Paper 1, Section II, D

Electromagnetism | Part IB, 2016

(a) From the differential form of Maxwell's equations with J=0,B=0\mathbf{J}=\mathbf{0}, \mathbf{B}=\mathbf{0} and a time-independent electric field, derive the integral form of Gauss's law.

(b) Derive an expression for the electric field E\mathbf{E} around an infinitely long line charge lying along the zz-axis with charge per unit length μ\mu. Find the electrostatic potential ϕ\phi up to an arbitrary constant.

(c) Now consider the line charge with an ideal earthed conductor filling the region x>dx>d. State the boundary conditions satisfied by ϕ\phi and E\mathbf{E} on the surface of the conductor.

(d) Show that the same boundary conditions at x=dx=d are satisfied if the conductor is replaced by a second line charge at x=2d,y=0x=2 d, y=0 with charge per unit length μ-\mu.

(e) Hence or otherwise, returning to the setup in (c), calculate the force per unit length acting on the line charge.

(f) What is the charge per unit area σ(y,z)\sigma(y, z) on the surface of the conductor?

Typos? Please submit corrections to this page on GitHub.