NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

FACULTY OFAPPLIED SCIENCES

DEPARTMENT OF APPLIED PHYSICS

BSc. (Hons) IN APPLIED PHYSICS PART II

ELECTROMAGNETISM

SPH 2105

Examination Paper

December 2016

This examination paper consists of 4 pages

Time Allowed: 3 hours

Total Marks: 100
Special Requirements: None
Examiner’s Name: Dr P. Baricholo
INSTRUCTIONS

ANSWER ALL PARTS OF QUESTION 1 IN SECTION A AND ANY THREE QUESTIONS

FROM SECTION B. SECTION A CARRIES 40 MARKS AND SECTION B CARRIES 60
MARKS

MARK ALLOCATION

QUESTION MARKS
1. 40
2. 20
3. 20
4. 20
5. 20
6. 20
Maximum possible mark 100

Permittivity of Free Space o = 8.85  10-12 F m-1

Permeability of Free space o = 4 10-7 Hm-1
Mass of an Electron m = 9.1  10-31 kg
Charge on an Electron e = 1.6  10-19 C
Mass of proton mp =1.67  10-27 kg
Speed of light in vacuum c = 3 x 108 ms-1

Copyright: National University of Science and Technology, 2016

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SPH2105_Main
 Section A
1. a) A long coaxial cable carries a current I. The current flows down the surface of the
inner cylinder of radius a, and back along the outer cylinder of radius b. The two
conductors are maintained at a potential difference V. Assume that the surface charge
density is  per unit length.
i. Find the magnetic energy stored in a section of length l. [5]
ii. Find the electric energy stored in a section of length l. [4]
iii. Calculate the power transported down the cable. [5]
b) Given an electromagnetic wave in free space, ⃗
E =Em sin ( ωt−βz ) ^y , deduce the
following:
i. The electric displacement vector, ⃗
D, [1]
ii. The magnetic field induction vector, ⃗
B, [4]
iii. The Poynting vector, ⃗S, [3]
iv. The polarization state of this wave and [1]
v. The direction of wave propagation. [1]
c) A coaxial line is to be designed for a voltage rating of 1000 V and for a Zo of
50 . If air dielectric is used and to avoid breakdown Emax is 2.5 x 106 Vm-1,
determine the minimum radii of the two conductors. [6]
d) Find the frequency, relative to the cutoff frequency, for which the waveguide
length g is exactly twice the plane wavelength.
[5]
e) What is the physical interpretation of each of Maxwell’s equations? [5]

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SPH2105_Main
 Section B
2. a) Show that from Maxwell’s equation, we can deduce the law of conservation of
−∂ ρ
electric charge i.e. ∇ ∙ ⃗J = . [5]
∂t
b) Demonstrate that ∇ ∙ ⃗
B=0. [5]
c) For plane harmonic waves of angular frequency ω and wavelength  given as
E x =Eo sin ⁡(kz−wt ) and B y =Bo sin ⁡(kz−wt) , show that, the ratio of the electric
Eo ω
field amplitude to the magnetic field amplitude is given by = . [10]
Bo k

3. a) What is the difference between attenuation and scattering? [4]

b) The instantaneous expression for the magnetic field intensity of a uniform plane
wave propagating in the +y direction in air is given by
π
H=^z 4×10−6 cos(107 πt−k 0 y + )
4 A/m.

i. Determine k0 and the location where H z vanishes at t = 3ms. [6]

ii. Write the instantaneous expression for E . [4]
A=k ϕ^ , in cylindrical
d) What current density would produce the vector potential ⃗
coordinates? k is a constant. [6]

4. a) Starting from Maxwell’s equations, derive the wave equation for charge free and
non-conducting media. What Physics law does it express? [10]
k ^ ⃗
b) For the following electromagnetic fields:⃗ and ⃗
i(k x−ωt )
E =Eo e x
B= k × E for
ω
k x =√ με ω , k y =k z =0, determine the instantaneous values of
i. the energy density, [5]
ii. intensity or power density associated with it. [3]
iii. What kind of wave is this? [2]

5. a) Compare phase velocity, plane wave velocity and group velocity for a waveguide.
[4]

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SPH2105_Main
 b) Verify from Maxwell’s equations that the electric and magnetic fields of a plane
electromagnetic wave in a homogeneous isotropic medium are, in general,
perpendicular to each other irrespective of dielectric and magnetic losses. Hint:
Show that ⃗
E∙⃗
H =0. [6]
c) a) Show that for a magnetostatic field, the vector potential is given by
μ ❑ ⃗J (⃗r ) 3 '
A= o ∫
⃗ d r,
4 π V |⃗r −⃗r '|

where the symbols have their usual meaning. [10]

6. a) i. Find the potential at point P, a distance z above the center of the charge
distribution of a uniform surface charge shown in Fig. 1. [4]

Fig. 1.
ii. Determine the electric field ⃗
E at point P. [4]
b) Describe the properties of the following magnetic materials.
i. Paramagnetic materials. [3]
ii. Ferromagnetic materials. [3]
c) For a configuration of charges and currents confined within a volume V, show that
❑ ❑

∫ ⃗J dV = ddt⃗p , where ⃗p is the total dipole moment. [Hint: evaluate ∫ ∇ ∙( x ⃗J ) dV ].[6]

V V

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 END OF EXAMINATION

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