Anton de Kom Universiteit van Suriname 
Faculteit der Technologische Wetenschappen 
  Studierichting Werktuigbouwkunde 
Universiteitscomplex Leysweg 86, P.O.B. 9212, Paramaribo, Suriname, Telefoon: +597
STUDIERICHTING   465558 / +597 465497 ext. 2360, Fax: +597 495005,
DELFSTOFPRODUCTIE   WB  http://adekus.uvs.edu/werktuigbouwkunde, e-mail: Deodat.Makhanlall@uvs.edu

Tentamen: Algemene Natuurkunde (FTeW)/Natuurkunde II (FWNW)

Datum: donderdag 06 juni 2019
Tijd: 09:00 – 12:00 uur
Docent: Deodat Makhanlall, PhD

Onderdelen: elektrostatica en elektrodynamica

Formulae:
1 1
 d 
Usefull integrals
z   
2
z 
me  9.1  10 31 kg , qe  1.602  10 19 C
C2 1 9 Nm T m
2
o  8.85  10 12 ; k   9  10 ; 0  4  10 7
Nm 2 e
4 o C 2
A
Surface area (A) and volume (V) of A  4 r 2 , V   4 3  r 3 , dV  4 r 2 dr
a sphere of radius r
dq
Electric field of charge distribution E  k r
r2
qin
Gauss’s Law  E   E  dA 
0
2
Electric potential V  V2  V1    E  ds
1

dq
Potential due to charge distribution V  k
r
Q
Capacitance C   Co 
V
Q2
Capacitor energy U
2C
Problem 1 J.J Thomson’s atomic theory (12 points)
In the early years of the 20th century, a leading model of the structure of the atom was
that of the English physicist J. J. Thomson (the discoverer of the electron). In Thomson’s
model, an atom consisted of a sphere of positively charged material in which were
embedded negatively charged electrons, like chocolate chips in a ball of cookie dough.
Consider such an atom consisting of one electron
with mass m and charge –e which may be
regarded as a point charge, and a uniformly
charged sphere of charge +e and radius R.
a) Explain why the equilibrium position of the
electron is at the center of the nucleus.
b) In Thomson’s model, it was assumed that the
positive material provided little or no
resistance to the motion of the electron. If the
electron is displaced from equilibrium by a
distance less than R, show that the resulting
motion of the electron will be simple
harmonic, and calculate the frequency of
oscillation.
c) By Thomson’s time, it was known that excited atoms emit light waves of only certain
frequencies. In his model, the frequency of emitted light is the same as the oscillation
frequency of the electron or electrons in the atom. What would the radius of a
Thomson‐model atom have to be for it to produce red light of frequency 4.57
10 ? Compare your answer to the radii of real atoms, which are of the order of
10 .
d) If the electron were displaced from equilibrium by a distance greater than R would
the electron oscillate? Would its motion be simple harmonic? Explain your reasoning.

Using Thomson’s model of the atom, consider an atom consisting of two electrons,
each of charge –e, embedded in a sphere of charge +2e and radius R. In equilibrium,
each electron is a distance d from the center of the atom.
e) Find the distance in terms of the other properties of the atom.

Problem 2 Earth’s atmospheric capacitor (8 points)
The Earth’s atmosphere can act as a capacitor, with the ground acting as one plate, the
clouds acting as the second plate and the space between the clouds and ground filled with
air. Air is normally an insulating material, but under certain conditions can be made to
conduct electricity, so that electric charge can flow from the clouds to the ground, in what
we call a lightning strike. Assume that the clouds are uniformly distributed around the
entire Earth at a fixed distance of 5000m above the ground of area 4πREarth2 , where REarth
= 6400km. Further, assume that the air between the clouds and the ground has a
resistance of R = 350Ω.
a) Taking the upper negative plate to be the clouds and the lower positive plate to be the
ground, what is the magnitude of the difference in potential that exists between the
clouds and the ground if in a typical day a maximum of 5 ×105C of charge is spread
over the surface of the Earth?
b) Approximately how long would it take the Earth‐cloud capacitor to discharge of
99%its total initial charge, Qmax?
c) Assuming that the charge is immediately replenished as soon as the discharge process
ends, how many lightning strikes are produced in a single day if each strike contains
25C of charge?

Problem 3: Semiconductor with impurities (8 points)

The resistivity of a semiconductor can be modified by adding different amounts of
impurities. Consider a rod with cross‐section and length . The material obeys Ohm’s
law, and its resistivity is modified to vary exponentially with length :
⁄

The end of the rod at 0 is at a potential V0 greater than the end at .

a) Find the total resistance and current in the rod.
b) Determine and sketch the electric field magnitude in the rod as a function of .
c) Determine and sketch the electric potential in the rod as a function of .

Problem 4 Capacitive proximity sensor
Capacitive proximity sensors are used in sensing technologies, such as key switches, shaft
angle, and liquid level. They are non‐contact devices that can detect the presence or
absence of virtually any object. They utilize the electrical property of capacitance and the
change of capacitance based on a change in the electrical field. Consider for instance the
capacitor shown below. An object close enough to the capacitor affects its fringing electric
field, and can be detected by an appropriate electronic circuitry.

a) Explain that because of the fringe effect the capacitance of a parallel plate capacitor is
more than the capacitance calculated by the formula:
⁄
Consider the simplified circuit shown. The electronic circuitry for detecting the current,
represented as an ammeter in the diagram, has negligible resistance and is capable of
detecting a current that persist at a level of at least 1.00 for at least 200 after the
capacitance has changed abruptly for to .The system is designed to be activated if the
capacitance changes by 10%.
b) If the capacitor is fully charged before a detection is made, assuming that the time
taken for the capacitance to change by 10% is short enough to be neglected, derive an
equation that expresses the current through the resistor R a function of the time t
since the capacitance has changed.
c) Determine the range of values of the resistance R that will meet the design
specifications of this system. (Hint: You will not be able to solve this part analytically,
but must use numerical methods. Express R as a logarithmic function of R plus known
quantities. Use a trial value of R and calculate from the expression a new value.
Continue to do this until the input and output values of R agree to within 2 significant
figures).
d) What happens is R is too small? And too large?

SUCCES