Engineering Physics 2A 2024

Problem Set 5
Due: 16 April 2024 before 15h00

April 10, 2024

Tutorial Session: Tuesday 16 April 2024 from 09h40 – 10h30

Venue: C Les 103
Please see below the exercises that will be covered/discussed during the tutorial session.
Students are requested to work through the exercises before the session and take advantage
of the interaction with the tutor to seek clarifications on the material that has been covered.

This covers Sections 3.7 to 3.8 and Sections 4.1 to 4.10 of the textbook, Guru & Hiziroglu

Q1 A dielectric rod of radius 10 mm extends along the z axis from z = 0 to z = 10 m.

#»
The polarization of the rod is given as P = [2z 2 + 10] #»
a z . Calculate the bound volume
charge density and the surface polarization charge on each surface. What is the total
bound charge? [4 marks]

Q2 A metallic sphere of diameter 70 cm has a surface charge density of 50 nC/m2 . Calcu-

late the electric energy stored in the system. Repeat this calculation using Equation 3.66
from the textbook, and compare the answers. [5 marks]

Q3 Two parallel plates are separated by a dielectric of thickness 2 mm with a dielectric

constant of 6. If the area of each plate is 50 cm2 and the potential difference between them
is 1.2 kV, determine the following: [9 marks]
(a) The capacitance [2]
(b) The electric field intensity [2]
(c) The electric flux density [2]
(d) The polarisation vector [1]
(e) The bound charge densities [2]

Q4 Answer the following in as much detail as is needed.

Note: Use diagrams where necessary. [3 marks]
(a) State the main difference between emf and potential difference. [2]

1
 (b) Does the equation E = IR apply to e medium that does not obey Ohm’s Law. [1]

Q5 An aluminium conductor has a radius of 4 cm and carries a current of 200 A. If the

length of the conductor is 300 km, determine the following: [8 marks]

(a) The current density in the conductor [2]

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(b) The E field within the conductor [2]

(c) The potential difference across the conductor [2]

(d) The resistance of the conductor [2]

Q5 A plane interface between two conducting media is shown in the figure below:

The current density in medium 1 just above the interface (σ1 = 200 S/m, ϵr1 = 3) is
#»
J 1 = 10 #»
a x − 20 #»
a y + 5 #»
a z. [11 marks]

Calculate the following:

(a) The current density in medium 2 just below the interface (σ2 = 3000 S/m, ϵr2 = 9)?
[5]
#» #»
(b) The corresponding components of the E and D fields on both sides? [4]

(c) The surface charge density at the interface? [2]

TOTAL : 40 marks