PH103Dec 2010

UNIVERSITY OF ZIMBABWE
DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS
BSc PART I
PH103: ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM
FIRST SEMESTER EXAMINATION: DECEMBER 2010
DURATION: TWO HOURS

Answer ALL questions in Section A and any THREE questions from Section B.
Section A carries 40 marks and Section B carries 60 marks.

Electronic charge, e = 1.60 x 10-19 C

Gravitational acceleration g = 9.81 m s-2
Mass of an electron, me = 9.11 x 10-31 kg
Mass of a proton, mp = 1.67 x 10-27 kg
Permittivity of free space, ε0 = 8.85 x 10-12 F m-1
Permeability of free space, µ0 = 4π x 10-7 H m-1

SECTION A
1. (a) A charge q1 = +30 nC is 10 cm from a charge q2 = - 30 nC. A test charge qt = +10 nC is
placed midway between them. Determine the resultant force on the test charge. [4]

(b) Two charges each of 4 μC are placed on the x axis, one at the origin, and the other at
x = 8 m. Determine the point at which the electric field is zero. [4]

(c) A uniform electric field of 2 kN C-1 is in the x direction. A point charge Q = 3 μC

initially at rest at the origin is released. Calculate the kinetic energy of the charge when
it is at x = 4 m. [3]

(d) Calculate the work done to bring three widely separated equal point charges q to the
apexes of an equilateral triangle of side a. [3]

(e) Two long straight wires are 12 cm apart. The current I each wire is 20 A. Calculate the
magnitude of the magnetic field midway between the wires if the currents are in the same
direction and in opposite directions. [4]

(f) A metal conductor of length L = 50 cm is pulled horizontally to the left at a constant

speed of 1.5 m s-1 through a uniform magnetic field B = 1.8 T directed downward.
Determine the magnitude of the:

(i) opposing electric field, and [2]

(ii) potential difference between the ends of the wire. [2]

(g) A rectangular coil with 500 turns is 30 cm long and 20 cm wide and rotates at 1800
revolutions per minute in a uniform magnetic field of 0.50 T. Determine the maximum
value of the emf this coil generates. [4]

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 PH103Dec 2010

(h) The emf of a generator varies sinusoidally according to the formula ε = εmax sin ωt
where εmax is the maximum amplitude of the oscillating emf, ω is the angular frequency
and t is time. Show that:

(i) when a capacitor is connected across the generator the current leads the voltage
across the capacitor by π/2, and [4]
(ii) when an inductor is connected across the generator the current lags behind the
voltage across the inductor by π/2. [4]

(i) A 100 W bulb is plugged into a standard 120 V rms outlet. Calculate the maximum power
dissipated. [3]

(j) The primary of a step-down transformer has 250 turns and is connected to a 120-V rms line.
The secondary is to supply 20 A at 9 V. Calculate the number of turns in the secondary
assuming 100% efficiency. [3]

SECTION B
2.(a) Two small identical metal spheres, each of mass m and charge q are suspended from the
same point by threads of length l. Prove that in equilibrium the angle θ which each thread
makes with the vertical satisfies the relation

sin 3 θ q2
= . [8]
cos θ 16πε 0 mgl 2

(b) If m = 1.0 x 10-4 kg and l = 1.0 m, determine q if the spheres in (a) come to rest at a centre-
to-centre separation of 0.080 m. [6]

(c) An immobile conducting sphere of radius r and charge Q attracts a body of mass m whose
charge is – q. Calculate the speed of the body when it is a distance r from the centre of the
sphere if it starts from rest at a great distance. [6]

3. (a) A parallel plate capacitor has plates of area 600 cm2 and separation 4 mm. It is charge to
100V and disconnected from the battery. Determine:
(i) the electric field, E0; [2]
(ii) the charge density, σ; [2]
(iii) the stored energy, U0. [2]

(b) A dielectric constant ε = 4 is inserted, completely filling the space between the plates of
the capacitor in (a). Determine:
(i) the new electric field, E; [2]
(ii) the potential difference, V; and [2]
(iii) the stored energy, U. [2]

(c) A 20 pF capacitor is charged to 3.0 kV and is then removed and connected in parallel
with an uncharged 50 pF capacitor. Calculate the:
(i) new charge on each capacitor, [2]
(ii) initial energy stored in the 20 pF capacitor, and [2]
(iii) final energy stored in the two capacitors. [4]
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 PH103Dec 2010

4. (a) With the aid of a clearly labelled diagram describe the cyclotron. [6]

(b) Use the Biot-Savart law to show that the magnetic field from due to a very long, straight
wire carrying a current I at a distance R is given by
µ I
B = 0 outward. [8]
2πR

(c) An electron of kinetic energy 25 keV moves in a circular orbit perpendicular to a

uniform magnetic field of 0.5 T. Determine the:
(i) radius of orbit, [2]
(ii) angular frequency and [2]
(iii) period of the proton. [2]

5. (a) List two observations on which Faraday’s law is based. [4]

(b) State concisely Faraday’s law. [4]

(c) A square coil of side 10 cm has 400 turns. A uniform magnetic field exists in a direction
perpendicular to the plane of the coil. The magnetic field is decreasing at the rate of
10-2 T s-1. Calculate:

(i) the emf induced in the coil; and [4]

(ii) the induced current if the resistance of the coil is 0.8 Ω. [2]

(d) Two solenoids both of length l =30 cm are nested coaxially one inside the other. The
inner one has radius r1 = 1.5 cm and a winding density n1 = 7000 turns per metre. The
outer one has radius r2 = 3.0 cm and a winding density n2 = 5000 turns per metre.
Determine the mutual inductance M. [6]

6. (a) A 3- Ω resistor is placed in series with a 12-V (maximum generator) of frequency

60 Hz. Calculate the:

(i) angular frequency of the current, [2]

(ii) maximum current [2]
(iii) root-mean-square current, [2]
(iv) maximum power into the resistor, and [2]
(v) the average power. [2]

(c) An RCL series circuit has R = 50 Ω, C = 5 µF, and L = 20 mH and is driven by an ac

generator of maximum emf 100 V and variable frequency ω. Calculate

(i) the resonance frequency ω0, [2]

(ii) I rms at resonance, and [2]
(iii) Z, Irms and the phase angle φ when ω = 400 rad s-1. [6]

END OF PAPER
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