21.

90: (a) On the axis,

σ   R2   4.00 p C π (0.025 m) 2   (0.025 m) 2  

−1 2 −1 2

E= 1 −  + 1  = 1 −  + 1 
2ε0   x 2   2 ε0   (0.0020 m)
2
 

⇒E =106 N C , in the + x-direction.

σ
b) The electric field is less than that of an infinite sheet E∞ = 2ε = 115 N C .
0

c)  Finite disk electric field can be expanded using the binomial theorem since the

σ  x x3 
expansion terms are small: ⇒ E ≈  R 2 R 3 − ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ So the difference between the
1 − +
2 ε0  

x
infinite sheet and finite disk goes like . Thus:
R
∆E ( x = 0.20 cm) ≈ 0.2 2.5 = 0.08 =8% and ∆E ( x = 0.40 cm)
≈ 0.4 2.5 = 0.16 =16 %.