EO208 Electromagnetics (1)

Homework 3

1. (a) What is a “conservative” vector field?

B   
(b) Show that the line integral A
F  dl from point A to point B is path-independent, if F is

conservative.

(c) Evaluate  V  dl
C
for a closed loop C using Stokes’s theorem.
2. Cheng, P.2-21.
3. Cheng, P.2-22.
4. Cheng, P.2-39.

5. Assume that F = ax3x2y3 – ay x3y2.

 
(a) Evaluate CF  d l around the triangular contour shown below.

 
(b) Find  (  F )  ds over the triangular area.
(c) Can F be expressed as the gradient of a scalar? Explain.

  
6. If a vector field  ( x, y, z ) satisfies S  ds  0 for any arbitrary closed surface S within a


spherical region V, (a) can we conclude that   0 everywhere in V? (b) Explain your reason in
details.
  
Now if the line integral of a vector field  ( x, y, z ) from a certain point A ( R  RA ) to another

  RB  
point B ( R  RB ) is always zero, i.e., 
RA
 ( x, y, z )  dl  0 , for any arbitrary paths, (c) can

we conclude that   0 everywhere? (d) Explain your reason in details.
7. Coulomb’s Law and Linear Superposition Principle
Fig. 1 shows a circular disk of radius b that carries a uniform surface charge density ρs . For the
point P on the z-axis, find the electric field E by integrating the contribution from every
differential area (i.e., linear superposition principle).

Fig. 1