Department of Physics

ARSD College, University of Delhi

B.Sc(Hons.) Physics
Semester-II
Paper Name: Electricity and Magnetism

Mid Semester Test April 2020

Note: attempt any seven questions. All carry equal marks

Time : 2 hours M.M : 35

1. Find the electric field at a height z above the center of a square sheet (side a)

carrying a uniform surface charge ϭ. Check your result for the limiting case a

→ and z ≥ a.
2. If the electric field in some region is given (in spherical coordinates) by the
Ar+B sin θ cos ∅ ∅
expression ( ) = r
where A and B are constants, What is

the charge density?

3. Find the net force that the southern hemisphere of uniformly charged
sphere exerts on the northern hemisphere. Express your answer in terms
of the radius R and the total charge Q.
4. An inverted hemispherical bowl of radius R carries a uniform surface

charge density ϭ. Find the potential difference between the north pole and

the center.

5. A sphere of radius R carries a charge density ρ(r) = k r , where k is a

constant. Find the energy of the configuration. Check your answer by

calculating it in at least two different ways.
6. The electric potential of some configuration is given by the expression
e−λr
V (r) = A r
, where A and λ are constants. Find the electric E(r), the

density ρ(r), and the total charge Q.

7. Suppose an electric field E (x, y,z) has the form Ex = ax, Ey = 0, Ez = 0,

where a is constant. What is the charge density? How do you account fro the
fact that the field points in a particular direction, when the charge density id
uniform?

8. Two infinitely long wires running parallel to x axis carry uniform charge

densities +λ and -λ as shown in the fig below.

-λ

x +λ

a) Find the potential at any point (x, y, z), using the origin as your reference.

b) Show that the equipotential surfaces are circular cylinders, and locate the

axis and radius of the cylinder corresponding to a given potential V0.

9. In a vacuum diode, electrons are “boiled” off a hot cathode, at potential

zero, and accelerated across a gap to the anode, which is held at potential

V0. The cloud of the moving electrons within the gap ( called space
charge) quickly builds up to the point where it reduces the field at the
surface of the cathode to zero. From then on a steady current I flows
between the plates. Suppose the plates are large relative to the separation
 (A ≥ d2) as shown in the fig., so that the edge effects can be neglected,

Then V, ρ, and v (speed of electrons) are all functions of a alone.

a) Write Poission’s equation for the region between the plates.

b) Assuming the electrons start from rest at the cathode, what is their speed

at point x, where the potential is V (x)?

c) In the steady state, I is independent of x. What, then, is the relation

between ρ and v.

d) Use these three results to obtain a differential equation for V, by

eliminating ρ and v.

e) Solve this equation for V as a function of x, V0, and d. Plot V(x), and

compare it to the potential without space. Also find ρ and v as a function

of x.

f) Show that I = K V0 3/2 and find the constant K. This equation is known as

Child-Langmuir’s law.

Electron

Cathode Anode
(V =0) V0

10. Imagine that new and extraordinarily precise measurements have revealed

an error in Coulomb’s law. The actual force of attraction between two point
 1 q1 q2 r
charges is found to be = 4πε r2
1+
λ
e−r/λ where λ is a new
0

constant of nature ( it has dimensions of length, obviously, and is a huge

number-say half the radius of the known universe-so that the correction is
small, which is why no one ever noticed the discrepancy before). You are
charged with the task of reformulating electrostatics to accommodate the
new discovery. Assume the principle of superposition still holds.

a) What is the electric field of a charge distribution ρ.

b) Does the electric field admit a scalar potential? Explain briefly how you
reached your conclusion.
c) Find the potential of a point charge q. Use  as your reference point.
1
d) For a point charge q at the origin, show that . + 2 =
0

1
e) Show that this result generalizes : . + 2 =
0