PHYS 100B (Prof.

Congjun Wu)
Solution to HW 2
January 8, 2011
Problem 1 (Griths 5.8)
(a) Find the magnetic eld at the center of a square loop, which carries a steady current I. Let R be the distance
from center to side (Fig.
?).
Solution: (B = 20 I/(R).)
By using the Biot-Savart law, we can calculate the contribution from each side of the square wire separately. We
nd each side contributes the same magnetic eld at the center of the square. By using Eq. 5.35 (please refer to
Example 5.5), with s = R, 2 = 1 = /4, we get

0 I
2
2
0 I
0 I (

)
0 I
B =4
(sin 2 sin 1 ) = 4
sin sin( ) = 4
(
+
)= 2
.
4R
4R
4
4
4R 2
2
R
(b) Find the eld at the center of a regular n-sided polygon, carrying a steady current I. Again, let R be the
distance from the center to any side.
Solution: (B = n0 I/(2R) sin (/n) .)
Similar to the above analysis, we now have n sides. By using Eq. 5.35, with s = R, 2 = 1 = 12 2/n = /n,
we get
0 I
0 I (

)
0 I

B =n
(sin 2 sin 1 ) = n
sin sin( ) = n
sin .
4R
4R
n
n
2R
n
(c) Check that your formula reduces to the eld at the center of a circular loop, in the limit n .
Solution: (B = 0 I/(2R).)
At the limit n , /n 1,

sin .
n
n
0 I

0 I
B n
=
.
2R n
2R
Problem 2 (Griths 5.13)
A steady current I ows down a long cylindrical wire of radius a (Fig. ?). Find the magnetic eld, both inside
and outside the wire, if
(a) The current is uniformly distributed over the outside surface of the wire.
(b) The current is diastributed in such a way that I is proportional to s, the distance from the axis.

Figure 1: Problem 5.8

Figure 2: Problem 5.13

r > a.(b) B = 0 Ir2 /(2a3 ),
r < a; B = 0 I/(2r),
r > a.
Solution: (a) B = 0, r < a; B = 0 I/(2r),
By Amp`eres law, we have

B dl = B2r = 0 Iencircled .
loop

Here, r is the radius of the Amperian loop. Noticing the rotational symmetry with respect the axis of the cylinder,
we take the Amperian loop, as shown in the dashed line in the gure, so that the magnitude of B is constant around
this loop when we do the integration above.
The dashed blue loop is designed for nding the magnetic eld inside the cylindrical wire; the dashed red loop is
for detecting the magnetic eld outside.
For case (a), the current is distributed over the outside surface of the cylinder of radius a.
For r < a, the blue loop does not encircle any current, Iencircled = 0. B = 0, B = 0.
For r > a, the red loop encircles all the current, Iencircled = I. B = 0 I/(2r) .
For case (b), J r. Let
J = kr.

The current
I=

JdA,

where, J is the volume current density, dA = (2r ) dr is the area element between the circles of radius r and of
radius (r + dr ).
a
2ka3
3I
I=
(kr ) (2r ) dr =
.k=
.
3
3
2a
0
For r < a,
r
r3
2kr3
Iencircled =
= I 3.
(kr ) (2r ) dr =
3
a
0
0 Iencircled
0 Ir2
B =
=
.
2r
2a3
For r > a,
Iencircled
B

= I.
0 Iencircled
0 I
=
=
.
2r
2r

Problem 3 (Griths 5.16)

A large parallel-plate capacitor with uniform surface charge on the upper plate and on the lower is moving
with a constant speed v.
(a) Find the magnetic
eld between the plates and also above and below them.
{
0 v, between the plates;
Solution: (B =
)
0, elsewhere.
Please refer to example 5.8, where the surface current density K = vx for the upper plate, K = vx for the
lower plate. Using the result from example 5.8, the upper plate produces the magnetic eld
{ 0
+ 2 vy, below the upper plate;
Bupper =
20 vy, above the upper plate.
2

Figure 3: Problem 5.16

The lower plate produces the magnetic eld
{
Blower =

20 vy, below the lower plate;

+ 20 vy, above the lower plate.

B = Bupper + Blower .
{
0 v, between the plates;
B =
0, elsewhere.
(b) Find the magnetic force per unit area on the upper plate, including its direction.
Solution: (fm = 0 2 v 2 /2
z)
Since the upper plate cannot feel the magnetic eld porduced by itself, the magnetic force here corresponds to
the magnetic eld produced bythe lower plate and felt by the upper plate.
Lorentz force law says F = (K B) da, so the force per unit area is
fm = K B.
Here, K = v
x for the upper plate, B = Blower =

0
y.
2 v

fm =

0 2 2
v
z.
2

(c) At what speed v would the magnetic force balance the electrical force?
Solution: (v = c, the speed of light).
The electric eld of the lower plate is /(20 ). The attractive electric force per unit area on the upper plate is
fe =

z.
20

They balance if
0 2 2
2
1
v =
v=
= c.
2
20
0 0
Problem 4 (Griths 5.17)
Show that the magnetic eld of an innite solenoid runs parallel to the axis, regardless of the cross-sectional
shape of the coil, as long as that shape is constant along the length of the solenoid. What is the magnitude of the
eld, inside and outside of such a coil? Show that the toroid eld (5.58) reduces to the solenoid eld, when the radius
of the donut is so large that a segment can be considered essentially straight.
Proof:
(Example 5.9 and Example 5.10 give us the spirit for solving this problem.)
Let us rst pick up a point M (0, y, 0) located on the y axis, and then use the Biot-Savart law to calculate the
magnetic eld at this point.

0 I
dl r
.
B=
4
r3

Figure 4: Problem 5.17

To fully use the translational symmetry along the z-axis, we pick up line elements dl1 and dl2 at points P(x , y , z )
and P(x , y , z ) symmetrically with respect to the x-y plane, and consider their contribution to the integration
element dB together:
)
(
dl2 r2
0 I dl1 r1
+
,
dB =
4
r13
r23
r1 = rM rP = x x
+ (y y ) y
z
z,

r2 = rM rP = x x
+ (y y ) y
+z
z,

2
r1 = r2 = x2 + (y y ) + z 2 r,
dl1

= dl2 = dx x
+ dy y
dl.

dB = 0 I/ (4) dl(rr13+r2 ) . Since dl and (r1 + r2 ) are in the same x-y plane, dB dl (r1 + r2 ) is always along
the z-axis, which is perpendicular to the x-y plane.

dB

0 I dl (r1 + r2 )
0 I (dx x
+ dy y
) (2x x
+ 2 (y y ) y
)
=
(
)3

3
4
r
4
2
x2 + (y y ) + z 2

0 I (2 (y y ) dx + 2x dy )
z.
)3
(
4
2
x2 + (y y ) + z 2

Using Amp`eres law, we nd the magnetic eld is

{
0 nI, inside the coil;
B=
0, outside the coil.
where n is the number of turns in a unit length, which equals the total number of turns, N, divided by the length of
the circumference, 2s, for a toroid with large radius s.