Classical Electrodynamics

Proposed Exercises 2024/2025, Técnico Lisboa

Frederico Fiuza, Zakary Buras-Stubbs & Pablo San Miguel

Week 1 - September 9 to 13

Revision of mathematical techniques, electrostatics, magnetostatics, Maxwell’s equations,

electromagnetic potentials, conservation laws.
! → important
* → challenging

Supplementary Exercises
Electrostatics in vacuum
Problem 1. Application of Laplace’s Equation
In your problem classes you should have shown that the general solution to the Laplace
equation is given by:
∞
X
s (ak sin(kϕ) + bk cos(kϕ)) + s−k (ck sin(kϕ) + dk cos(kϕ))
 k 
V (s, ϕ) = a0 + b0 ln(s) +
k=1

Use this to solve the following exercises.

1.a) Cylindrical Shell with Uniform Surface Charge Density [*]
Consider a long cylindrical shell of radius R which has a uniform surface charge
density σ0 on the top half and −σ0 on the bottom half. Use the solution from the
previous subproblem with the appropriate boundary conditions to find the potential
everywhere inside and outside the cylinder.
A:. Apply the boundary conditions and symmetry of the problem to simplify the
potential formula. The solution involves expressing the charge distribution in terms
of a Fourier series and solving for the Fourier coefficients, ak and bk , with the given
conditions. The final solution will contain only the sin(kϕ) terms with coefficients
depending on σ0 and the radius R.
Starting with the general solution, for s < R the terms ln(s) and s−k blow up at
k
the origin, while for s > R the terms P∞ln(s)k and s blow up for s → ∞. The
general
P∞solution is then Vin = a0 + k=1 [s (ak sin(kϕ) + bk cos(kϕ)] and Vout =
−k
a0 + k=1 [s (ck sin(kϕ)+dk cos(kϕ)]. Imposing the boundary conditions Vin (R, ϕ) =
Vout (R, ϕ) leads to ak Rk = ck R−k , bk Rk = dk R−k so that ck = ak R2k and dk = bk R2k .
We set for convenience the potential to be zero at s = 0 leading to a0 = 0. The final
boundary condition is
∂Vout ∂Vin σ(ϕ)
− =− , (1)
∂s s=R ∂s s=R ϵ0

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 where σ(ϕ) = σ0 for 0 < ϕ < π and σ(ϕ) = −σ0 for π < ϕ < 2π. Inserting
the solution and the boundary conditions in Eq. (1), and integrating over cos(kϕ)
and sin(kϕ) (Fourier transforming) to find the coefficients, we obtain bk = 0 and
ak = 2σ0 /(k 2 Rk−1 πϵ0 ) for odd k only. The final solution is then
2σ0 R X sk 2σ0 R X Rk
Vin (s, ϕ) = sin(kϕ), Vout (s, ϕ) = sin(kϕ). (2)
πϵ0 oddk k 2 Rk πϵ0 oddk k 2 sk
1.b) Cylinder in a Uniform Electric Field [*]
Consider a long cylinder of radius R, made of linear dielectric material with suscep-
tibility χe , placed in a uniform electric field Er0 . Use the solution from the first sub-
problem with the appropriate boundary conditions to find the potential everywhere
inside the cylinder.

A:. Again, apply the boundary conditions to the general solution to obtain the co-
efficients. Here, the potential is due to the applied field and the induced charges on
the dielectric. For k ̸= 1, the ak and bk coefficients will be zero due to the symmetry
of the problem. The solution will incorporate the effect of the electric field and the
dielectric properties of the cylinder.
Starting with the general vacuum solution and working out the boundary conditions
Vin (0, ϕ) = 0, Vout (s → ∞, ϕ) = −E0 s cos(ϕ) and Vin (R, ϕ) = Vout (R, ϕ) we find that
X∞
Vin = [sk (ak sin(kϕ) + bk cos(kϕ))], (3)
k=1
R2
  X
Vout = − 1 sE 0 cos(ϕ) + s−k R2k (ak sin(kϕ) + bk cos(kϕ)). (4)
s2
The final boundary condition is
∂Vout ∂Vin
ϵ0 =ϵ , (5)
∂s s=R ∂s s=R
leading to a1 = 0 and b1 = −2ϵ0 E0 /(ϵ + ϵ0 ) = −E0 /(1 + χe /2) and a, b zero for all
other k.

