Study Guide of Midterm Exam Phys 113-01 Spring 2024

Questions: 60% (Multiple choice); 40% (Problem solving)

Chapters from 21-32

1. What is electric fields, lines of fields, and field strength?

Ans: Details study about Coulomb force, lines of field, direction to the tangent, and
attraction/repulsion using lines of forces! S.I. Unit of field strength!

1 q1q2
F=
4 0 r 2
1
= 8.988  109 N  m 2 C2
4 0

1 q
E= rˆ
4 0 r 2

2. What are Electric dipoles? Define electric dipole moment p , torque  and energy?
Ans: An electric dipole in an electric field E experiences a torque  equal to the vector
product of p and E . The magnitude of the torque depends on
the angle  between p and E . The potential energy U for an
electric dipole in an electric field also depends on the relative
orientation of p and E .

 = pE sin,
 = p× E

3. What is Electric flux? S.I. unit of flux? State Gauss’ law?

Ans: Electric flux is defined by

 E =  E cos  dA

=  E⊥ dA =  E • d A
 Gauss’s law states that the total electric flux through a closed surface, which can be
written as the surface integral of the component of E normal to the surface, equals a
constant times the total charge Qencl enclosed by the surface

4. What are electrical potential, potential energy, and potential gradient?

Ans: The amount of work done moving a charge stored as potential energy!

Electrical potential:
U 1 q
V= = ( due to a point charge)
q0 4 0 r
Electric potential energy:
1 qq0
U= ( two point charges )
4 0 r

Potential gradient:

V V V
Ex = – Ey = – Ez = –
x y z
Also electron volt equivalent to joule! 1 eV= 1.602 x 10-19 J.

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5. Equipotential surface? What is the work done on it!
Ans: An equipotential surface is a surface on which the
potential has the same value at every point. At a point
where a field line crosses an equipotential surface, the
two are perpendicular. Therefore, no need to do work as
potential is same all over!

6. Describe parallel plate capacitor? Capacitors in series and parallel? What should be the
equivalent capacitance if four capacitors each of 1 F connected in series and parallel
separately?
Ans: solve for this!
A A
C = KC0 = K 0 =  (parallel-plate capacitor filled with dielectric)
d d
1 1 1 1
= + + + (capacitors in series)
Ceq C1 C2 C3

Ceq = C1 + C2 + C3 + (capacitors in parallel)

7. What is the energy stored in capacitors!

Ans: The energy U required to charge a capacitor C to a
potential difference V and a charge Q is equal to the energy
stored in the capacitor. This energy can be thought of as residing
in the electric field between the conductors; the energy density u
(energy per unit volume) is proportional to the square of the electric-field magnitude.
Q2 1
U= = 2 CV 2 = 12 QV u= 1
2 0 E 2
2C

8. Study details about direct current; drift velocity and ohm’s law?
dQ
Ans: I = = n | q | d A J = nqd
dt
V = IR

9. How the resistance and resistivity of metal change with

temperature?
E L
Ans: Write the equation for  = , R =
J A

 = (T ) = 0 1 +  (T − T0 ) 

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10. Series and parallel connections of resistors!
Ans: Three resistors each of 5 omhs connected in series or
parallel? Find the equivalent resistances separately?
1/R= 1/5+1/5+1/5= 3/5; R= 5/3 
Req = R1 + R2 + R3 +
( resistors in series)
1 1 1 1
= + + +
Req R1 R2 R3
( resistors in parallel)

11. Energy and power in circuits?

Ans: The power P equals the product of the potential difference and the current. A
resistor always takes electrical energy out of a circuit.
P = Vab I (general circuit element)

Vab 2
P = Vab I = I 2 R = (power into a resistor)
R

12. What are Kirchhoff’s junction and loop rule?

Ans: Kirchhoff’s junction rule is based on the conservation of charge. It states that the
algebraic sum of the currents into any junction must be zero.
I = 0 ( junction rule)
Kirchhoff’s loop rule is based on the conservation of energy and the conservative nature
of electrostatic fields. It states that the algebraic sum of potential differences around any
loop must be zero.
V = 0 ( loop rule)

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13. What is RC time constant and unit in S. I.
Ans:
Capacitor charging :
(
q = C  1 – e – t RC )
dq  – t RC
= Q (1 – e
f
– t RC
) i= = e
dt R
= I 0 e – t RC
dq Q
Capacitor discharging : i= = – 0 e – t RC
dt RC
q = Q0 e – t RC
= I 0e – t RC

14. Magnetic force due to a charge moving in a magnetic field?

Ans:
F = q  B
F= Bqv Sin; S. I. Unit: 1 T = 104 G

15. Magnetic field due to current carrying conductors? Magnetic force and torque?

Ans: F = Il × B , dF = I dl × B ,  =   B
Also, parallel current attract, and unlike repel! Draw parallel conductors, show the field
direction, and force!

