PHYS1420-MAY 2010 EXAMINATION

Answer 6 questions, selecting at least 3 from section A and at least 2 from section B
All symbols have their usual meaning.
All vectors must be shown with an arrow sign.
All quantities must be expressed along with their units.

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SECTION A: Electricity and Magnetism (Questions 1-6)
1) a)
i) Define the electric dipole moment in magnitude and direction.
ii) In the presence of an electric field, state the expressions for the potential energy and
torque of an electric dipole moment.
iii) Two electric dipoles + p & - p are placed at a distance 2a apart along a line. In this
case, the electric field at an axial distance r from their center is given below. When
r >> a, determine the value of E in terms of the quadrupole moment Q = p (4a).

1
E 2k p
3
r a

1
r a 3

b) In a computer game, particles of mass

m = 1.5 x 10-12 kg and charge q = 2.0 pC are
Y
shot at the horizontal speed vo from a point 20
cm along the Y-axis, and enter into a region of
20 cm
vo
E = 3.0 x 105 N/C
uniform electric field E, as shown in Figure 1.
You win the game when you hit the target,
which is 30 cm along the X-axis.
i) Determine the acceleration of the particle in the
0
X
Y-direction.
30 cm
ii) Calculate the time taken for the vertical motion.
Figure 1
iii) Using this, calculate vo the velocity required to
hit the target.
iv) Show that the particles trajectory is parabolic. Hint: At any time t, before hitting the
target, calculate x(t) & y(t), and obtain a relation between x & y.
v) Explain why it is OK in this case to neglect the gravitational force mg on the particle.
(8 + 12 marks)
2) a)
i) Explain why the electric field E is always perpendicular
A
B
to an equipotential surface.
L
- 5.0 q
+2.0 q
ii) State the magnitude and direction for E at a distance r
Figure 2a
from a point charge q.
b) Two point charges -5.0 q and +2.0 q are at a distance
L apart, as shown in Figure 2a. Giving clear reasons,
locate the position(s) in terms of L, where the net electric
field is zero.
c) A plastic rod is bent into a semicircle of radius R. A
charge +Q is distributed uniformly over one half of the
rod, while the other half has a charge -Q distributed
uniformly, as shown in Figure 2b. Due to these, at the
center P, calculate:
i) The net electric potential V.
ii) The net electric field E.
Hint: Symmetry!

+Q

-Q

Figure 2b
(4+6+10 marks)

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3) a) A non-conducting sphere of radius R has a total charge +Q distributed uniformly
throughout its volume.
i) Describe in 2 or 3 sentences the symmetry of the problem, and hence prescribe an
appropriate shape for the Gaussian surface.
ii) Draw the Gaussian surfaces for r < R as well as r > R. Show the E and dA vectors on
these.
iii) Using Gausss law, show that:
kQ
,
r2
&
kQ
E 3 r,
R
E

rR
rR

iv) Determine the electric field E at the surface of the sphere, when R = 10 cm and
Q = 2.0 nC.
v) Sketch the variation of E with r, showing the key values.
b)
i) Using the given expression for E when r R, and assuming V to be zero at infinity,
derive an expression for the electric potential V, when r R.
ii) Using V at R from the above result, derive an expression for V, when r R.
iii) When R = 10 cm and Q = 2.0 nC, calculate V at the surface of the sphere and at its
center.
(12 + 8 marks)

4) a) State Biot-Savart law, using a figure and explaining the

meaning of the symbols used.
b) A short wire of length (s1 + s2) carries a current i as
shown in Figure 4a.
i) What is the direction of the resultant magnetic field B at
P?
ii) Show that the magnitude of B at P is given by:

o i
s2
s1

2
2
4 R s22 R 2
s1 R

c)
i) Using the above result in (ii) and the fact that B at the
center of a current carrying circular loop of radius R is
oi /2R, determine B at P of the current loop shown in
Figure 4b, and express it as a multiple of oi/R
ii) Further, determine the magnitude and direction of the
magnetic moment of that current loop, if i = 2.0 A and
R = 10 cm

s = +s2

i
s=0

Figure 4a

s = - s1

R
R

P
R

Figure 4b
(3+10+7 marks)

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5) a) State Faradays law and Lenzs law in electromagnetic induction, giving the meaning
of the symbols used.
b) In Figure 5a, PQ is a conductor with mass per unit
length equal to 0.04 kg/m. It is hung horizontally by
two supporting wires in the region of a uniform
magnetic field perpendicular to the paper pointing
inward, and of magnitude B = 3.6 T. You know that
due to the weight of the rod, there will be tension in the
supporting wires. Determine the magnitude and
direction of the current i through PQ, which would
just eliminate the tension in the supporting wires.

