no r in it... And why go for spherical co ordinates if rectangular co ordinates make it more easier...

The analogy which you have shown here is perfect... But remember that you have to take shells and not rings... And then apply k(charge on the infinitesimal shell) divided by x square... where x is the radius of the shell
 
  • #5
I get something else... (not [tex]\sigma/2\epsilon_0[/tex])

Try explaining how you did it.

Also, FedEx made me think of something: is this a solid half-sphere or a half-spherical shell? I'd assumed the latter because [tex]\sigma[/tex] is usually surface charge density.
 
  • #6
Are you talking about a spherical shell or a solid hemisphere?
 
  • #7
i'm talking about a shell
 
  • #8
You forgot to select the correct component. In what direction does the E-field point in the center?
 
  • #9
well i finally come to the conclusion that spherical coordinates would remain simple... And taking rings would be much better

but the rings would be like

dq = (sigma)(2pi r sintheta)(r dtheta)

And now apply the formula of the electric field of a ring
 
  • #10
ahhh, yes. the infamous half sphere. you can't quite use gauss's law due to the lack of familiar symmetry, and it seems like you must integrate.

tell me about the source charge.
 

FAQ: Calculate the electric field in the middle of half sphere

1. What is the formula for calculating the electric field in the middle of half sphere?

The formula for calculating the electric field in the middle of half sphere is E = k*(Q/R^2), where E is the electric field, k is the Coulomb constant, Q is the charge on the half sphere, and R is the distance from the center of the half sphere to the point of interest.

2. How do you determine the direction of the electric field in the middle of half sphere?

The direction of the electric field in the middle of half sphere is always radial, pointing away from the center of the half sphere. This means that the electric field lines will be perpendicular to the surface of the half sphere at all points.

3. What units are used for the electric field in the middle of half sphere?

The units for the electric field in the middle of half sphere are newtons per coulomb (N/C) or volts per meter (V/m).

4. Can the electric field in the middle of half sphere be negative?

Yes, the electric field in the middle of half sphere can be negative if the charge on the half sphere is negative. This indicates that the direction of the electric field is towards the center of the half sphere instead of away from it.

5. How does the distance from the center of the half sphere affect the electric field in the middle of half sphere?

The electric field in the middle of half sphere is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the center of the half sphere. This means that the electric field will decrease as the distance increases, and will approach zero as the distance approaches infinity.

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