Phys 311

Fall 2019

Electromagnetic Theory: Final Exam

11 December 2019

Name: Total: /60

Instructions

• There are 8 questions on 11 pages.

• Show your reasoning and calculations and always explain your answers.

Physical constants and useful formulae

Permittivity of free space ǫ0 = 8.85 × 10−12 C2 /Nm2

Permeability of free space µ0 = 4π × 10−7 N/A2
Charge of an electron e = −1.60 × 10−19 C

Integrals

sin ((a − b)x) sin ((a + b)x)

Z
sin (ax) sin (bx) dx = − if a 6= b
2(a − b) 2(a + b)

sin ((a − b)x) sin ((a + b)x)

Z
cos (ax) cos (bx) dx = + if a 6= b
2(a − b) 2(a + b)
1
Z
sin (ax) cos (ax) dx = sin2 (ax)
2a
x sin (2ax)
Z
sin2 (ax) dx = −
2 4a
x sin (2ax)
Z
cos2 (ax) dx = +
2 4a

x2 x sin (2ax) cos (2ax)

Z
x sin2 (ax) dx = − −
4 4a 8a2

x3 x2 x 1
Z
x2 sin2 (ax) dx = − sin (2ax) − 2 cos (2ax) + 3 sin (2ax)
6 4a 4a 8a
Question 1
A cylinder with radius R extends infinitely along its axis. The charge density in the cylinder
is given (in cylindrical coordinates) by
3α ′
ρ(s′ , φ′ , z ′ ) = s
2πR3
where s′ is the distance from the cylinder axis and α is a constant with dimensions of C/m.

a) Determine the total charge contained in a section of the cylinder with length L.

b) Determine the electric field at any point inside the cylinder.

Question 1 continued . . .

2
c) Determine the electric field at any point outside the cylinder.

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Question 2
A spherical shell with radius R contains total charge Q > 0
which is uniformly distributed and held fixed on the shell.
A positive point charge with charge +q is placed at a point
away from the center of the sphere. Is the net force exerted +q
by the shell on the point charge zero or not? If you say that +

it is not zero describe the direction of the force. Explain your

answer briefly.

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Question 3
Consider the following candidates for magnetic fields:

B1 = βxŷ
B2 = βxx̂

where β is a constant. For each of these determine whether this is a possible magnetic field
and, if so, the current density that could give rise to the field.

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Question 4
A solid sphere with radius R contains charge Q > 0 that is uniformly distributed. The
resulting electric field (given in spherical coordinates) is

Qr


 r̂ if 0 6 r 6 R
4πǫ0 R3

E=
Q
r̂ if r > R.



4πǫ0 r 2
Determine the electrostatic potential difference between the center of the sphere and the edge
of the sphere, indictating which is at the higher potential.

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Question 5
In the following question, either do part a) or part b) for full credit.

a) Two spherical conducting shells are centered at the same point. The inner shell has
radius a and total charge Q. The outer shell has radius b > a and total charge −Q. The
electric field between the two shells is, in spherical coordinates,
1 Q
E= r̂
4πǫ0 r 2
Determine the capacitance of the pair of shells.

Question 5 continued . . .

6
b) A one-dimensional circular loop with radius R carries y
charge with linear charge density (given in cylindrical
coordinates)

λ(s′ , φ′ , z ′ ) = λ cos (φ′ ).

Determine the electric dipole moment for this distri- x

bution.

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Question 6
An infinitely long straight wire carries uniform and constant current I. Starting from an
appropriate first principle (e.g. Biot-Savart law, Ampère’s law, or magnetic vector potential),
determine the magnetic field produced by the current at all points.

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Question 7
In the following question, either do part a) or part b) for full credit.

a) An electron is placed between two parallel plates that carrying uniform charge densities
and each of which move with the same constant velocities v = vplate x̂. The configuration
of these results in an electric field between the plates given by
σ
E= ẑ
ǫ0
and a magnetic field between them given by

B = µ0 σvplate ŷ

where σ is the charge per unit area on each plate. Suppose that an electron is between the
plates, and at one instant, moves with velocity velec = velec x̂. Determine an expression
for the net force exerted on the electron. Is it possible for the magnetic force to be larger
than the electric force (this requires the result that ǫ0 µ0 = 1/c2 where c is the speed of
light)? Explain your answer.

Question 7 continued . . .

9
b) Consider two concentric conducting spheres with radii a and b where a < b. The region
between these spheres is filled with an Ohmic material with conductivity σ. The outer
sphere is held a higher potential than the inner sphere and the electric potential in the
region between these is
∆V  a
V (r) = b 1− + V (a)
b−a r
where ∆V is the potential difference between the spheres. Determine an expression for
the current density J in the region between the spheres and use this to determine the
current that flows from one sphere to the other. The answers should be in terms of
a, b, σ, ∆V and constants.

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 z
Question 8
An infinitely long cylinder lies along the z axis and this carries a I
uniformly distributed current I along its length. The magnetic field
produced by this outside the cylinder is
µ0 I
B= φ̂
2πs
where s is the distance from the axis of the cylinder. A square
loop is placed with its vertical edge aligned in the same direction as
the cylinder axis and its horizontal edge pointing straight out. The
length of the side of the loop is a. The left edge of the loop is initially
distance x from the cylinder axis.

a) Determine an expression for the flux through the loop. x

b) Suppose that the loop is dragged directly away from the cylinder with speed v. Determine
an expression for the EMF around the loop at the illustrated instant.

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