Phy121 Electricity and Magnetism

EXAMINATIONS FOR THE AWARD
OF THE DEGREE OF
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE WITH
EDUCATION (BScED)
END OF SEMESTER 2 EXAMINATION

2018/2019
SUBJECT : PHYSICS
PAPER NAME : ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM
PAPER CODE : PHY 121
YEAR : BSc Ed I
DATE : Tuesday, 21/MAY/2019
TIME : (09:00–12:00)3HOURS
INSTRUCTIONS
(i) Attempt any FOUR (4) questions.
(ii) Each question carries 25 marks.
(iii) Show all the working clearly.
Where necessary assume the following universal constants
Speed of light in vacuum, c =3.00 × 108 ms−1

Electron mass, me =9.11 × 10−31 kg
Electronic charge, e =1.60 × 10−19 C
Permittivity of free space, 0 =8.854 × 1012 Fm−1
zzz TURN OVER
1
1. (a) (i) What is electrostatics [01]
(i) State Coulomb’s law of electrostatics [01]
(b) Four point charges are at the corners of a square of side a, as shown in Fig 1.
Derive the expression for the work required to put the four charges together
at charge q. [14]
Figure 1
(c) Two similar conducting balls of mass m are hung from silk threads of length
l and carry similar charges as in fig 2. Assume that θ is so small that tan θ
Figure 2
can be replaced by approximately sin θ.

(i) To this approximation, show that
31
q2L

1
a= (1)
2 2π0 mg
where g is the acceleration due to gravity. [06]

(ii) If L = 120 cm, m = 10 g, and a = 2.5 cm, find the value of q. [03]
2
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2. (a) What is meant by the terms
(i) dielectric material? [01]

(ii) capacitance of a capacitor? [01]
(b) A parallel-plate capacitor has plates of dimensions 2.0 cm by 3.0 cm sepa-

rated by a 1.0 mm thickness of paper.
(i) Find its capacitance (Use dielectric constant for paper as 3.7). [03]
(ii) What is the maximum charge that can be placed on the capacitor? (Use
dielectric strength of paper as 16 × 106 V/m) [06]
(c) State Kirchoff’s laws [02]
(d) Three resistors are connected in parallel as shown in Figure 3. A potential
Figure 3
difference of 18 V is maintained between points a and b.
(i) Find the current in each resistor. [06]

(ii) Calculate the power delivered to each resistor and the total power de-
livered to the combination of resistors. [06]
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3
3. (a) Define the term magnetic flux. [01]
(b) Write down the an expression for the magnetic flux density at:
(i) A perpendicular distance, d from a long straight wire carrying a current,
I in a vacuum. [01]
(i) The centre of a circular coil of, N turns each of radius, R and carrying
a current, I. [01]
(i) The centre of an air-cored solenoid of n turns per meter each carrying
a current, I. [01]
(c) (i) Write down an expression for the Lorentz force, defining all symbols
used. [02]
(ii) Briefly explain how Lorentz force is applied in the measurement of
charge to mass ratio using a Bainbridge mass spectrometer. [07]
(iii) In a cloud chamber photograph, an electron path is bent into a circle of
radius 12 cm by a magnetic field of flux density 0.08 T directed at right
angles to the palne of the path. Calculate the energy of the electrons.
[04]
(d) An electron has a velocity given by v = 2.0×106 î+3.0×106 ĵ it enters a uni-
form magnetic field of flux density B = 0.03î − 0.15ĵT. Find the magnitude
and direction of the force on the electron. [08]
4. (a) State and prove Gauss’s law of electrostatics [05]

(b) A spherical charge distribution is expressed as
(
r

ρ0 1 − a
for r a
ρ(r) =
0 for r > a
where a is the radius of the sphere
(i) Find the electric field strength at internal and external points [12]
(ii) Show that maximum value of the electric field strength is observed at
an internal point at a distance r = 2a/3 from the centre [03]
(c) Sketch electric field lines for
(i) a single positive charge +q and for a charge +3q. [02]
(ii) in the vicinity of two negative point charges placed near each other.
[01]
(d) Explain why it is not possible for electric field lines to intersect at points
other than sinks and sources [02]
4
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5. (a) Define the terms electric field intensity and electric potential. [02]
(b) Given that in polar coordinates, the gradient operator is
∂ ∂
∇ = r̂ + θ̂ ,
∂r ∂θ
where r̂ and θ̂ are units of vectors along the radial and transverse directions
respectively.
Find the components of the electric field intensity for electric potential given
by
a cos θ b
V (r, θ) = +
r2 a
where a and b are constants [09]
(c) Two identical drops are charged to the same electric potential 60V. Find
the new potential if the two drops coalesce into one drop. [08]
(d) Breifly explain any two different sources of polarization of matter by an
applied electric field. [06]
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6. (a) State Biot-Sarvart’s law defining all symbols [02]

(b) (i) A circular coil of N turns and radius R is carrying a current I. Find
the magnetic flux density B at a point P a distance x from the centre
of the coil along the axis of the coil, assuming its axis lies along the
x-axis. [08]
(ii) Hence deduce the magnetic flux density at a point far away from the
coil (x >> R), stating your answer in terms of the magnetic moment
m, of the coil (m = N IA), where A is the cross sectional area. [04]
(c) (i) State the laws of electromagnetic induction [02]
(ii) Explain why, when a current is switched off in some circuits, a spark is
seen across the gap of the switch [04]
(d) In the diagram in fig 4, M vL is the voltage drop across the induction
(i) Plot the instantaneous current iL and instantaneous voltage M vL across

an inductor as functions of time t. [03]
5
Figure 4: A circuit consisting of an inductor of inductance L connected to an ac
generator.
(ii) Draw a phasor diagram for the inductive circuit, showing that the cur-
rent lags behind the voltage by 900 [02]
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EXAMINATIONS FOR THE AWARD

END OF SEMESTER 2 EXAMINATION

(i) Attempt any FOUR (4) questions.

(ii) Each question carries 25 marks.

(iii) Show all the working clearly.

Where necessary assume the following universal constants

Speed of light in vacuum, c =3.00 × 108 ms−1

zzz TURN OVER

can be replaced by approximately sin θ.

where g is the acceleration due to gravity. [06]

2. (a) What is meant by the terms

(i) dielectric material? [01]

(b) A parallel-plate capacitor has plates of dimensions 2.0 cm by 3.0 cm sepa-

(c) State Kirchoff’s laws [02]

(d) Three resistors are connected in parallel as shown in Figure 3. A potential

difference of 18 V is maintained between points a and b.

(i) Find the current in each resistor. [06]

4. (a) State and prove Gauss’s law of electrostatics [05]

6. (a) State Biot-Sarvart’s law defining all symbols [02]

(i) Plot the instantaneous current iL and instantaneous voltage M vL across

zzzz GOOD LUCK zzzz

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