PHY209 Electromagnetism

Quiz I
Time & Date: 6:00 PM - 6:50 PM, August 23, 2019

Name: Set A Roll Number:

Instructions
1. Only HANDWRITTEN notes allowed. If not adhered to, you will face disqualification from exam.
2. Please write only the FINAL answer below the problem. No partial marks awarded.
3. Please write your name and roll number on the answer sheet.

Problem 1 (1 mark)

The work done against the electrostatic force in carrying a unit positive charge from point x to point
y along some path is denoted as W (x → y). Determine the relation between W (a → b), W (P0 → b) and
W (P0 → a).
Answer
W (P0 → a) + W (a → b) = W (P0 → b) (1)

Problem 2 (2 marks)
(a) A ring of radius a carries a uniformly distributed positive total charge Q. Calculate the electric field
due to the ring at a point P lying a distance x from its center along the central axis perpendicular to the
plane of the ring.
Answer Refer to Problem 3 in Assignment 3. Q = λ(2πa).

1 λ(2πa)x 1 Qx
E= x̂ = x̂ (2)
4π0 (x2 + a2 ) 23 4π0 (x2 + a2 ) 32

(b) A negatively charged particle q and mass m is placed at the center of a uniformly charged ring, where
the ring has a total positive charge Q. The particle, confined to move along the x axis, is displaced a small
distance x along the axis (where x  a) and released. If the particle oscillates with simple harmonic
motion, what is its frequency?
Answer For a small displacement of the particle along the positive x-axis, the positively charged ring
will exert an attractive force on the negatively charged q and the force is directed along the negative
x-axis.
d2 x 1 qQx 1 qQx
m 2 = qE = ≈ (3)
dt 4π0 (x2 + a2 ) 23 4π0 a3
r
1 |q|Q
4π0 a3
The angular frequency ω is given by m .
Problem 3 (1 mark)
Four equal positive charges of magnitude Q are placed on the four corners of a square of side d. What is
the electric energy of this system of charges?
Answer The work done to assemble this system of charges is

Q2 Q2 √ Q2
W =4 +2 √ = (4 + 2) (4)
4π0 d 4π0 2d 4π0 d

Problem 4 (1 mark)
Find both the angles between the body diagonals of a cube.
Answer

A = x̂ + ŷ − ẑ (5)
B = x̂ + ŷ + ẑ (6)
A·B =1+1−1=1 (7)
√ √
A · B = AB cos θ = 3 3 cos θ (8)

The angles are θ = cos−1 ( 31 ) and π − θ.

Problem 5 (1 mark)
Calculate the line integral of the function v = x2 x̂ + 2yz ŷ + y 2 ẑ from the origin to the point (1, 1, 1) by
the route: (0, 0, 0) → (1, 0, 0) → (1, 1, 0) → (1, 1, 1).
Answer As always, dl = dxx̂ + dy ŷ + dz ẑ. Path consists of three parts.
Along the (0, 0, 0) → (1, 0, 0) segment, dy = dz = 0, so
Z Z 1
2 1
dl = dxx̂, y = z = 0, v · dl = x dx, v · dl = x2 dx = (9)
0 3

Along the (1, 0, 0) → (1, 1, 0) segment, dx = dz = 0, so

Z
dl = dy ŷ, z = 0, v · dl = 0dy, v · dl = 0 (10)

Along the (1, 1, 0) → (1, 1, 1) segment, dx = dy = 0, so

Z Z 1
dl = dz ẑ, y = 1, v · dl = 1dz, v · dl = dz = 1 (11)
0

The line integral is 43 .

Problem 6 (1 mark)
Express the unit vectors x̂ and ŷ in terms of the unit vectors r̂ and θ̂ in plane polar coordinates.
Answer

x̂ = cos θr̂ − sin θθ̂ (12)

ŷ = sin θr̂ + cos θθ̂ (13)

Problem 7 (1 mark)
The electric field set up by a uniform line of charge with infinite length is
λ
E= r̂ (14)
2π0 r
where r̂ is a unit vector pointing radially away from the line and λ is the linear charge density along the
line. Derive an expression for the potential difference between r1 and r2 .
Answer Let the line of charge be located along the z-axis. Let the points P1 and P2 be located at
radial distances of r1 and r2 from the z-axis respectively. Let the coordinates of P1 and P2 be (r1 , 0, 0)
and (0, r2 , z) respectively. As you will soon realize, the potential difference will be the same even if P2
is not located on the y-axis as long as it is at a distance r2 . We note that the potential difference is
path-independent. Let the path consists of three parts.
Along the circular arc (r1 , 0, 0) → (0, r1 , 0) segment, dr = dz = 0, so
Z
λ
dl = rdθθ̂, E · dl = r̂ · rdθθ̂ = 0, E · dl = 0 (15)
2π0 r

Along the (0, r1 , 0) → (0, r2 , 0) segment, dθ = dz = 0, so

(0,r2 ,0) λ ln ( rr12 )
Z
λ λdr
dl = drr̂, E · dl = r̂ · drr̂ = ,− E · dl = (16)
2π0 r 2π0 r (0,r1 ,0) 2π0

Along the (0, r2 , 0) → (0, r2 , z) segment, dr = dθ = 0, so

Z
λ
dl = dz ẑ, E · dl = r̂ · dz ẑ = 0, E · dl = 0 (17)
2π0 r
r
λ ln ( r1 )
The potential difference is 2π0 .
2

Problem 8 (1 mark)
What is the electric field of a flat thin sheet, infinite in extent, with constant surface charge density σ?
Answer Refer to Problem 4 in Assignment 3. In the limit R → ∞, the flat circular disk becomes a flat
thin sheet infinite in extent.
 
σz 1 1
E= − 1 ẑ (18)
20 z (z 2 + R2 ) 2

In the limit R → ∞, the second term tends to zero, so

σ
E= ẑ (19)
20
Problem 9 (1 mark)
A thin rod of uniform charge per unit length λ lies along the x axis, as shown in Figure. What is the
electric field at P , a distance d from the rod, along the perpendicular bisector?
Answer The length 2L of the rod is 2d tan θ0 . The electric field a distance d above the midpoint of a
straight line segment of length 2L that carries a uniform line charge λ is
1 2λ L
E= √ ŷ (20)
4π0 d d2 + L2
λ sin θ0
= ŷ (21)
2π0 d