Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi

Department of Physics
PYL 101: Electromagnetics & Quantum
Mechanics
Semester-I, 2023-2024

Vector Analysis
Problem Set 1

Exercise 1.
Is the cross product associative?
i.e., does,
(A × B) × C = A × (B × C)
hold. Demonstrate why, or why not.

Exercise 2.

Use the cross product to find the components of the unit vector n̂ perpendicular
to the shaded plane in the given figure.

Exercise 3.
Prove the BAC-CAB rule by writing out both sides in component form.

Exercise 4.
Find the gradients of the following functions:

• f (x, y, z) = x2 + y 3 + z 4

• f (x, y, z) = x2 y 3 z 4

1
 • f (x, y, z) = ex sin(y) ln(z)

Exercise 5.
The height of a certain hill (in feet) is given by

h(x, y) = 10(2xy − 3x2 − 4y 2 − 18x + 28y + 12)

where y is the distance (in miles) north, x the distance east of the a reference point.

• Where is the top of the hill located?

• How high is the hill?

• How steep is the slope (in feet per mile) at a point 1 mile north and one mile east
of the reference point? In what direction is the slope steepest, at that point?

Exercise 6.
Sketch the vector function,
r̂
v=
r2
and compute its divergence.

Exercise 7.
Draw a circle in the xy plane. At a few representative points draw the vector v
tangent to the circle, pointing in the clockwise direction. By comparing adjacent
vectors, determine the sign of ∂v
∂y
x
and ∂v
∂x
y
. According to the definition of curl, what
is its direction? Explain how this example illustrates the geometrical interpretation of
the curl.

Exercise 8.
Construct a non-constant vector function that has zero divergence and zero curl ev-
erywhere.

Exercise 9.
• Refer to [IEDJ] and check the product rule (iv) (by calculating each term sepa-
rately) for the functions

A = xx̂ + 2y ŷ + 3z ẑ; B = 3y x̂ − 2xŷ

• Do the same for product rule (ii)

• Do the same for rule (vi)

Exercise 10.
Prove that the divergence of a curl is always zero.

Exercise 11.
Prove that the curl of a gradient is always zero.

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Exercise 12.
Calculate the volume integral of the function T = z 2 over the tetrahedron with corners
at (0,0,0), (1,0,0), (0,1,0), and (0,0,1).

Exercise 13.
Check the fundamental theorem for gradients, using T = x2 + 4xy + 2yz 3 , the points
a = (0, 0, 0), b = (1, 1, 1), and the three paths given in the figure. for
• (0,0,0) ⇒ (1,0,0) ⇒ (1,1,0) ⇒ (1,1,1)
• (0,0,0) ⇒ (0,0,1) ⇒ (0,1,1) ⇒ (1,1,1)
• the parabolic path z = x2 ; y = x.

Exercise 14.
Test the divergence theorem for the function v = (xy)x̂ + (2yz)ŷ + (3zx)ẑ. Take as
your volume the cube with sides of length 2.

Exercise 15.

Test Stokes’ theorem for the function v = (xy)x̂ + (2yz)ŷ + (3zx)ẑ, using the
triangular shaded area of Fig.

Exercise 16.
Compute the divergence of the function
v = (r cos θ)r̂ + (r sin θ)θ̂ + (r sin θ cos φ)φ̂
Check the divergence theorem for this function, using as your volume the inverted
hemispherical bowl of radius R, resting on the xy plane and centered at the origin.

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Exercise 17.
• Find the divergence of the function

v = s(2 + sin2 φ)ŝ + s sin φ cos φφ̂ + 3z ẑ

• Test the divergence theorem for this function, using the quarter-cylinder (radius
2, height 5) shown in the figure.

• Find the curl of v.

Exercise 18.
Let F1 = x2 ẑ and F2 = xx̂ + y ŷ + z ẑ. Calculate the divergence and curl of F1 and
F2 . Which one can be written as the gradient of a scalar? Find a scalar potential that
does the job. Which one can be written as the curl of a vector? Find a suitable vector
potential.

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 PYL101-Tutorial 2 Electrostatics

21-25 August 2023

1 Electrostatics
1. Twelve Equal Charges q, are situated at the corners of a regular 12-sided
polygon (for instance, on each numeral of a clock face). What is the net force
on a test charge Q at the center?

2. Suppose one of the 12 q’s is removed ( the one at ”6 o’ clock”). What is the
force on Q? Explain your reasoning carefully.

3.Find the electric field (magnitude and direction). distance z above the mid-
point between two equal charges, q, a distance d apart. Check that your result
is consistent with what you’d expect when z >> d.

