PHYS 2041 University Physics III
PHYS 2041 Homework Assignment 8
(Due: 18/11/2024, 12:30 pm, Submission to Blackboard, TA: Chong Hang Yan)
A. Basic Problems (0% No need to submit)
1. Use Biot-Savart law to find the magnetic field at the centre of a circular loop which has
radius R and is carrying a current I.
2. Show that the magnetic field at a perpendicular
distance x from a straight segment of current-
carrying wire is given by
0 I
B sin 2 sin 1
4 x
where 1 and 2 are the angles subtended by the
ends of the wire and the x-axis at the observation
position P (Fig. 1). What is the direction of the Fig. 1
magnetic field?
[Hint: A similar problem was discussed in the lectures. Change the limits of
integration.]
3. A long, hollow, cylindrical conductor of inner radius a and outer radius b, carries a
current I along its length, uniformly distributed over its cross section. Using Ampere’s
law, find and sketch the magnetic field B(r ) in all space.
B. Structural Problems (80% Need to submit)
4. A infinitely large flat sheet carries a uniform surface
charge density . The charges move at a constant
velocity v vxˆ on the sheet (Fig. 2). Find the
magnetic field everywhere by Ampere’s law.
[Hint: The magnetic field has no component normal
Fig. 2
to the sheet due to the ‘Gauss’ law for magnetism.
Also, note that the magnetic field is perpendicular to the direction of the current. Draw
a rectangular Amperian loop across the sheet (Fig. 2). Make use of the symmetry on
both sides of the sheet and find the current enclosed by the loop. The surface current
density is j v, so that the current flowing through a line segment perpendicular to
v is j. ]
PHYS 2041 University Physics III
5. In lecture, we have shown that the magnetic field along the axis (z-axis) of a circular
current loop of radius R is
0 I R2
B zˆ
R
3/ 2
2 2
z2
(a) Show that
Bdz 0 I by direct integration.
[Hint: Use the substitution z R tan ]
[Remarks: Can you explain the result by using
Ampere’s law?]
(b) Another small circular loop of radius a, carrying
a current I , is placed parallel to and on the axis
of the first loop (Fig. 3). By treating the small
Fig. 3
loop as a small magnetic dipole, find the
magnetic force between the two loops.
6. Two infinite wires carrying opposite currents I in the
+z and -z directions, are located on the y-z plane at
y d / 2 and y d / 2 respectively (Fig. 4).
(a) Find the magnetic field at a point P on the x-
axis.
(b) Find an approximate expression for the field in
(a) when x d .
7. A long, straight wire, with a circular cross section
of radius R, carries a current density that varies with Fig. 4
the distance r from its axis as
r
J r J 0 1 , 0 r R ,
r0
where J 0 and r0 R are positive constants. The total current carried by the wire is
zero.
(a) Sketch J (r ) versus r, and describe the direction of the current in the wire.
(b) Find r0 in terms of R.
[Hint: Integrate the current density to find the total current, which is equal to zero.]
(c) Find the magnetic field B ( r ) inside and outside the wire using Ampere’s law.
PHYS 2041 University Physics III
C. Challenging Problems (20% Need to submit)
8. A semi-circular wire segment of radius R, carrying a
constant current I, lies on the x-y plane (Fig. 5).
Using Biot-Savart law, find the magnetic field at the
point (0, R) on the y axis due to this segment of
wire only.
[Hint: Position vector of a small current segment:
r R(cos xˆ sin yˆ )
dl dr R( sin xˆ cos yˆ )d
Position vector of the observer: r Ryˆ. Fig. 5
Find r r and dl .
You may find the following integral useful:
d
1 sin
2 ln tan . ]
4 8
D. Problems for Learning Beyond the Syllabus (0% Submit if you like)
Questions in this part aim to extend your learning beyond the syllabus and will NOT be
examined.
9. A particle of charge +q, mass m, with velocity v , is located in a region of a uniform
magnetic field B Bzˆ and a uniform electric field E Eyˆ . The equation of motion of
the particle is therefore given by
dv
m
dt
q E vB
We look for a solution to this equation of the form v v1 v2 , where v1 satisfies
dv1
m qv1 B
dt
(a) Show that this equation, with the initial condition v1 t 0 v0 xˆ , gives a uniform
circular motion in the magnetic field as usual.
The term v2 is a particular solution to the original equation:
m
dv2
dt
q E v2 B
(b) Show that v2 E B / B 2 is a particular solution.
PHYS 2041 University Physics III
[Hint: The equation will be satisfied if E v2 B 0 . Apply a cross product of B
to the equation and use the vector identity A B C A C B A B C . ]
(c) Sketch the resulting trajectory. Explain how the term v2 E B / B 2 modifies the
original circular trajectory.
(d) Will the drift reverse direction if the particle carries a negative charge q instead?
[Remarks: The centre of the circular path drifts in the direction E B ; this drifting
motion is therefore known as E B drift in plasma physics. You may find more
information of similar drifting motions at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guiding_center]
10. Paramagnetic materials produces a very weak intrinsic magnetic field that is parallel to
an external applied magnetic field. It is due to the alignment of atomic magnetic dipoles
in the direction of the applied magnetic field. In a simplified model, the atomic
magnetic dipole is due to the spin of an unpaired electron; its dipole moment m can
only be in two quantum states in the presence of an applied magnetic field B : either
aligned parallel or anti-parallel to the applied magnetic field. According to statistical
mechanics, the probability that the atom being in a state with energy U m B is
proportional to the Boltzmann factor e U / kT , where T is the absolute temperature and k is
the Boltzmann constant. The average value of a physical quantity f is given by
f exp U / kT
i i
f i
,
exp U / kT
i
i
where Ui and fi are the energy and the value of f in the ith quantum states. The
summation is taken over all quantum states.
[Note: The existence of two discrete quantum states of an electron spin either parallel or
anti-parallel to the magnetic field is a result of quantum mechanics, it is called space
quantization. You will learn it in senior years of study, just accept it as a fact at this
moment.]
(a) Show that, for a system of N atoms per unit volume in an applied magnetic field B ,
the magnetization M of the system is given by
mB
M Nm tanh ,
kT
where tanh is the hyperbolic tangent function, i.e., tanh x e x e x / e x e x .
PHYS 2041 University Physics III
(b) Show that the magnetization obeys Curie’s law at high temperatures:
B
M C
T
Find the Curie constant C for this simplified model. How do you define high
temperatures?
