UNIVERSITY OF BOTSWANA

2015/2016 SUPPLEMENTARY EXAMINATIONS

FRONT PAGE

COURSE No.: PHY241 DURATION: 2 HRS. DATE: July 2016

TITLE OF PAPER: ADVANCED ELECTRICITY & 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.
3. START EVERY SECTION B QUESTION ON A SEPARATE PAGE.

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 the following distances measured from the centre of the sphere: (i) 12
cm, and (ii) 17 cm.

A2. The electric potential at points in an x-y plane is given by:

V = (2.0 V/m2)x2 – (3.0 V/m2)y2. Determine the magnitudes of the x and y components of
the electric field.

A3. A closely wound long solenoid has a magnetic field of magnitude 5.0 x 10 -4 T at its centre
produced by a current of 1.5 A through its windings. Determine the number of turns per
unit length of wire for this solenoid.

A4. 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.

A5. The magnetic flux through a coil of wire containing two loops changes uniformly from
-80 Wb to +58 Wb in 0.72 s. Calculate the induced emf in the coil.

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.

The Figure below shows a plastic rod having a uniformly

distributed charge –Q. The rod has been bent in a 120 o circular
arc of radius r. We place coordinates axes such that the axis of
symmetry of the rod lies along the x-axis and the origin is at the
center of the curvature (point P) of the rod.

(a) Determine the direction of the resultant electric field.

[2 marks]

(b) Show that the magnitude of the electric field at point P

due to the rod is given by

[14 marks]

Continued on page 2
Turn over

(c) Show that the magnitude of the electric field at point P due to the rod is also given by

[4 marks]

B2.
(a) An electric charge Q is distributed uniformly throughout a non-conducting sphere of radius
ro (see Figure below).

Use Gauss’s law to determine the magnitude of the

electric field in terms of r (the distance from the centre
of the sphere for the following cases:

(i) r > ro; and [4 marks]

(ii) r < ro [5 marks]

(b) Draw a sketch plot of E

versus r for the regions
defined in part (a) above.

[3 marks]

(c) At large distances, the potential due to a dipole may be written (for Cartesian coordinates)
in the form
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where is the dipole moment and r is the distance from the origin.

Show that if the dipole moment is directed along the +x-axis, then

[8 marks]

Continued on page 3
Turn over

B3.
(a)
A uniform diameter wire segment (see Figure on
the left), carries a current I. Use Biot-Savart law to
determine the magnetic field produced at point
C by:

(i) each straight segment of length L; [4 marks]

(ii) the semi-circular segment of radius R; and [6 marks]
(iii) the entire wire shown in the Figure. [3 marks]

(b) With the aid of clearly labelled diagram(s), use Ampere’s law to show that the magnitude
of the magnetic field due to a toroid of N turns is given by

where: r is the average radius of the toroid and other symbols have their usual meaning.
[7 marks]

B4.
(a)

A long straight wire of radius R carries a steady current

I that is uniformly distributed through the cross section
of the wire (Figure on the left). Use Ampere’s law to
determine the magnitude of the magnetic field a
distance r from the centre of the wire in the region:
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(i) , and [4 marks]

(ii) [6 marks]

(b) The magnetic flux through a metal ring varies with time t according to the relation
T.m2, with a = 6.0 s-3 and b = 18.0 s-2. 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
Turn over

B5.

(a) A series RL circuit has a source of emf .

(i) Draw a sketch of the circuit, [1 mark]

(ii) Use Kirchhoff’s Voltage Law, to show that the instantaneous current I at any time t is
given by

[9 marks]

where  is the time constant of the circuit.

(b) The switch S in the Figure below is connected to point a for a long time.

After the switch is thrown to point b, calculate:

(i) the frequency of oscillation of the LC circuit; [2 marks]
(ii) the maximum charge that appears on the capacitor; [2 marks]
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(iii) the maximum current in the inductor; and [3 marks]

(iv) the total energy that the circuit possesses at t = 3.0 s. [3 marks]

Continued on page 5
Turn over
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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.

11. 15.
16.
12.

13.
17.
14.
18.
15.

16. 19.

20.

1. 21.
2.
22.
3.

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