Imperial College London

BSc/MSci EXAMINATION June 2017

This paper is also taken for the relevant Examination for the Associateship

ELECTRICITY & MAGNETISM AND RELATIVITY

For 1st-Year Physics Students
Wednesday, 14th June 2017: 14:00 to 16:00

Answer all questions

Marks shown on this paper are indicative of those the Examiners anticipate assigning.

General Instructions

Complete the front cover of each of the FOUR answer books provided.

If an electronic calculator is used, write its serial number at the top of the front cover of
each answer book.

USE ONE ANSWER BOOK FOR EACH QUESTION.

Enter the number of each question attempted in the box on the front cover of its corre-
sponding answer book.

Hand in FOUR answer books even if they have not all been used.

You are reminded that Examiners attach great importance to legibility, accuracy and
clarity of expression.

c Imperial College London 2017

1 Turn over for questions
2017/P1.2
 1. (i) Consider the decay of a π0 particle into two photons. In the π0 rest frame, the
photons are emitted along the x-axis.
(a) What is the energy of each photon in the π0 rest frame? Express your
answer in terms of the π0 mass mπ .
(b) Write down the energy-momentum vector of each photon in the π0 rest
frame. Show explicitly that both energy and momentum are conserved in
the decay process.
(c) In the lab frame, the π0 travels along the x-axis with velocity +v. The Lorentz
transformation for the energy of a particle from a frame S to a frame S 0 with
velocity +v relative to S is given by:
E 0 = γ(E − vpx ).
Use the Lorentz Transformation to derive an expression for the energies
of the photons in the lab frame. Find the sum of the photon energies and
comment on the physical significance of your result.
[12 marks]
(ii) A spaceship has been sent to investigate an approaching asteroid and destroy
it before it reaches Earth. The spaceship is now at distance L from the asteroid
and stationary with respect to it (see figure below).

L
v
x

(a) The Lorentz transformations between Earth’s rest frame S 0 and the aster-
oid’s rest frame S are:
x 0 = γ(x − vt), t 0 = γ(t − vx /c 2 ),
where all the symbols have their usual meaning. At t = t 0 = 0 and x = x 0 = 0
the spaceship sends out a probe with velocity u to investigate the aster-
oid. Write down the time tA at which it arrives at the asteroid in the aster-
oid frame. At what space-time coordinates tA0 , xA0 does the probe arrive in
Earth’s rest frame? Explain whether the Earth frame measures the proper
time interval between the events of the probe departing and arriving.
(b) Show that the velocity of the probe u0 in Earth’s rest frame is:
u−v
u0 = .
1 − uv /c 2
(c) Imagine that the spaceship destroys the asteroid with a missile travelling at
speed w > c (i.e. faster than the speed of light). For c 2 /w < v < c, explain
if there is a logical inconsistency between the two frames in this scenario
by considering the sign of the velocity w 0 of the missile in Earth’s frame.
[18 marks]
[Total 30 marks]

2017/P1.2 2
 2. (i) Define electric potential.
A narrow rod of length L has a charge Q uniformly distributed along its length.
Find the magnitude of the electric potential energy stored between the rod and
a point charge Q a distance D away from one end of the rod along the rod’s
axis.
[5 marks]
(ii) A parallel plate capacitor is charged and then disconnected from a battery. A
metal sheet of finite thickness is then inserted between the plates. The sheet
thickness is less than the plate separation and the sheet does not touch the
plates. With the use of diagrams but without detailed calculation explain what
happens to both the electric field between the plates and the capacitance of the
system. Do either the position of the sheet or its thickness affect the capaci-
tance?
[5 marks]
(iii) A particle of mass m and charge q accelerates across a potential difference V
before entering a uniform magnetic field B directed perpendicular to the parti-
cle’s motion. Assuming that the motion is non-relativistic, show that the radius
of the particle’s motion inside the magnetic field is given by
!1/2
2mV
R= .
qB 2

[5 marks]
(iv) The magnitude of the magnetic field at the centre of a circular current loop of
radius a is µ0 I/2a. Show that the magnetic field at the centre of a uniformly
charged disc of radius R, total charge Q, rotating with angular speed ω about
an axis perpendicular to the disc passing through its centre, has magnitude
µ0 Q ω/2πR.
[5 marks]
(v) An iron disc of radius 0.0100 m contains 2.68 × 1022 atoms. The magnetic dipole
moment of each atom is 1.80 × 10−23 Am2 . Assuming all the atoms in the disc
have their dipole moments aligned with the axis of the disc, what is the total
magnetic dipole moment? Calculate the equivalent current in a loop of the same
radius that produces the same magnetic moment.
[5 marks]
[Total 25 marks]

2017/P1.2 3 Please turn over

 3. (i) Define electric current and current density. Explain why electric current is a
scalar but current density is a vector.
[5 marks]
(ii) A metal sphere of radius r0 is charged to an initial value Q0 and suspended by
an insulating cord in the air. The air has electrical conductivity σ. Explain why
the charge on the sphere decreases with time. Using any method and showing
all working find an expression for the magnitude of the current density at the
surface of the sphere as a function of time. Show that the charge on the sphere
halves after a time (ln 2)0 /σ seconds and comment on this result.
[10 marks]
(iii) A laboratory Van de Graaff generator of radius 10 cm is charged to 10 MV. Make
an estimate of the charge on the generator and the time taken for the charge to
halve, given the electrical conductivity of air is ∼ 6 × 10−15 Sm−1 . How is this
time likely to change if (i) the humidity of the air changes, (ii) the Van de Graaff
generator is not a perfect sphere?
[5 marks]
[Total 20 marks]

2017/P1.2 4
 4. (i) A particle with charge q moves with velocity v in a magnetic field B. Show that
the work done by the Lorentz force, qv × B, is zero.

B
θ

S N
I

The figure shows a current-carrying loop and a fixed magnet, where the plane of
the current loop is perpendicular to the axis of the magnet. Explain why the coil
is attracted to the magnet when the current round the coil is as shown. If there
are n positive charges per unit volume in the loop show that the net force on
the loop towards the magnet is given by nVqv⊥ B sin θ where v⊥ is the tangential
speed of the charges around the loop, θ is the angle between the magnetic field
and the axis of the magnet and V is the volume of the loop. Hence show that
dvk
M = nVqv⊥ B sin θ, (1)
dt
where M is the mass of the loop and vk is its velocity towards the magnet.
[8 marks]
(ii) Show that the tangential retarding force on a charge in the loop is given by
−qvk B sin θ. Hence show that the total retarding force on the charges in the wire
is given by −nVqvk B sin θ, and that the equation of motion of charges, consid-
ered as being distributed uniformly around the loop, is therefore given by
dv⊥
nVmq = −nVqvk B sin θ, (2)
dt
where mq is the mass of each charge. [5 marks]
(iii) By comparing equations (1) and (2), show that in the absence of resistive losses
the gain in kinetic energy of the loop equals the loss of kinetic energy of the
charges in the loop. [Hint: multiply equation (1) by vk , and equation (2) by v⊥ .]
[6 marks]
(iv) The above can be considered a simplified analysis of the attraction between two
magnets. Comment briefly on the above results in respect of
1. Reconciling the idea that magnetic forces do no work, with the fact that
magnets are attracted to each other.
2. Whether or not the permanent dipole moment of each magnet has changed
once the magnets coalesce.
[6 marks]
[Total 25 marks]

2017/P1.2 5 End of examination paper