Q
Figure 5a

c) Given: B(r) = oi /2r, at a distance r from a long straight

b
wire. Consider the rectangular loop of resistance R with its
length parallel to a long straight wire carrying a current i, as
a
shown in Figure 5b. Inside the loop is shown a small, shaded
rectangular area dA of width dx, at a distance x from the wire,
as shown.
l
i
i) Determine the flux through the shaded area dA.
ii) Show that the flux through the entire rectangular loop is given
i b
by o ln
x
2
a
Figure 5b
iii) Calculate the magnitude of the induced current in the loop,
when the current in the long straight wire is varied as:
i = (5.0 + 2.0 t) mA. R = 0.5 , b = 2a & l = 20 cm.
iv) Giving clear arguments, determine the direction of the induced current in the loop.
(3+5+12 marks)
6) a)
i) Define capacitance.
ii) Show that the energy stored in a capacitor is given by U = CV2/2.
iii) Using the above result in a parallel plate capacitor, determine the energy density u
of the electric field E. (A parallel plate capacitor consists of two flat plates with area A,
separated by a distance d, and capacitance C = oA/d)
b) At t = 0, a capacitor of capacitance C and zero initial charge is connected in series
with a resistor of resistance R and a battery of emf . The charge in the capacitor at

) . If = 12 V, C = 5.0 F and
any later time t is given by: q C (1 e
R = 800 k,
i) Obtain expressions for q and the current i in terms of t alone.
ii) Determine q and i after one time constant.
iii) Sketch q and i, showing all the critical values.
t / RC

Contd..

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c)

At t = 0, a capacitor of capacitance C and initial charge q(t = 0) = qoi < C, is

connected in series with a resistor of resistance R and a battery of emf . In this case,
Kirchoffs law gives us the following equation:

iR

q
0
C

Derive an expression for q(t) in this case. Note: At t = 0, q 0 !

(8+6+6 marks)
SECTION B: Modern Physics (Questions 7-10)

7) a) (i) With the use of a labeled diagram describe the photoelectric effect experiment.
(ii) Briefly describe three (3) classical expectations and (iii) outline four (4) unexpected
observations.
b) (i) Explain how the photon theory resolved the unexpected observations outlined in
a) (iii) above.
(ii) Hence use the principle of conservation of energy to derive the photoelectric effect
equation.
c) In a photoelectric experiment, light of wavelength 450 nm falls on a metal with work
function 1.12 eV. Find the potential required to stop the emission of electrons.
(11 + 6 + 3 marks)
8) a) Derive the equation for the energy levels of the Bohr model of the hydrogen atom,
stating any postulate you use.
b) An electron with energy 16.0 eV collides with and scatters from a hydrogen atom at
rest. The atom in returning to its ground state emits a photon of wavelength 97.202 nm.
Determine
(i) to which state the atom was excited,
(ii) the speed of the scattered electron if we ignore any recoil of the atom and any
Relativistic effect.
(Given: The ground state energy for the Hydrogen atom -13.60 eV)
c) State four (4) limitations of the Bohr model of the hydrogen atom.
(7+5+8 marks)
9) a) A particle is in a box with impenetrable walls at x = 0 and x = L.
(i) Using the analogy of a standing wave on a string derive the expression for the wavefunction of a particle of mass m confined to the 1-dimensional region 0 x L .
(ii) Find the ratio of the probabilities of finding the particle in small regions about x = L/6
and about x = L/3 if the particle is in the first excited state.
Contd.

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b) (i) State De Broglies hypothesis.
(ii) Use the hypothesis to obtain an expression for the allowed energy levels of the
quantum particle in a 1-D box described in (a).
c) Nanocrystallites are nanometer scale semiconductor crystals and they can be made to
emit a range of colours.
(i) Explain how quantum mechanics is important in determining the colour of emission
of these crystallites.
(ii)You are commissioned to design a rose pink sign using nanocrystallites. Determine
the diameter of your nanocrystallites using a 1-dimensional model with the emitted
light ( = 538 nm) coming from the lowest energy transition of your crystallites.
(8+5 +7 marks)
10) a) (i) State what is meant by i) Proper Time, ii) Proper Length.
(ii) Use the Lorentz Transformation to derive the contracted length of an object of
Proper length Lo.
3
b) A spacecraft has proper length 20.0 km. A space pod is traveling at
c relative to
2
the spacecraft and in the opposite direction. When the pod is at the front tip of the
spacecraft, a photon is emitted from the tip of the spacecraft traveling to the back of
the spacecraft.
Determine
(i) The time the photon takes to get to the back of the spacecraft as measured by an
observer on the pod.
(ii) The position of the pod relative to the back of the spacecraft when the light
reaches the back as described by an observer on the pod.
(iii) The position of the pod when the light reaches the back of the spacecraft as
described by an observer on the spacecraft.
(6+14 marks)