4. Find the electric field a distance z above the center of a square loop (side a)
carrying a uniform line charge .

5. Find the electric field a distance z above the center of a flat circular disk of
radius R , which carries a uniform surface charge . What does your formula
give in the limit R > 1. Also check the case z>>R.

6. Suppose the electric field in some region is found to be E = kr3 r, in spherical

coordinates (k is some constant).
(a) Find the charge density ⇢.
(b) Find the total charge contained in a sphere of radius R, centered at the
origin. (Do it two di↵erent ways.)

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7. A charge q sits at the back corner of a cube, as shown in Fig. What is the
flux of E through the shaded side?

8. Use Gauss’s law to find the electric field inside and outside a spherical shell
radius R, which carries a uniform surface charge density .

9. A hollow spherical shell carries charge density

k
⇢= r2

in the region a r  b. Find the electric field in the three regions : (i) r < a
(ii) a < r < b, (iii) r > b.

10. Two spheres, each of radius R and carrying uniform charge densities +⇢
and ⇢ respectively, are placed so that they partially overlap. Call the vector
from the positive center to the negative center d. Show the field in the region
of overlap is constant, and find its value.

11. One of these is an impossible electrostatic field. Which one?

a) E = k(xyx̂ + 2yzŷ + 3xzẑ)
b) E = k(y 2 x̂ + (2xy + z 2 )ŷ + 2yzẑ)

For the possible one, find the potential, using origin as your reference point.

12. Find the potential inside and outside a uniformly charged solid sphere whose
radius is R and whose total charge is q. Use Infinity as your reference point.
Compute the gradient of V in each region, and check that it yields the correct

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field. Sketch V (r).

12. For the configuration shown, find the potential di↵erence between a point
on the axis and a point on the outer cylinder.

13. Find the potential on the axis of a uniformly charged solid cylinder, a dis-
tance z from the center. The length of the cylinder is L, its radius is R, and the
charge density is ⇢. Use your result to calculate the electric field at this point.
(Assume that z > L/2 ).

14. Check that the following equation satisfies Poisson’s equation, by applying
the Laplacian and using next equation.
Z
1 ⇢(r’)
V (r) =
4⇡✏0 r (1)

21 r̂
r = r2 (2)

15. a) Three charges are situated at the corners of a square (side a), as shown.
how much work does it take to bring in another charge, +q, from far away and
place it in the fourth corner?

b) How much work does it take to assemble the whole configuration of four
charges?

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16. Find the energy stored in a uniformly charged solid sphere of radius R and
charge q. Do it three ways-

a) UsingR potential.
W = 12 ⇢V d⌧

b) Don’tR forget to integrate over all space.

W = ✏20 E 2 d⌧

c) Take Ra spherical Hvolume of radius a. notice what happens as a > 1.

w = ✏20 ( V E 2 d⌧ + S V E . da)

17. Two spherical cavities, of radii a and b, are hollowed out from the interior
of a (neutral) conducting sphere of radius R (Fig). At the center of each cavity
a point charge is placed- call these charges qa and qb

(a) Find the surface charges a , b , and R

(b) What is the field outside the conductor?
(c) What is the field within each cavity?
(d) What is the force on qa and qb
(e) Which of these answers would change if a third charge, qc , were brought
near the conductor?

18. Two large metal plates ( each of area A) are held at a distance d apart.
Suppose we put a charge Q on each plate; what is the electrostatic pressure on
the plates?

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19. Find the capacitance per unit length of two coaxial metal cylindrical tubes,
of radii a and b.

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 PYL101: Electromagnetics & Quantum
Mechanics
Electric Fields in Matter
Problem set 3

August 20, 2023

Exercise 1.
Show that the electric field of a physical dipole in the far-field can be written
in the coordinate-free form,
1
Edip. (r) ≈ [3(p · r̂)r̂ − p]
4π"0 r3

Exercise 2.
According to quantum mechanics, the electron cloud for a hydrogen atom in the
ground state has a charge density
q −2r/a
ρ(r) = e
πa3
where q is the charge of the electron and a is the Bohr radius. Find the atomic
polarizability of such an atom.

Exercise 3.
A point charge q is situated a large distance r from a neutral atom of polariz-
ability α. Find the force of attraction between them.

