BSc/MSci Examination by course unit.

Monday 28th April 2015 14:30 –17:00

SPA4210/PHY4210 Electric and Magnetic Fields Duration: 2 hours 30

minutes

YOU ARE NOT PERMITTED TO READ THE CONTENTS OF THIS QUESTION

PAPER UNTIL INSTRUCTED TO DO SO BY AN INVIGILATOR.

Instructions:
Answer ALL questions in section A. Answer ONLY TWO questions from section
B. Section A carries 50 marks, each question in section B carries 25 marks.

If you answer more questions than specified, only the first answers (up to the
specified number) will be marked. Cross out any answers that you do not wish to
be marked.

Only non-programmable calculators are permitted in this examination. Please state on

your answer book the name and type of machine used.

Complete all rough workings in the answer book and cross through any work that is not
to be assessed.

Important note: The academic regulations state that possession of unauthorised

material at any time when a student is under examination conditions is an assessment
offence and can lead to expulsion from QMUL.

Please check now to ensure you do not have any notes, mobile phones or unauthorised
electronic devices on your person. If you have any, then please raise your hand and
give them to an invigilator immediately. It is also an offence to have any writing of any
kind on your person, including on your body. If you are found to have hidden
unauthorised material elsewhere, including toilets and cloakrooms it will be treated as
being found in your possession. Unauthorised material found on your mobile phone or
other electronic device will be considered the same as being in possession of paper
notes. A mobile phone that causes a disruption is also an assessment offence.

EXAM PAPERS MUST NOT BE REMOVED FROM THE EXAM ROOM

Examiners:
R.Russo
T.Kreouzis

© Queen Mary University of London, 2015

Page 2 SPA4210 (2015)

SECTION A. Answer all questions in Section A

Question A1

Two point-like charges Q1 = 10-5 C and Q2 = 2×10-5 C are separated by a distance d = 1

m. Use Coulomb’s law to calculate the electric force the first charge exerts on the
second one.
[5 marks]

Question A2

Write Gauss’ law for the electric field defining all symbols used.
[5 marks]

Question A3

Write the relation between the electric field 𝐸⃗ and the electric potential . Use this
relation to obtain the electric field from the following electric potential:

𝜆
𝜙= (𝑥 + 𝑦 2 )
𝜀0

Where  is a constant and (x,y) are the coordinates along the z = 0 plane in a three
dimensional Cartesian system.
[5 marks]

Question A4

Write down the formula for the total resistance of two resistors R1 and R2 in parallel.
Write also the formula for the total capacitance of two capacitors C1 and C2 in parallel.
[5 marks]

Question A5

Write an expression for the force felt by a point-like charge 𝑞 moving with velocity 𝑣
⃗⃗⃗ in
⃗⃗⃗ ⃗
the presence of a magnetic field 𝐵 and an electric field 𝐸 (the Lorentz force).
[5 marks]

Section A continued on next page.

 SPA4210 (2015) Page 3

Question A6

Show that the magnetic field:

𝜇0 𝐼 𝑦 𝜇0 𝐼 𝑥
𝐵𝑥 = − , 𝐵𝑦 = , 𝐵𝑧 = 0
2𝜋 𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 2𝜋 𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2

satisfies Gauss’ law for magnetic fields.

[5 marks]

Question A7

Write Ampère’s law and its extension introduced by Maxwell defining all symbols used.

[5 marks]
Question A8

Write down the energy density for the magnetic and the electric fields, hence find the
total energy stored in the following electric field:
For the region 0 ≤ 𝑧 ≤ 𝑑, 0 ≤ 𝑦 ≤ 𝑙, 0 ≤ 𝑥 ≤ 𝑙;

Q
Ez 
2
l 0
Ex 0
Ey 0
elsewhere
Ez  0
Ex  0
Ey 0

[5 marks]

Question A9

Write down Faraday’s law of electromagnetic induction defining all symbols used.

