Electric and Magnetic Fields Assignment 7: Questions 1-4 Count For 95% of The Marks and Question 5 For 5% Q1
Electric and Magnetic Fields Assignment 7: Questions 1-4 Count For 95% of The Marks and Question 5 For 5% Q1
2
Electric and Magnetic Fields
Hint: You will need to split the line integral into two parts, corresponding to the two different
dielectrics.
(d) What is the capacitance?
Q4 An RC circuit is connected in series with a battery of voltage V, as shown.
Switch closed at t =0
V =5 V
R =200 k I
C =0.1 F
(i) Write down equations for the time-varying voltage across the capacitor, V(t), and the current,
I(t).
(ii) At what time is the charge on the capacitor equal to 90% of its final value?
(iii) Derive an expression for the energy stored in the capacitor as a function of time. At what time
does the energy stored by the capacitor reach 90% of its final value?
Q5 In the lectures, we integrated the energy density of the electric field over all space to derive this
equation for the electric energy, U, of a sphere of radius R, containing total charge Q distributed
uniformly inside it:
U
Q
R
=
3
20
2
0
.
Show that the same formula can be derived by finding the total amount of work which must be done
to
assemble the sphere of charge.
Hint: Consider an intermediate stage at which a sphere of radius r (<R) has already been assembled.
Find the work done in adding a thin shell to it, and integrate the resulting expression.You may find it
easier to work in terms of the charge density, - it will cancel out in the end.