Exam 3 Study Guide

Amy Roberts

October 2, 2018

1 Best-case scenario: you know exactly what and how to study

Exam 3 will focus on the force a charged particle experiences in a magnetic field and also
the calculation of magnetic fields due to moving charge. You should also be familiar with
the force on a charged particle due to an electric field since many applications of magnetic
fields also use or involve electric fields.
⇒ The format of the exam will be similar to the others (conceptual questions and one
long-form question).
⇒ The conceptual problems will be drawn from the conceptual questions at the end of
this guide. They may be modified slightly.
⇒ The quantitative problem for this exam will be to produce a detailed magnetic field
map of a common current distribution.

2 Content: magnetic force and magnetic fields

The following concepts may appear on the exam. I may ask you to do work that combines
these concepts in ways not explicitly listed on this study guide (the homework is excellent
preparation for this). Concepts not listed on this guide will not be on the exam.

2.1 Units and constants

Know, or know where to find, the following:

 the units associated with all the concepts and constants in this guide
 ε0 , k = 1/4πε0 , µ0

1
  an electron has a negative charge; what is its charge?
 a proton has a positive charge; what is its charge?
 centi = 10−2 , milli = 10−3 , etc.

2.2 Vectors

 you can add vectors symbolically and graphically

 you can choose a coordinate system and express a vector in cartesian coordinates.
Cylindrical and spherical coordinate systems are also fine.
 you can determine a “displacement vector”, a vector that starts at one point in space
and ends at another point in space, ~x = ~xf inal − ~xinitial .
~
~ · dl.
 you can take the dot product of two vectors, e.g. E
~
 you can take the cross product of two vectors, e.g. q~v × B

2.3 Metals

 you understand that electrons can move freely within a metal

 you understand that electrons cannot easily jump off any material (“spark!”)
 you can qualitatively predict how charges will distribute themselves in a metal and
insulator given an electric and magnetic field

2.4 Current sources

 you understand that when physicists write, “a wire carries a current of 1 Amp”, we
mean that the wire is connected to some current source that does whatever it needs
to in order to keep the current in the wire constant at 1 Amp.
– this is helpful when reasoning about currents in magnetic fields, for example
current flowing in two nearby wires. The magnetic field can exert a force on
moving charges, so one might wonder if the current ends up decreasing (or
increasing!). It does not: the current source might have to adjust, but it will do
so and keep the current at 1 Amp.

2
2.5 Magnetic fields

 you can calculate and crudely draw the magnetic field due to a segment of current
at any location in space
 you can identify the best approximation for a current distribution (long, current-
carrying wire vs. loop of current vs. solenoid) and use associated equations to
correctly calculate the magnetic field at certain points in space. Note that the equa-
tions given are often for special points in space (for example, points along the center
axis of a current loop). You should be able to identify whether a point in space meets
the requirements for equations given on the equation sheet.
 you can calculate and crudely draw the magnetic field due to several current segments
at any location in space (“principle of superposition”)

2.6 Force

 you can determine the direction of the force on a charged object in an electric field
 you can determine the direction of the force on a charged object in a magnetic field
 you can determine the total force on an object (see vector addition above)
 you can qualitatively estimate how an object will move given the net force acting on
it and given the material it’s in (metal vs. dielectric vs. vacuum)
 you recognize that an object moving in a straight line with no change in velocity is
experiencing no net force.
 you know that an object traveling with a speed perpendicular to a uniform magnetic
field will travel in a circle. You know quantitatively how mass, charge, speed, and
radius are related in this case.

2.7 Electric potential

 given a potential difference (units of Volts) and geometry information, you can cal-
culate the electric field. This is relevant because measurements are often given in
volts, but the force on a particle is directly related to the electric field. The most
common caseR in this class is a voltage between two (large) parallel plates, in which
case V = E ~ is the appropriate place to start. Becuase this exam focuses on
~ · dl
magnetism I will not ask you to do more complicated versions of this skill.

3
  given an electric field in a region, you can determine the voltage between two points
in that region. This comes up in problems where motion of a metal in a magnetic
field causes charges to “polarize”, creating a voltage. Similarly, current Rthrough a
magnetic field can create a voltage. In all cases the place to start is V = E ~
~ · dl.

2.8 Circuits

 you can use V = IR to determine either the voltage, resistance, or current through
an element given the other two quantities
 you can calculate the power dissipated by a resistor, given the current and resistance
or voltage drop

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1. (10 points) An ion source creates positively-charged ions; we can use electric
and magnetic fields to select ions with a particular velocity. In both cases below
~ is pointing out of the page.
B
A. B.
v E v E
+ +
B B
(a) In diagram A, what is the direction of the force due to the electric field on
the ion?

(b) In diagram A, what is the direction of the force due to the magnetic field
on the ion?

(c) Which setup, A or B, will work as a velocity selector? Explain why, in a

few sentences.

2. (10 points) Consider two separate cases: an electron moving in a region with an
electric field and magnetic field, and a proton.

(a) What is the direction of the force due to the electric field on the electron,
and on the proton?

(b) What is the direction of the force due to the magnetic field on the electron,
and on the proton?
3. (10 points) Consider the bent wire shown below, which has a current I running
through it. These questions ask about the magnetic field generated by the current
in the wire at location P .

(a) What is the direction of the magnetic field due to “leg 1” at point P? Draw
and label this contribution to the magnetic field on the diagram.
(b) What is the direction of the magnetic field due to “leg 2” at point P? Draw
and label this contribution to the magnetic field on the diagram.
(c) Draw and label the net magnetic field at point P.

4. (10 points) A “unipolar” generator consists of a copper disk of radius R rotating

in a uniform, steady magnetic field B perpendicular to the disk, out of the page
(see the figure below). (The magnetic field is produced by large coils carrying
constant current, not shown in the diagram.) Sliding contacts are made at the
center (on the axle) and at the rim of the disk, and the wires are connected to a
voltmeter.

(a) Draw the charge distribution.

(b) Explain your reasoning.

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5. (10 points) Determining the direction of the magnetic field

6. (10 points) Current creates magnetic fields (Biot-Savart) Current travels

clockwise in the loop of wire shown below, and you are interested in the magnetic
field at the indicated location. You approximate the loop with six segments. The
following questions are one way to get a rough estimate of the direction of the
magnetic field.

(a) Rank the magnitude of the magnetic field contributed by each segment from
largest to smallest. If some of the segments seem like they might contribute
similar-magnitude magnetic fields, indicate that they’re similar and briefly
explain why.

(b) What is the direction of the magnetic field due to the segment with the
largest contribution?

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7. (10 points) Magnetic fields and magnetic forces Two wires run parallel to
each other and carry current that travels in the same direction.
(a) These wires feel a force towards each other, away from each other, or do not
exert a force on each other.
(b) Explain why.

8. (10 points) Force due to the magnetic field, force due to electric field
Semiconductors can have either positive or negative charge carriers, and the
setup below is widely used in industry to characterize the mobility and sign of
the charge carriers.

(a) Draw the charge distribution that results if the charge carrier is positive.
(b) Draw the charge distribution that results if the charge carrier is negative.
(c) After equilibrium is established, draw the magnetic force on a positive
charge carrier.
(d) After equilibrium is established, draw the electric force on a positive charge
carrier.
(e) Consider a charge carrier in the bar after equilibrium is established. The
magnitude of the force due to the magnetic field on this carrier must be
larger, smaller, or the same as the magnitude of the force due to the electric
field.

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