Q.

1
A very long and straight coaxial cable is made of a conductor wire of radius R1 in the middle
and a conductor shell of radius R2 (> R1). The space in between is filled with a medium of
dielectric constant ε . Find the capacitance C and inductance L per unit length of the cable.
Surprisingly, you may find that LC is independent of the physical dimensions of the cable.

Ans:

let the inner and outer conductor carry uniform charge density λ and − λ , respectively. By
symmetry, the E-field is in the radial direction. Consider a cylindrical Gaussian surface
coaxial with the inner conducting wire, with length l and radius r . By Gauss law, we have
λ
E= .
2πεr
Therefore,
R1

V = − ∫ Edr
R2

λ R
= ln 2 .
2π ε R1
The capacitance per unit length is hence
λ
C=
V
2πε
= .
ln R2 / R1
To find L, let the inner conductor carry uniform current I in one direction and the shell carries
the same current but in the opposite direction. By symmetry and the fact that ∇⋅ B = 0 , the B-
field is tangential and with equal magnitude for a fixed r. By Ampere’s Law,
µI
B= 0 ,
2πr
with direction determined by right-hand-rule. Hence, for a segment with unit length, the
magnetic flux is given by
R2

Φ = ∫ Bdr
R1

µ0 I R2
= ln .
2π R1
Since Φ = LI , we have
µ 0 R2
L= ln .
2π R1
Note that LC = ε µ0 , which is independent of the physical dimension of the cable.

Q.2
(a) Show that a closed loop carrying current I in a uniform B-
field experiences no force.
(b) Show that the force on the loop is IwB.
What is the B-force on the loop if the shape of the B-field
region is also irregular?

Ans:

(a) For a closed loop,

∫dl =0 .
Since
F =∫I dl ×B

=I (∫dl )×B ,
therefore F =0 .

Alternatively, it is obvious that the magnetic flux through the loop will not change if the loop
is moving in the B-field region, as long as any part of it does not go outside. It then follows
that no change in the electromagnetic energy is required to move the loop around, so the loop
experiences no magnetic force.

(b) F = ∫ I dl ×B
C
B-field region
 
∫I dl
=I  ×B

C  C
=I w ×B .
Therefore,
F = IwB . w
The force is the same for irregular B-field region as long as the
same segment is inside the region.

Q.3
Consider a parallel capacitor made of two conductor disks of
radius R being charged up by a constant electric current.
(a) Find the electric and magnetic fields in the gap between
the disks, as functions of the distance s from the axis and the
time t (assume the charge is zero at t = 0). 
(b) Find the energy density and the Poynting vector S in the gap. Note especially the

direction of S .
(c) Determine the total energy in the gap, as a function of time. Calculate the total power
flowing into the gap. Check that the power input is equal to the rate of increase in energy in
the gap.

Ans:

(a) Let the distance between the disks be l, where l << R .

Since Q = It , we have, by Gauss Law,
It
E= ,
πR 2ε 0
with direction pointing from the positively charged plate to the
∂E
negatively charged one. From ∇×B = µ0ε0 ,
∂t
I
B ⋅ 2πs = µ0ε 0 πs 2 ,
πR ε 0
2

µ 0 Is
i.e., B= .
2πR 2
The direction of the B-field is tangential and clockwise when
viewed along the direction of the E-field.

1 2 1 2
(b) Energy density = ε 0 E + B
2 2µ0

=
(
I 2 4t 2 + µ 0ε 0 s 2
.
)
8ε 0π 2 R 4
1
Poynting vector S= E ×B .
µ0
I 2 st
i.e., S = .
2ε 0π 2 R 4
The Poynting vector is pointing inward in the radial direction.

1 2 1 2
(c) Total energy U = ∫ ∫ ∫ ε 0 E + B dV
V 2 2 µ0 

=∫
R
(
I 2 4t 2 + µ0ε 0 s 2
2πslds
)
0
8ε 0π 2 R 4

=
12ε 0πR 2
I 2l
[
6t 2 + µ0ε 0 R . ]
Total power flowing into the gap
P = −∫∫S ⋅ da
A
 I 2 st
= × 2πRl
2ε 0π 2 R 4
I 2 lt
=
ε 0πR 2
dU
= .
dt

Q.4
The intensity of sunlight hitting the earth is about 1.3 kW/m2. If the sunlight strikes a perfect
absorber, what pressure does it exert? How about a perfect reflector? What fraction of
atmosphere pressure does this amount to?

Ans:

E 1.3 ×1000
Since p = , pressure = Pa
c 3 ×10 8
= 4.3 ×10 −6 Pa
= 4.3 ×10 −11 atm .
For a perfect reflector, the pressure is doubled.

Q.5
In the complex notation there is a clever device for finding the time average of a product,
such as Poynting vector which is the product of E and B, or the energy  
density which is E*E
   
and B*B. Suppose f (r , t ) = A cos( k ⋅ r −ωt ) and g (r , t ) = B cos( k ⋅ r −ωt +δb ) . Their

~  ~ ( r, t ) = Be i ( k ⋅r−ωt +δ ) Show

corresponding complex notation are f (r , t ) = Ae i ( k ⋅r −ωt ) , g b

1 ~~
that < fg >= Re( f g *) , where the star denote complex conjugation. Here <> means taking
2
time average over one period.