16. Working principle D.C. Motors.

Ans: Principle, construction, and applications.

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17. Magnetic force between current-carrying conductors? State Ampere’s law?

F 0 II 
=
Ans: L 2r

Ampere’s law states that the line integral of B around any

closed path equals 0 times the net current through the area
enclosed by the path.

18. Describe magnetic materials?

Three different magnetic materials are discussed here. For paramagnetic and diamagnetic
materials, 0 is replaced in magnetic-field expressions by  = Km0, where  is the
permeability of the material and Km is its relative permeability.

The magnetic susceptibility m is defined as m = Km – 1.

Magnetic susceptibilities for paramagnetic materials are
small positive quantities;
For diamagnetic materials are small negative quantities.
For ferromagnetic materials, Km is much larger than unity
and is not constant.
Some ferromagnetic materials are permanent magnets,
retaining their magnetization even after the external magnetic field is removed
19. Faraday’s law of Induction? What is unit of magnetic flux? Define Lenz’s law?
Ans: Faraday’s law states that the induced emf in a closed loop equals the negative of the
time rate of change of magnetic flux through the loop.

ɛ = - Nd/dt

Also see S. I. Unit: 1 T = 104 G

Lenz’s law: Lenz’s law states that an induced current or emf always tends to oppose or
cancel out the change that caused it.

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20. What is Motional emf?
Ans: If a conductor moves in a magnetic field, a motional emf is
induced.

 = BL (conductor with length L moves in uniform B field,

L and  both perpendicular to B and to each other)

21. Describe Mutual inductance, Self-inductance, and Magnetic-field energy?

N 2  B 2 N1 B1 N B
Ans: M = = L=
i1 i2 i
B2 B2
u= ( in vacuum) u= ( in a material with magnetic permeability )
2 0 2

22. What are R-L, L-C, and L-R-C circuits?

Ans: R-L circuit: In a circuit containing a resistor (R) and inductor (L) and a source of
emf, the growth and decay of current are exponential. The time constant is the time
required for the current to approach within a fraction of its final value.
 = L/R
L-C circuits: A circuit that contains inductance and capacitance undergoes electrical
oscillations with an angular frequency () that depends L and C as

L-R-C series circuits: A circuit that contains inductance,

resistance, and capacitance undergoes damped oscillations for
sufficiently small resistance. The frequency ! of damped
oscillations depends on the values of L, R, and C. As R
increases, the damping increases; if R is greater
than a certain value, the behavior becomes overdamped
and no longer oscillates.

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23. Alternating current in resistor (R), capacitor (C), and inductor (L) circuit? What are
r.m.s values of current, voltage?

Ans: r.m.s values of current

r.m.s values of current

24. What is reactance! Define both inductive (XL) and capacitive reactance (Xc) is

Ans: XL= 2πfL Xc = 1/2πfC

When XL= XC
1
=
LC
The RL time constant is
L
=
R

25. Impedance and the L-R-C series circuit? Power in AC circuit?

Z = R2 + ( X L – X C ) = R +  L – (1 C ) 
2 2 2

Ans:

Pav = 12 VI cos 
= Vrms I rms cos 

26. Describe construction and function of Transformers?

Ans: A transformer is used to transform the voltage and current

levels in an ac circuit. In an ideal transformer with no energy losses,
if the primary winding has N1 turns and the secondary winding has
N2 turns, the amplitudes (or rms values) of the two voltages are
related by
V2 N 2
=
V1 N 1

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27. Describe Electromagnetic (EM) waves? Speed of light expression in EM waves!

Ans:

Energy and momentum in

electromagnetic waves: Poynting
vector