Physics · Ch 10 — Electrostatics
(a) Linear Charge Density
(a) Linear Charge Density
When a total charge q is distributed UNIFORMLY along a straight or curved conductor of length l (Fig. 10.22), the LINEAR CHARGE DENSITY is defined as the charge per unit length: Its SI unit is coulomb per metre (C/m). Typical physical examples of a linear charge distribution include charge spread uniformly along a thin, straight conducting rod, or along a thin nylon thread. …
What this figure shows. A thin, straight rod or wire of length l is drawn with small '+' (or evenly-spaced dot) symbols marked uniformly all along its length, representing a charge q spread continuously and uniformly over the entire length of the conductor. A small element of length dl is marked out somewhere along the rod, indicating the small elemental charge used when integrating over a linear charge distribut …