Poynting's Theorem: Joule Heating in Cylindrical Conductor

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In summary, the power dissipated to heat in length l of the conductor is P = IV. The attempt at a solution was to evaluate the integral term but was not correct.
  • #1
hhhmortal
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Homework Statement



A long cylindrical conductor of radius 'R' and electrical conductivity σ is immersed in a uniform electric field 'E' directed along its axis, imposed by a distant battery. By evaluating an appropiate term in the integral form of the poynting theorm, show that the power dissipated to heat (the joule heating) in length 'l' of the conductor is:

P = IV





The Attempt at a Solution



I think the integral term which is asking to evaluate is:

∫jf . E dV where jf is the conduction current density and dv is the whole volume of the cylinder.
 
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  • #2
That won't be enough. The theorem relates (in this particular case) the time rate of change of the energy density to to the integral you have given. More generally, you'd also have to integrate over the poynting vector itself. In this case, however, the poynting vector is zero because of the absence of a magnetic field.

The time rate of change in the energy density is proportional to the power.
 
  • #3
The Poynting vector is not zero. There's a magnetic field due to the current.

The electromagnetic energy flowing through a surface S is

[tex] \int_{S} S \cdot dA [/tex]

where the S in the integrand is the Poynting vector. Evaluate this over the surface of the wire (segment of length l) to find the energy flowing into it. This must equal the energy dissipated as heat because the current is steady.
 
  • #4
Pfft, yeah what he said.

sorry for the bogus post.
 
  • #5
dx said:
The electromagnetic energy flowing through a surface S is

[tex] \int_{S} S \cdot dA [/tex]

where the S in the integrand is the Poynting vector. Evaluate this over the surface of the wire (segment of length l) to find the energy flowing into it. This must equal the energy dissipated as heat because the current is steady.

In the interest of accuracy,

[tex] \int_{S} S \cdot dA [/tex]

is the electromagnetic energy flowing through a surface S per unit time.

And, it must equal the power (not energy) dissipated as heat.
 
  • #6
I'm still confused on how to solve this, I tried evaluating the integral:

∫ S. dA and i got S = 4(pi)R² . E²√(permittivity/permeability)


Do I need to equate this to the joule heating term? and is this term simply jf . 4/3(pi)R³ ?


Thanks.
 
  • #7
hhhmortal said:
I'm still confused on how to solve this, I tried evaluating the integral:

∫ S. dA and i got S = 4(pi)R² . E²√(permittivity/permeability)

That's not correct. If you do it correctly, you should find the rate of flow of energy into the segment of length L to be LE(πr²)j = LEI. Show your work so I can see where you went wrong.
 

FAQ: Poynting's Theorem: Joule Heating in Cylindrical Conductor

What is Poynting's Theorem?

Poynting's Theorem is a fundamental law in electromagnetism that describes the relationship between electromagnetic fields and energy flow. It states that the rate of change of electromagnetic energy within a given volume is equal to the sum of the energy flowing into that volume and the work done on the charges within the volume.

What is Joule heating?

Joule heating, also known as resistive heating, is the process of converting electrical energy into heat energy in a conductor due to the resistance of the material. This phenomenon is described by Joule's first law of thermodynamics, which states that the amount of heat produced is proportional to the square of the current passing through the conductor and the resistance of the material.

How does Poynting's Theorem relate to Joule heating?

Poynting's Theorem provides a mathematical framework for calculating the rate of change of electromagnetic energy, which includes the energy dissipated as heat through Joule heating. It allows us to determine the amount of energy being converted into heat in a cylindrical conductor by considering the electric and magnetic fields within the conductor.

What is a cylindrical conductor?

A cylindrical conductor is a conductor with a circular cross-section, such as a wire or a tube. It is often used in electrical circuits and has a constant radius throughout its length.

How is Poynting's Theorem applied to cylindrical conductors?

In the case of a cylindrical conductor, Poynting's Theorem can be used to calculate the power dissipated as heat, or Joule heating, by considering the electric and magnetic fields inside the conductor. These fields can be represented using mathematical equations, and by applying Poynting's Theorem, we can determine the rate at which energy is being converted into heat within the conductor.

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