UNIVERSITY OF BOTSWANA

2013/2014 END-OF-SEMESTER EXAMINATIONS

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COURSE No.: PHY241 DURATION: 2 HRS. DATE: May 2014

TITLE OF PAPER: ADVANCED ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM

SUBJECT: PHYSICS TITLE OF EXAMINATION: BSc Level 200

MORNING / AFTERNOON

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS IN SECTION A; AND

2. ANSWER ANY THREE (3) QUESTIONS FROM SECTION B.
EACH QUESTION IN SECTION A IS WORTH 2 MARKS

EACH QUESTION IN SECTION B IS WORTH 20 MARKS

You may find the following information useful:

Electric charge, e = 1.60 x 10-19 C

Coulomb’s constant, k = 1/(4o) = 9.00 x 109 N.m2.C-2
Permittivity of free space, o = 8.85 x 10-12 F.m-1
Permeability of free space, o = 4 x 10-7 H.m-1
Page 5 contains mathematical formulae

No. of Pages
DO NOT OPEN THIS PAPER UNTIL YOU HAVE
5
BEEN TOLD TO DO SO BY THE SUPERVISOR
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Section A: ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS IN THIS SECTION (2 Marks Each).

A1. A solid copper sphere of radius 15 cm has a total charge of 40 nC. Find the magnitude of
the electric field at a distance r = 12 cm, measured from the centre of the sphere.

A2. The electric potential in a certain region is given by .

Determine the magnitude and direction of the electric field at x = + 2 m.

A3. A circular wire loop of radius 4.0 cm carries a current of 2.6 A. It is placed so that the
normal to its plane makes an angle of 41° with a uniform magnetic field B = 4.5 T.
Calculate the magnitude of the torque acting on the loop.

A4. A 26 cm diameter wire loop lies in a plane perpendicular to a 0.90 T magnetic field. The
loop is removed from the field in 0.15 s. Calculate the average induced emf.

A5. A 12-V battery is connected in series with a resistor and an inductor. The circuit has a
time constant of 500 s, and the maximum current is 200 mA. Calculate the value for the
inductance.

Section B: ANSWER ANY THREE (3) QUESTIONS OUT OF THE FIVE (5)
IN THIS SECTION (Each Question is worth 20 Marks).
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B1.

In the Figure below, a half-ring shaped conductor with radius a carries a total charge Q uniformly
distributed around it.

(a) Determine the electric field at point P that lies on the axis of the half-ring at a distance x
from its centre. [14 marks]

(b) Determine the potential at point P that lies on the axis of the half-ring at a distance x from
its centre. [6 marks]

Continued on page 2
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B2.

(a) The Figure below shows a cylindrical capacitor made up of a solid cylindrical conductor
of radius a and charge +Q that is coaxial with a cylindrical conducting shell of negligible
thickness, radius b > a and charge –Q. The space between the conductors is filled with
air.

If the length of the capacitor is L, show that the capacitance is given by

[12 marks]
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(b) A coaxial cable used in a transmission line has an inner radius of 0.10 mm and outer
radius of 0.60 mm. Calculate the capacitance per meter for the cable if the space between
the conductors is filled with a material of dielectric constant Κ = 2.6.
[2 marks]

(c) Over a certain region of space, the electric potential is .

Determine the expressions for the x, y and z components of the electric field over this
region.
[6 marks]

B3.

(a) Use Biot-Savart law to show that the magnitude of the magnetic field at a point R
(shortest possible distance) away from a long straight wire carrying a current I is given by

[10 marks]

(b)
(i) State Ampere’s law for magnetic fields. [1 mark]

Continued on page 3
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(ii) A straight wire segment of length l carries a current I. Use Ampere’s law to show
that the magnitude of the magnetic field associated with this segment, at a
position P, distance a from the segment along a perpendicular bisector (see the
Figure below) is given by

l a P [9 marks]

B4.
(a) A coaxial cable of length l, inner conductor has radius r1 and the outer conductor has a
radius r2 (see Figure below). Assume that the conductors are thin so that the magnetic field
within them can be ignored and that the conductors carry equal currents I in opposite
directions.
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(i) Use Ampere’s law, to find the expression for the magnitude of the magnetic field at a
point between r1 and r2. [4 marks]

(ii) Show that the inductance L per unit length is given by

[6 marks]

(b) The magnetic flux through a metal ring varies with time t according to T
2 -3 -2
m , with a = 6.0 s and b = 18.0 s . The resistance of the ring is 3.0 Ω. Determine the
following:
(i) the expression for the induced emf ε, and [3 marks]
(ii) the maximum current induced in the ring during the interval from t = 0 to t = 2.0 s.

[7 marks]
Continued on page 4
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B5.

(a) With the aid of a clearly labelled diagram of a series RC circuit connected to a battery
(Vo), show that if the battery is connected at t = 0, the current at any time t is given by

[12 marks]

(b) Consider a series RC circuit for which R = 1.0 MΩ, C = 5.0 μF, and emf Vo = 30 V.
Calculate the following:
(i) the time constant of the circuit, [3 marks]
(ii) the maximum charge on the capacitor after the switch is closed, and [2 marks]
(iii) the current in the resistor 10.0 seconds after the switch is closed. [3 marks]
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Continued on page 5
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Derivates and Integrals

In what follows, the letters u and v stand for any function of x, and a and m are constants. To
each of the indefinite integrals should be added an arbitrary constant of integration.
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1. 4.

2. 5.

3. 6.
7.
4. 8.
5. 9.
10.
6.
11.
7.
12.
8.
13.
9.
14.
10.
15.
11.
16.
12.
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18.
14.

15. 19.

16. 20.

21.

1. 22.
2.
3. 23.

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