PHYSICS 8B – Fall 2016 - C.

Bordel
Lecture 1, Final exam
Tuesday, December 13th, 7-10pm

 Student name:

 Student ID #:

 Discussion section #:

 Name of your GSI:

 Day/time of your discussion section:

Reminder: You need to show your work in order to get full credit!

Score Table

Total
Problem 1 – Electrostatics (25 points)
a) [5 pts] Explain why the electric field is zero inside a solid conductor in electrostatic
equilibrium.
b) [6 pts] Using Gauss' law, show that if the conductor in electrostatic equilibrium carries
a non-zero net charge then the charge in excess should be distributed on the outside surface
of the conductor.
c) [7 pts] Consider a solid metallic sphere of radius R, carrying a net charge Q (Q>0).
Determine the direction and magnitude of the electric field created at any radial distance
r<R and r>R.
d) [7 pts] Consider a thin spherical shell of radius R with negligible thickness, whose
electric charge is uniformly distributed over the surface with a surface charge density >0.
Determine the direction and magnitude of the electric field created at any radial distance
r<R and r>R.
Problem 2 – Magnetism and Electromagnetic induction (25 points)
A uniformly distributed current I is passed around (circumferentially) a long hollow
cylinder of radius R and length L>>R, as shown in Figure 1.1.
a) [7 pts] Calculate the magnetic field created inside and outside the tube. Hint: This is
analogous to a well-known current distribution!

Figure 1.1

The current varies linearly from I0 (positive) to zero over a time interval T.
b) [7 pts] Calculate the magnitude and direction of the induced electric field inside and
outside the tube.
c) [4 pts] Explain why this induced electric field is or is not conservative.

A circular loop of radius r>R and cross-sectional diameter d (d<<r) is placed around the
tube of current, as shown in Figure 1.2. Half of the loop is made of chromium (resistivity
Cr) and the other half is made of zinc (Zn).
d) [7 pts] Calculate the induced current Iind in the circular loop.

Figure 1.2
Problem 3 – Optical instrument (25 points)
A nearsighted person cannot clearly see beyond 10 m in front of her.
a) [7 pts] Calculate the focal length fc of the corrective lens required to correct her vision
defect, assuming that the corrective lens is placed right next to the eye lens. Is the sign of
the focal length as expected? Explain.

The nearsighted person is standing in front of a large concave mirror of radius of R.

b) [6 pts] Show that the focal length f of the mirror satisfies f=R/2.
c) [6 pts] At what distance should the person stand in front of the mirror in order for the
magnification to be M=3? What does that imply for the nature (real/virtual) of the image?
d) [6 pts] Assuming that the mirror has a radius of curvature R=9 m, determine whether
or not the person can see a clear image of herself through the concave mirror without her
glasses.
Problem 4 – Two-slit interference (25 points)
A traditional two-slit interference experiment is performed in vacuum with monochromatic
light of wavelength . The source is initially equidistant from the two slits, separated by a
distance d, and the interference pattern is observed on a screen located at a distance L from
the slits (L>>d>>). See Figure 2.
a) [5 pts] Derive the y-values corresponding to the location of the bright and dark fringes
on the screen.

A thin slab of thickness t of an unknown material is placed right behind the top slit. This
causes the pattern to shift by 1 fringe, which produces an overall reversal between bright
and dark fringes.
b) [7 pts] Calculate the refractive index n of the thin slab.
c) [7 pts] Determine the location of the fringe corresponding to zero difference in optical
path length (=0) between the two waves that interfere on the screen.
d) [6 pts] By what distance h should the light source be offset in order to compensate for
the shift generated by the slab and bring the center of the pattern where it was initially?

Figure 2
Problem 5 – Photoelectric effect (25 points)
A metallic plate is illuminated by a beam of visible light, whose wavelength varies between
purple and red. A second electrode is installed and maintained at a positive electric potential
V with respect to the illuminated plate (V=0), as shown in Figure 3.1. The work function 
of the metal is small enough that there is a current for all the wavelengths between purple
and red. You may neglect the gravitational force in this problem.

a) [6 pts] Are all the surface electrons

ejected with the same maximum kinetic
energy? Justify your answer and give the
value or interval of values of the
maximum kinetic energy Kmax of the
electrons emitted by the plate.
b) [6 pts] Determine the absolute value
of the stopping potential Vs at which the
current totally ceases for all wavelengths. Figure 3.1

The 2nd electrode has a small hole in the middle that lets the electrons through. In order to
select the fastest electrons, two parallel horizontal plates of side length L and separation d

(d<<L) are placed after the 2nd electrode, and a downward electric field E is established
between the two plates, as shown in Figure 3.2. Note that diffraction can be neglected.

c) [7 pts] Explain what should be the direction and magnitude of the magnetic field B that

could be applied to compensate for the action of the electric field E and ensure that the
fastest electrons (maximum speed) follow a straight path.
d) [6 pts] Show that the work done by the magnetic force on a charged particle is always
zero.

Figure 3.2
Problem 6 – Bohr's theory (25 points)
a) [11 pts] Within the framework of Bohr's theory, derive the energy levels En of the
electron in the hydrogen atom (1 proton of mass M and charge +e and 1 electron of mass m
and charge -e) based on his assumptions regarding the angular momentum quantization
(L=nħ, n being a strictly positive integer) and the uniform circular motion of the electron
around the proton. Hint: Be careful to include both kinetic and potential energies.
b) [5 pts] Sketch qualitatively the position of the energy levels. Explain why they are
evenly or unevenly spaced and comment on the sign of the energy.
c) [4 pts] Calculate the wavelength of a photon associated with an electronic transition
from n=3 to n=1. Explain whether the photon is emitted or absorbed.
d) [5 pts] Explain how the Bohr model explains the discrete spectral lines observed
experimentally in the absorption/emission spectra of hydrogen.