a

1 dq 1 Qdx
21.86: a) On the x-axis: dEx 
4πε0 ( a  r ) 2
 Ex 
4πε0  a (a  r  x)
0
2


1 Q1 1 
  . And E y  0 .
4πε0 a  r a  r 
1 Q 1 1   1 qQ  1 1
b) If a  r  x, then E      F  qE     iˆ.
4πε0 a  x  a x 4πε0 a  x  a x
kqQ kqQ kqQ
c)  For x  a, F  ((1  a x) 1  1)  (1  a x      1)  2 
ax ax x
1 qQ
. ( Note that for x  a, r  x  a  x.) Charge distributi on looks like a point
4πε0 r 2
from far away.