Physics 436 Discussion 2 January 24, 2017

Solution

1. Consider a parallel plate capacitor (C is given) that is being charged up by current I.

At t = 0, the plates are uncharged. Assume !d R (ignore fringe fields.).

R d

! ! !

(
) ( )
( )
a. Calculate E s, ,t , B s, ,t , and S s, ,t inside the capacitor.

( )
s, ,t =
I
R2
t , so:

! It ! s2 E Is ! 1 ! ! I2 st
E = z = z B= 0 0 = 0 2 S = E B = r
0 0 R2 2 s t 2 R 0 2 0 2R 4

b. Show that the electromagnetic energy flux into the capacitor accounts for the increase in
the 12 CV 2 stored energy.
!
There is no EM energy flux through the plates, because E is perpendicular to the plates.
I 2d
The rate of EM energy flux into the capacitor at r = R is: Flux = 2 Rd S = t.
0 R2
dUEM Q dQ I2 I 2d
The rate at which stored energy is increasing is = = t= t , the same.
dt C dt C 0 R2

c. Is the electric field zero outside the capacitor? Explain why or why not. If E = 0 outside,
how does the energy get into the capacitor?

As we charge up the capacitor, we must have E 0 along the wire, in order to force the
charge onto the plates. So, S 0, and energy is not magically appearing; its coming from
the power supply.
2. This is Griffiths, example 8.4 (p. 371). Please work through the solution on paper, to gain
familiarity. Yes, benefit accrues from having information pass into the eyes, through the
brain, and out the fingers!

Consider a very long solenoid (radius R, n turns per unit length, and current I). Two
cylindrical shells of length L are coaxial with the solenoid, one with radius a < R, and one
with radius b > R. The shells are free to rotate about the common axis. The inner shell has
charge +Q glued on, and the outer shell has charge Q. Note: !L a,!b, and!R.

As the current is reduced to zero, the shells will begin to spin (see example 7.8, p. 318).
Calculate the final angular momentum of each shell. Where does the angular momentum
come from?

The answer is in the book!

Thats the end of Griffiths example. A question to ponder while lying awake at 4 AM:
Suppose there is no outer shell. What happens to the angular momentum in that case?

I lie awake at 4 AM worrying about this

Actually, thats not true. Notice that the angular momentum transferred to the outer shell
does not depend on its radius, b. So, we can let b go to infinity and get the same result. The
angular momentum will go to infinity, at which distance, the presence or absence of the outer
shell is no longer important. This is problem results from having an infinitely long solenoid,
which renders the conservation of angular momentum meaningless.

You will learn later in the course that the angular momentum is carried off to infinity by EM
radiation.