Ans:

t+T    
1
fg = ∫ A cos(k ⋅ r − ω t ) ×B cos(k ⋅ r − ω t + δ b )dt
T t
[ ( ) ]
t +T
AB 1
=
T ∫
t
2
cos 2k ⋅ r − 2ωt + δb + cos δb dt

AB cos δ b
= .
2
1 ~~ 1
( )
 
Re( f g *) = Re Ae i ( k ⋅r −ωt ) ×Be −i ( k ⋅r −ωt +δb )
2 2
=
AB
2
Re e −iδb ( )
 AB cos δ b
=
2
= fg .

Q.6
(a) Suppose you were designing a shield using silver (ε = 1,σ = 6 x 108 /Ohm*meter)
plate to block microwave at 1010 Hz. How thick would the plate be?
(b) Find the wavelength and propagation speed in silver for radio waves at 1 MHz.
(c) Microwaves from mobile phones might not be good to human body. You may think of
using a good conductor plate to block the microwave from reaching your head when you are
making a mobile phone call, as the answer to part-(b) above suggests. But there is a problem.
Let us take the mobile phone as an oscillating electric dipole. Place this dipole close to a
perfect conductor plate. Treat the situation as in electrostatics. What is the E-field far away
under this circumstance as compared to a dipole without the plate? Can you now see why you
cannot simply? By the way, at HKUST, a research group in the physics department has
invented a new type of plate, with fractal metallic patterns of the thickness of a paper, that can
block microwaves like a solid metal plate while allowing EM waves from a source close by to
be emitted twice as efficient.

Ans:

σ
(a) Since ≈ 10 9 >> 1 , i.e., it is a good conductor at this frequency, the skin depth
ε ε0ω
2
δ=
ωµ µ0σ
≈ 0.2 µm .
The thickness of the plate should be at least several times of the skin depth.

σ
Since ε εω ≈10 >> 1 , i.e., it is a good conductor at this frequency, therefore
13
(b)
0

ωµ µ0σ
kR = .
2
= 4.87 ×10 4 m -1
Hence
2π
λ=
kR
≈ 0.13 mm ,
and propagation speed
v = fλ
=130 ms -1

(c) Depending on the orientation of the dipole, viz., whether it’s parallel or perpendicular
to the normal of the plate, the radiation may be enhanced or inhibited, respectively. If the plate
is vertical, the dipole field radiation in the horizontal direction will be inhibited. Therefore
wrapping half of a mobile phone with metal case to shield your head from the EM waves from
the phone is implausible.
Q7
A square wire loop with side = d and total resistance R is placed in a uniform B-field region
which is of the same size and shape as the loop. The B-field is normal to the square plane. The
loop is spinning about the axis through its center parallel to the B-field at period of T. Take t =
0 when the loop and B-field region coincide. Find the average electric current in the loop in t =
0 to t = T/4, and in t = 0 to t = T/2.

Ans:

dΦ
ξ =− = IR
dt
t +τ
1 1 dΦ 1
I = ∫− dt = − [ Φ(t +τ ) − Φ(t )]
τ t R dt Rτ
The period of Φ is T / 4 . Hence for both t = 0 , τ = T / 4 and t = 0 , τ = T / 2 , I =0 .
If one is only interested in the magnitude of the current, since
T /8 T /4
I 0 = I T /8 ,
hence from t = 0 to t = T / 4 ,
T /8
1 dΦ
I = ∫
R ×T / 8 0 dt
dt

8
= [Φ(0) − Φ(T / 8)] .
RT
By simple geometry,
I =
8
RT
(
B × 3 −2 2 d 2 )
(
=8 3 −2 2 )
Bd 2
RT
.
The average current from t = 0 to t = T / 2 is the same.

Q8
As shown, a perfect conductor (density = 9,000 kg/m3) circular
disc of thickness D and radius R (D << R) is falling down in a
uniform horizontal B-field, as a result of Earth’s gravity. The
plane of the disc is always parallel to the B-field and vertical.
Find the strength of the B-field so that the acceleration of the
disc is reduced by 0.001g. (Ignore air friction. Treat the two
disk surfaces as two parallel plates of a capacitor.)

Ans:

Let I be the constant current in the disc, flowing from one surface to the other, Q(t) be the
charge on one surface at time t, and v(t) be the velocity of the disc at time t. Therefore
dQ
=I ,
dt
dv
= 0.999 g .
dt
Since the conductor is perfect, there is no p.d. across the two surfaces of the disc, i.e.
Q
= BDv .
C
Differentiate both sides w.r.t. t, and by using C = ε 0πR 2 / D , we have
D dQ dv
= BD
ε 0πR dt
2
dt
I
B= .
ε 0πR × 0.999 g
2

The vertical acceleration on the current due to the B-field is given by

F IDB IDB IB
= 0.001 g = = =
m m 9000 πR D 9000 πR 2
2

9πR 2 g
i.e., I= .
B
3
Hence B=
0.999 ε 0
=10 6 T .