Gaussian pillbox 2026-09-29
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 ib Paper 1 16D b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
By cylindrical symmetry the electric field of an infinite line charge is radial, independent of and angle. Use a coaxial cylindrical Gaussian surface of radius and length . The end caps have zero flux, so Gauss's law gives . Hence the field and electrostatic potential areHere is an arbitrary reference length, and . One cannot choose zero electrostatic potential at infinity for a single infinite line charge, because its logarithmic potential diverges there; the arbitrary reference handles the additive constant.