[5 marks]

Question A10

Write the wave equation for an electromagnetic field propagating in a vacuum. Check
that the magnetic component of the plane wave:

𝐵𝑥 = 𝐵𝑐𝑜𝑠(𝑘𝑥 − 𝜔𝑡) 𝐵𝑦 = 0 𝐵𝑧 = 0


where B, k and  are constants, will satisfy this equation if c  .
k
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Page 4 SPA4210 (2015)

[5 marks]
 SPA4210 (2015) Page 5

SECTION B. Attempt two of the four questions in this section

Question B1

a) Consider an infinitely thin, charged sheet with a uniform charge density  (assume
that the sheet is aligned parallel to the x-y plane). Explain why the electric potential
generated can depend only on the distance from the sheet.

[5 marks]
b) Find the electric field 𝐸⃗ generated by the charged sheet.

[7 marks]

c) Use the general relation between the electric potential and the electric field to find an
expression for the potential for the electric field obtained in part (b).

[7 marks]

d) Another infinite sheet with opposite charge is placed at a distance l from the first
sheet. What is the electric field now?

[6 marks]

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Page 6 SPA4210 (2015)

Question B2

a) Write Gauss’ laws in differential form for the electric and the magnetic fields in the
absence of charged sources.
[5 marks]

b) Write the remaining two Maxwell equations in differential form, always in the absence
of charged sources.
[5 marks]

c) Show that they imply:

1 𝜕 2 𝐵𝑥
⃗ 2 𝐵𝑥 =
∇
𝑐 2 𝜕𝑡 2
[9 marks]

d) In absence of charged sources the electric and the magnetic fields play a symmetric
role. Find an explicit transformation exchanging 𝐸⃗ and 𝐵
⃗ that leaves the sourceless
Maxwell’s equations unchanged.
[6 marks]
 SPA4210 (2015) Page 7

Question B3

a) A square circuit made of a conducting wire of resistance R is immersed in a constant

magnetic field 𝐵⃗ pointing in the z-direction. Calculate the flux of the magnetic field
through the circuit in terms of the length l of the edges and the angle  between the
normal direction to the plane and the z-axis.
[5 marks]

b) Suppose that the circuit rotates with constant angular speed  around an axis
passing through the midpoints of two opposite edges. Determine the induced emf and
the current flowing through the wire.
[7 marks]

c) Determine the power the circuit dissipates in each full turn.

[7 marks]

d) Consider now the situation where the circuit is not moving and lies in the x-y plane,
while the z-component of the magnetic field is not constant. Calculate the emf in this
case; choose a function of time 𝐵𝑧 = 𝐵(𝑡) so as to obtain an induced current I that is
identical to the one obtained in part (b).
[6 marks]

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 Page 8 SPA4210 (2015)

Question B4

a) State the integral form of Gauss’ law for the flux of the magnetic field.
[4 marks]

b) An infinitely long cylindrical shell has inner radius a and outer radius b and carries a
current I parallel to the central axis which is aligned to the z-axis. Use Gauss’ law for the
flux through a cylinder centred along the z-axis and show that the magnetic field 𝐵 ⃗
produced by this current is zero in the directions perpendicular to the wire.
[4 marks]

c) Use Biot-Savart law and show that the component of the magnetic field 𝐵𝑧 is zero.

[4 marks]

d) Find an expression for the magnetic field in the region 0 < 𝑟 < 𝑎, where 𝑟 = √𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2
the distance from the z-axis.

[3 marks]
e) Find an expression for the magnetic field in the region 𝑏 < 𝑟.

[4 marks]

f) Find an expression for the magnetic field in the region 𝑎 < 𝑟 < 𝑏. (Assume that there
is a uniform current density in this region).

[6 marks]

End of Paper –

An appendix of 1 page with useful information (physical constants) follows

 SPA4210 (2015) Page 9

Appendix

Charge of an electron 𝑒 = −1.6 × 10−19 𝐶

Vacuum permittivity 𝜀0 = 8.85 × 10−12 𝐶𝑉 −1 𝑚−1

1
≈ 9 × 109 𝑉𝑚𝐶 −1
4𝜋𝜀
0

Vacuum permeability 𝜇0 = 4𝜋 × 10−7 𝑉𝑠𝐴−1 𝑚−1

1𝑒𝑉 = 1.6 × 10−19 𝐽

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