Problem 2. Off-center Conductive Shell [*]

A positive point charge of +Q is inside but not at the center of a neutral, hollow, spherical
metallic shell with inner radius a and outer radius b.
2.a) Sketch the charge and the shell. What type of symmetry, if any, does this charge-
shell system have? Describe how the charge is distributed for the metallic shell. Be
specific: where does the charge reside and how is it distributed? In your sketch, draw
the electric field lines you expect to find.

A:. The charge on the shells will be such as to even out the both surface’s potential
(the potential inside the conductor must be constant, and electric field zero). This
means the inside shell will be negatively charged, and with a bigger concetration
of charge in regions near the off-center particle. The outside shell will be positively
charged with a uniform distribution as not to generate "unwanted"electric fields inside
the conductor.
2.b) Now think about how to determine the electric field E and the voltage V throughout
space (using V (r → ∞) = 0). From the last semester, you have many "tools"at your
disposal: Gauss’s law, Coulomb-style direct integration, the method of images, and

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 sums of solutions to Laplace’s equation. For each region (r < a, a < r < b, and r
> b) and for each of the tools mentioned above, discuss whether this "tool"could be
used to find E and V, with the given information and any aspects of the solutions
that you know to be true from symmetry or properties of conductors.
A:. Given what we know from the last question, the region r > b is easily solvable
using Gauss’s law, while the region a < r < b must have E = 0 from what we
know about conductors. The region r < a can’t be solved with Gauss’s law as there
is no pretty symmetry, neither with direct-integration because we don’t know the
distribution of induced charges in the inner shell. As such we must solve Laplace’s
equation (hard) or use the method of images.
2.c) Go ahead and find the electric field E and the voltage V throughout space using
any method you prefer. You may use the method of images with a fictitious negative
charge |q ′ | = qR/d, at a distance d′ = R2 /d (Without using the above hint this
question is extremely challenging, but you are free to try it at your own leisure)
A:. For convenience, we set the the inner shell’s potential (which must be constant)
to V = 0. For r < a weuse the method of images with an imaginary negative charge
|q ′ | =qR/d at a distance d′ = R2 /d and see that boundary condition is fulfilled:
q 1 q′
 4πε0 [ √r2 +d2 −2rd cos θ − √r2 +d′2 −2rd′ cos θ ], r < a

V = 0 a<r<b

 q 1 1
( − b) r > b
4πε0 r
2.d) Using your answers to part (c), find any non-zero charge distributions on (or on) the
shell. Do they agree with your expectations from part (a)? Briefly comment/discuss.
A:. The charge distributions can be found using the discontinuity of the electric field
(− ∂V∂rin + ∂V∂rout ) = σ, and they agree with our first guess.
E.M. Potentials
Problem 3. Lorenz Gauge [!]
For the eletromagnetic potentials V and A show that in the Lorenz gauge ( ∇ · A = − c12 ∂V
∂t
) , Maxwell’s equations can be summarized as:

2 1 ∂ 2V ρ
∇ V − 2 2 =− (6)
c ∂t ε0
2
1 ∂ A
∇2 A − 2 2 = −µ0 J (7)
c ∂t
In free space, what form do the electromagnetic potentials take?
´ ´
A:. V = (1/4πϵ0 ) ρ/|r − r′ |d3 r′ , A = (µ0 /4π) J/|r − r′ |d3 r′ .
Poynting Theorem and Conservation Laws
Problem 4. Eletromagnetic pressure
In the case where an EM wave emanating from x = 0 strikes perpendicularly a surface at
x = d, what is the average eletromagnetic pressure?
Assume the perpendicular direction to the wall is x and: H(x, t) = H0 e−x/δ cos(ωt − kx)ẑ
and E(x, t) = E0 e−x/δ cos(ωt − kx)ŷ. ´
Sugestion: First show that the pressure on the wall is given by P = fx dx

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 ´ ´
A:. The EM wave is constant at the surface (yz−plane) so P = FAx = fx dV A
= fx dx.
1 ∂Sx −2x/δ (ε E 2 +µ H 2 )
⟨fx ⟩ = ⟨∂i Tix ⟩ − ⟨ 2 ⟩ = e 2δ (ε0 E02 + µ0 H02 ) and so ⟨P ⟩ = 0 0 4 0 0 (1 − e−2d/δ )
| c {z∂t }
=0