Physics 1C Lecture 3, Fall 2014

Midterm Examination 2
November 19, 2014

Exam rules: Please do not forget to write your name and student ID on the front
of the exam!
No electronic gadgets of any kind, and the exam is closed book and closed notes. Any
numerical answers may be given using one or more significant figures. For example, 4 = 10
is acceptable. If a definite integral appears in an answer, but which you do not know how
to solve, then continue on with the rest of the question, assigning an arbitrary constant to
take the place of the unsolved integral.

Problem 1.

Inductors in circuits. (16 points total)

a. Write down the definition of inductance, and follow it by providing an expression

relating the current in an inductor to the potential difference vL (t) across it. Evaluate
for the case that the current through an inductor L is given by iL (t) = IL cos(t).
[Note: sin(t) = cos(t + 90 )] (4 points)

L IB , with B the total flux through the windings of the inductor. Some variations
of this statement will be considered equivalent and scored the same.
di
, which for the specific case stated is
vL (t) = L dt

IL sin(t) = IL (L) cos(t + 90 ).

b. An inductor L is connected in a circuit as shown. At t = 0, the switch S is closed.
Immediately after the switch is closed, what are the currents I1 and I2 ? What are I1
and I2 a long time after S is closed? Write down a differential equation for the current
I1 (t), and make a rough sketch of the solution I1 (t). (4 points)
Case I: t 0+

I1 = 0, I2 = V0 /R2 .
Case II: t

I1 V0 /R1 , I2 is the same as before, V0 /R.

V0 = L dIdt1 + I1 R1 .

In sketching the solution, we note the limiting values for I1 (t), and note that the long
term value will be reached asymptotically (exponentially). The solution itself was not
asked for, but it is I1 (t) = V0 /R[1 exp(tR/L)].

I2

S
R1
I1

R2
I1(t)*R/V0

0.8

V0
L

0.6
0.4

Very rough sketch looking something

like this is ok

0.2
0
0

10

t*R/L

c. In this part, the battery and switch are replaced by an ac source. Make a phasor
diagram for the source potential vs = Vs cos(t + ), and current i1 () = I1 cos(t).
Use it to solve for the current amplitude I1 (). (4 points)

i2
vs

i1

I1

R1
VL

t+90o
VR1

R2

Vs = [VL2 + VR21 ]1/2

I1

= I1 [(L)2 + R12 ]1/2

= Vs /[(L)2 + R12 ]1/2
3

d. Use the diagram to find the phase angle . What is in the limiting cases 0,
? (4 points)
is the angle between vs and the current in leg 1, i1 . From the diagram, this is
determined by the ratio of the out-of-phase potential VL , to the in-phase potential,
VR1 .
L
VL
=
tan =
VR1
R1

Problem 2.

Maxwells equations and EM waves. (12 points total)

a. Write down the four Maxwells equations in vacuum, in integral form. Draw a box
around Faradays Law. (3 points)

~ dA
~=0
E

~ dA
~=0
B

~ d~ = dB this is Faradays Law

E
dt
I
~ d~ = 0 0 dE
E
dt

Also acceptable: integral forms for the right-hand-side of Faradays and Amp`eres
Laws, and if you included charges and real currents, thats fine, too.
b. Write down an expression for the Poynting vector, and state in words what physical
quantity it describes. Relate it to EM wave intensity. (3 points)

~ B
~
~= 1E
S
0
The Poynting vector has magnitude power/area; it is aligned with the direction of
propagation, so it is equivalent to a energy flux/time. The light intensity I is the
~ for a sinusoidal wave.
time-averaged magnitude of S
c. A radio station broadcast antenna emits power P uniformly in all directions. Find
the root mean square electric field Erms at a distance R from the source, in terms
of P . (Recall: For EM waves, we have for the electric and magnetic field strengths
E(~r, t) = cB(~r, t).) (4 points)
Save = I = P/area = P/(4R2 ),
with R the distance from the broadcast antenna. The area is the full surface area of
the sphere, since the power emission is uniform in all directions. Then
P
1
1
2
=
Erms Brms = c0 Erms
.
2
4R
20
2
Solve for Erms :
5

d. A linearly polarized standing plane wave is confined to a region between two conducting
plates, separated by a distance d. Assume the electric field components are along the
y-direction, and that one of the conductor faces is located at x = 0, and k = 2/ =
2/d/d (so that = 2d. Circle possible form(s) for the standing wave that is allowed
by Maxwells equations, and is also a solution to the wave equation for EM waves: (3
points)
The first selection is a valid standing wave. The second has a longitudinal component
(not allowed!), and the third is a travelling wave.
~
~
E(x,
t) = E0 y sin(kx) sin(t), B(x,
t) = E0 /c
z cos(kx) cos(t)
~
~
E(x,
t) = E0 y sin(kx) sin(t), B(x,
t) = E0 /c
x cos(kx) cos(t)
~
~
E(x,
t) = E0 y sin(kx t), B(x,
t) = E0 /c
y sin(kx t)

e. Evaluate the Poynting vector at x = d/2, and comment on the significance of your
result. (3 points)
Since B=0 at x = d/2, S=0 identically. The time-averaged Poynting vector will
always be zero for a standing wave since there can be no net transport of energy. At
this electric-field antinodal point, it is identically zero at all times.

Problem 3.

Refraction at a planar surface (13 points total)

a. Linearly polarized light of intensity I0 is normally incident on two successive polarizing

filters, with polarization axes at 45 , 90 , respectively. Let the incident light have its
E-field component oriented to 0 . What is the intensity of the light after passing
through the 2nd filter? How does the answer change if the first filter is removed? (4
points)
Let the incident intensity be I0 . Then after the first filter, half of the intensity is
removed. Malus equation gives the result, I = I0 cos2 . If we look at it in terms of
electric
field components, the field amplitude will be reduced by the factor of cos =
q
1/ (2), and the intensity varies as the square of that. The same reduction occurs
after the second filter. So, the net intensity is reduced by a factor 1/4. If the first
filter is removed, then no light passes because the polarization axis is orthogonal to
the incident light polarization.

b. Write down Snells Law of refraction, and provide a definition for index of refraction.
Using the accompanying figure, make a qualitative sketch of the path of a light ray
incident on the planar interface shown at angle from the interface normal. Make sure
to note which index of refraction is larger, n2 or n1 . (4 points)
Snells Law: n1 sin 1 = n2 sin 2 .

n2>n1
n1
n2

c. If n1 > n2 , it is possible for total internal reflection to occur. Show that the critical
angle of incidence for total internal reflection at a planar interface is given by (2 points)
sin c =

n2
n1

.
Total internal reflection occurs when Snells Law for refraction would give an unphysical
result, that is, sin 2 > 1. The critical angle, beyond which no refraction can occur, is
then determined by sin 2 = 1. The result follows.

2
3

d. Consider light incident on the flat face at the end of a rod, at angle 1 from normal.
The rod is made of a transparent material with index of refraction n. In this problem,
you will find the minimum value for n such that for any 1 , then 3 c . To do that,
first write down Snells Law as it applies to 1 , 2 . Then set 1 90 (representing the
extreme case for incident light direction). Next, apply the condition from (c, setting
3 c . (3 points)
Following the hint, and taking the incident medium to be air with index of refraction
1, and supposing that 3 is the critical angle for total internal reflection:

1 = n sin 2 .
n sin 3 = 1.
But 3 = /2 2 , so that we can write sin 3 = cos 2 . Thus,
n2 (cos2 + sin2 2 ) = 2,
and n =

2 is the minimum value for the index of refraction.