MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Department of Physics: 8.02

1
Problem Solving 5: Magnetic Fields


Problem 1 Circular Motion in a Magnetic Field A positively charged particle of mass

m and charge

q is at the origin at

t = 0 and moving upward with velocity

!
v = v

j . Its
subsequent trajectory is shown in the sketch. The magnitude of the velocity

v =
!
v is
always the same, although the direction of

!
v changes in time. For the region

y > 0 , the
magnetic field is uniform with magnitude

B
1
. For

y < 0 , the magnetic field is also
uniform but the magnitude is

B
2
.



a) Is the direction of the magnetic field for the region

y > 0 into or out of the page?









b) Derive an expression for the magnitude

B
1
of the magnetic field for the region

y > 0 in terms of the given quantities, that is in term of

q ,

m,

R , and

v .











MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Department of Physics: 8.02

2
c) Is the magnetic field in the region

y < 0 into or out of the page?











d) What is the magnitude

B
2
of that magnetic field in that region in terms of in term
of

q ,

m,

R , and

v ?












e) How long does it take the charged particle to move from the origin to point

P
located at

x = 3R (see figure above) along the x-axis? Give your answer in
terms of the given quantities

q ,

m,

R , and

v as needed.


MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Department of Physics: 8.02

3

Problem 2: Back of the Envelope Calculation
You are not given enough information to exactly determine the answer to this question.
Make your best estimates for unknowns, clearly indicating what your estimates are (e.g.
Radius R ~ .) NO CREDIT will be given for simply guessing a final numerical answer
from scratch. It must be properly motivated (i.e. write equations!)

For those of you not familiar with them, hula hoops are
childrens toys that can be repeatedly swung around the
body with the appropriate swiveling of the hips. Although
their actual motion is rather complex, for the purposes of
this problem you should pretend that the hoop just spins
symmetrically around the hula-hoopers body.

Done on a dry day with the appropriate clothing, things
can get quite electric, with the air crackling as the hoop
spins around. What, if any, magnetic field will be
generated at the center of rotation of the hoop? Would
this field be detectable with a standard compass?


HINT: You may find helpful the electric field at the surface of a cylinder of radius a with
linear charge density !:
!
E=
!
2!a!
0
r
HINT Part Deux: The breakdown field strength of dry air is about 3!10
6
V / m.

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