PHYS 102 – General Physics II Midterm Exam 2 Solutions

01 December 2018
1. Light bulb of an automobile dissipates 60 Watts when connected to a 12 Volt battery.
(a) (7 Pts.) What is the resistance of the light bulb?
(b) (6 Pts.) Calculate the current through the light bulb when it is in operation.
(c) (6 Pts.) If the battery is rated as 60 Ampère-Hours what is the total charge the battery can supply before it runs out?
(d) (6 Pts.) How many hours will it take the light bulb to completely drain the battery?
Solution:

V2 V 2 (12 V) 2
(a) P   R   2.4  .
R P 60 W
P 60 W
(b) I   5 A.
V 12 V
(c) Q  60 Amp. Hrs  (60 A)(3600 s)  216000 C .

60 A.hr
(d) T   12 hours .
5A

2. In the circuit given the switch S has been left open for a
very long time.
(a) (5 Pts.) What is the charge on the capacitor? 𝑅1
𝑉 𝐶
(b) (20 Pts.) Find the current through the switch S as a 𝑆
function of time after it is closed at time t  0 .
𝑅2
Solution:

(a) Q0  VC . 𝐼1 𝐼2
(b) Applying Kirchhoff’s rules to the circuit, we write

𝑅1
I 3  I1  I 2 , V  I1R1  0 , VC  I 2 R2  0 𝑉 𝐶
Since the capacitor is being discharged, we have 𝐼3

dQ Q 𝑅2
I2   and VC  . Hence
dt C

Q dQ dQ dt dQ Q0 t /( R2C ) V t /( R2C )
 R2 0    Q(t )  Q0 e t /( R2C ) . So I 2    e  e .
C dt Q R2C dt R2C R2

V V t /( R2C )
I 3  I1  I 2   I 3   e .
R1 R2
3. An infinite hallow wire is used to carry current along its length. The inside of
the wire (𝑟 < 𝑎) is empty, while the region between the inner and outer radii
(𝑎 < 𝑟 < 𝑏) is filled with a material of resistivity 𝜌.
𝐼
(a) (5 Pts.) What is the resistance R of a section of the wire that has length L?

If the wire is carrying a total current of I, which is uniformly distributed,

(b) (5 Pts.) What is the magnitude J of the current density within the wire? 𝑎
(c) (15 Pts.) What is the magnitude of the magnetic field for 𝑎 < 𝑟 < 𝑏? 𝐿
𝑏

Solution:
L L I I
(a) R    R (b) J   J
A  b  a2 
2
A  b  a2 
2

(c) Consider a circular path of radius r , a  r  b , centered at the symmetry axis. Applying Ampère’s law, we have

0 I ( r 2  a 2 ) 0 I ( r 2  a 2 )
 Bd  0 I enc  B(2 r )  0 J  (r  a )  . Hence B(r ) 
2 2
.
C b 2
 a2  2 r  b 2  a 2 

4. (25 Pts.) An infinite, thin strip of width w carries a current of 𝐼2 distributed uniformly across its surface. In the same
plane with the strip and at a distance R from its center is an infinite wire
which carries a current 𝐼1 .
Find the force per unit length between the strip and the wire. Indicate
both the direction and the magnitude of the force on the wire.
𝐼1
𝐼2

𝑥 Solution: If we divide the strip into infinitesimal slices of thickness dx

I2
parallel to I1 , current through each strip will be dI  dx . Force per
w
unit length between the infinitesimal piece at a distance x and I 2 is
𝑤 𝑅 0 I1 dI 0 I1 I 2 dx
dF   , and is attractive because the currents are
2 x 2 w x
parallel. Integrating this expression, we find

w  w
0 I1 I 2  R  2 
R
II 2
dx
F 0 1 2
2 w w x which gives F  2 w ln  w  .
R  R 
2  2