Electricity and Magnetism

Chapter 4

Above a Uniformly Charged Rectangular Plate

Example [ Field above the Centre of a Rectangular Uniform Distribution of Charge ]

This entire chapter will be concerned with the detailed examination of the net electric field

produced by a rectangular plate carrying a uniform distribution of electric charge, at a field

point, P, located directly above the middle of the plate. The rectangular plate is deemed

to have edge lengths 2 a and 2 b, respectively, and to bear constant charge-per-unit-area,

σ

0

. The point, P, at which we wish to compute the field is located a distance L above the

centre of the plate, as illustrated in Figure 4.1. Let’s choose ...