8.

Consider two innitely long wires with uniform charge density running parallel to the x
axis. Find the potential at any point in space using the origin as reference. Show that the
equipotential surfaces are circular cylinders and locate the axis and radius of the cylinder
corresponding to a given potential V. Find the strength of one of the wires on the other
one.
First of all we will calculate from Gauss law the expression of the electric eld due to
an innite long wire with uniform charge. We consider a cilindrical surface S around the
wire.
_
S
(E dS) =
L

o
E2rL =
L

E =
_

2
o
r
_
r
Then, the expression of the potential V for one innite wire, taking the origin as ref-
erence, will be
V (x)V (a) = V (x) =
_
x
a
_

E(r) dr
_
=
_
x
a
_

2
o
r
_
rdr =
_
x
a
_

2
o
r
_
=
_

2
o
_
ln
_
a
x
_
In our problem we have to regard on the contribution of both wire, then adding both
potentials
V
T
= V
+
(r
+
) + V

(r

) =

2
o
ln
_
a
r
+
_
+

2
o
ln
_
a
r

_
=

2
o
ln
_
r

r
+
_
where
r
+
=
_
(y a)
2
+ (z)
2
r

=
_
(y + a)
2
+ (z)
2
1
Finally we have the expression of the total potential
V
T
=

2
o
ln
_
_
_
(y + a)
2
+ (z)
2
_
(y a)
2
+ (z)
2
_
_
=

4
o
ln
_
(y + a)
2
+ (z)
2
(y a)
2
+ (z)
2
_
To nd the equipotential surfaces or contours of the potential we set a certain value
V
T
= V . Then
V =

4
o
ln
_
(y + a)
2
+ (z)
2
(y a)
2
+ (z)
2
_
e
4
o
V

= C =
_
(y + a)
2
+ (z)
2
(y a)
2
+ (z)
2
_
_
y
2
+ a
2
+ z
2
2ay
_
C = y
2
+ a
2
+ z
2
+ 2ay
_
y
2
+ a
2
+ z
2
_
(1 C) + 2ay(1 + C) = 0
_
y
2
+ a
2
+ z
2
_
+ 2ay
_
1 + C
1 C
_
= 0 y
2
+ z
2
+ 2ay
_
1 + C
1 C
_
= a
2
_
y + a
_
1 + C
1 C
__
2
a
2
_
1 + C
1 C
_
2
+ z
2
= a
2
_
y + a
_
1 + C
1 C
__
2
+ z
2
= a
2
_
_
1 + C
1 C
_
2
1
_
which is the cylinder equation on R
3
that have
center :
_
x, a
_
1 + C
1 C
_
, 0
_
radius : r = a

_
1 + C
1 C
_
2
1 C = exp
_
4
o
V

_
1
We also have another equipotential surface that is the plane y=0
V =

4
o
ln
_
(y + a)
2
+ (z)
2
(y a)
2
+ (z)
2
_
= 0 2ay = 2ay y = 0
The last task is to calculate the strength of one of the wires on the other one. This
is the strenght per unit longitude
|

F|
L
=
|q

E|
L
=
(L)
L
_

2
o
(2a)
_
=
_

2
4
o
a
_
And this strenght is attractive.
2
Figure 1: Equipotential surface or contour potential on 3D
1
Figure 2: Equipotential surfaces or contours of potential. Front view
2
3