sign up I login
 advanced
refer a friend - earn nickels!!

Ask & Discuss Questions with Community & Experts

Moderation Team
Ask iit jee aieee pet cbse icse state board experts Discussion Response Post to: Self Energy and Potential Energy
Forum Index -> Electricity -> View Full Question like the article? email it to a friend.  
Author Message
krishna.gopal (2399)

Forum Expert Blazing goIITian

Olaaa!! Perrrfect answer. 381  bad job dude!! I dont approve of this answer! 2  [632 rates]

krishna.gopal's Avatar

total posts: 2940    
offline Offline
HI magician, Sorry for the delayed reply. Well before answering your question i would like to tell you something about the concept of self energy. Then i would like that you answer your question yourself as that will be a nice approach.
 
Lets start with the concept of potential energy.
1) Suppose there are two point charges(q1 and q2) seperated  by distance r. When we say that it is Kq1q2/r then it is the work done to bring q1 and q2 from infinite seperation to distance r.(Where K is proportionality constant)
 
2) Now suppose we want to find the potential energy of a charge Q1 placed at the centre of a shell of radius r, which contains a charge Q2.
Suppose to begin with there is only charge Q1 at the center of a neutral shell. Now we start bringing infinetisimal charges dq to the shell. Let at any time shell contain charge q.Increase in potential energy by adding another charge dq to the shell is given by
 
dU = KQ1dq/r+Kqdq/r
 
Therefore potential energy of the system
 
U =0Q2dU=K(Q1Q2/r)+(1/2)K(Q22/r) 
The first term of this energy is called interaction emergy as this is enegy associated with interaction of point charge with charge on shell while the second term is called self energy as it is the energy of interaction between charges on the shell itself.
 
I think that this example clears you difference self enrgy and interaction energy. The sum of both the energies is called total potential energy..
 
I hope this example will make you understand the concept of self energy. Now try to calculate self energy for your problem and in case you can't solve it let me know.

Krishna Gopal Singh
B.Tech Chemical Engg
IIT Delhi 2002
Currently doing PhD from IIT Delhi
 this reply: 17 points  (with Olaaa!! Perrrfect answer.   in 4 votes )   [?]
 
You have to be logged on to rate
  
 

Top Offers for goIITians
Correspondence Courses
Brilliant Tutorials
Narayana Institute
Aakash Institute
Classroom/Crash Courses
Narayana - Kota , Delhi , Others
Brilliant Tutorials - Class , Crash
Aakash Institute - Medical , Engg
Online Test Series
Brilliant Tutorials
Narayana Institute
Aakash Institute
Mahesh Tutorials
AMITY      Sri Chaitanya