Exercise 4.
Show that the interaction energy of two dipoles separated by a displacement r
is
1 1
U= [p1 · p2 − 3(p1 · r̂)(p2 · r̂)]
4π"0 r3

1
Exercise 5.
A thick spherical shell (inner radius a, outer radius b) is made of dielectric
material with a “frozen-in” polarization
k
P (r) = r̂
r
where k is a constant and r is the distance from the center. (There is no free
charge in the problem.)
• Locate all the bound charge, and use Gauss’s law to calculate the field it
produces.
• Find D ,and then get E.

Exercise 6.

Suppose the field inside a large piece of dielectric is E0 , so that the electric
displacement is D0 = "0 E0 + P .
• Now a small spherical cavity (Fig (a)) is hollowed out of the material.Find
the field at the center of the cavity in terms of E0 and P . Also find the
displacement at the center of the cavity in terms of D0 and P . Assume
the polarization is “frozen in,” so it doesn’t change when the cavity is
excavated.
• Do the same for a long needle-shaped cavity running parallel to P (Fig
(b)).

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 • Do the same for a thin wafer-shaped cavity perpendicular to P (Fig (c))

Exercise 7.

A certain coaxial cable consists of a copper wire, radius a, surrounded by

a concentric copper tube of inner radius c (Fig. 26). The space between is
partially filled (from b out to c) with material of dielectric constant "r , as
shown. Find the capacitance per unit length of this cable.

Exercise 8.

A spherical conductor, of radius a, carries a charge Q (Fig.). It is surrounded

by linear dielectric material of susceptibility χe , out to radius b. Find the energy
of this configuration.

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 PYL101- Tutorial sheet
4-8 September 2023

1 Magnetostatics
1. A particle of charge q enters a region of uniform magnetic field B (pointing
into the page). The field deflects the particle a distance d above the original
line of flight, as shown in the figure. Is the charge positive or negative? In terms
of a, b, d and q, find the momentum of the particle.

2. Find and sketch the trajectory of the particle (given that B points in the
x-direction and E in the z-direction), if it starts at the origin with velocity
(a) v(0) = (E/B)ŷ,
(b) v(0) = (E/2B)ŷ,
(c) v(0) = (E/B)(ŷ + ẑ)

3. Suppose that the magnetic field in some region has the form

B = kzx̂ (1)
(where k is a constant). Find the force on a square loop (side a), lying in the yz
plane and centered at the origin, if it carries a current I, flowing counterclock-
wise, when you look down the x axis.

4. A current I flows down a wire of radius a.

(a) If it is uniformly distributed over the surface, what is the surface current
density K?
(b) If it is distributed in such a way that the volume current density is inversely
proportional to the distance from the axis, what is J?

1
5. (a) Find the magnetic field at the center of a square loop, which carries a
steady current I. Let R be the distance from center to side (shown below).
(b) Find the field at the center of a regular n-sided polygon, carrying a steady
current I. Again, let R be the distance from the center to any side.
(c) Check that your formula reduces to the field at the center of a circular loop,
in the limit n ! 1.

6. Find the magnetic field at point P for each of the steady current configura-
tions shown in the figure.

7. A steady current I flows down a long cylindrical wire of radius a (shown

below). Find the magnetic field, both inside and outside the wire, if
(a) The current is uniformly distributed over the outside surface of the wire.
(b) The current is distributed in such a way that J is proportional to s, the
distance from the axis.

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8. A thick slab extending from z = a to z = +a carries a uniform volume
current J = J x̂ (shown below). Find the magnetic field, as a function of z, both
inside and outside the slab.

9. Find the magnetic vector potential of a finite segment of straight wire, car-
rying a current I. Put the wire on the z axis, from z1 to z2 and use
Z Z
µ0 I 0 µ0 I 1 0
A= dl = dl (2)
4⇡ r 4⇡ r
Check that your answer is consistent with
µ0 I
B= (sin✓2 sin✓1 ) (3)
4⇡s

10. If B is uniform, show that A(r) = 12 (r ⇥ B) works. That is, check that
r · A = 0 and r ⇥ A = B. Is this result unique, or are there other functions
with the same divergence and curl?

2 Magnetic fields in matter

1. Calculate the torque exerted on the square loop shown in the figure, due to
the circular loop (assume r is much larger than a or b). If the square loop is
free to rotate, what will its equilibrium orientation be?

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2. Starting from the Lorentz force law, in the form
Z
Fmag = I(dl ⇥ B) (4)

show that the torque on any steady current distribution (not just a square loop)
in a uniform field B is m ⇥ B

3. Find the force of attraction between two magnetic dipoles, m1 and m2 ,

oriented as shown in the figure, a distance r apart,
(a) using
F = 2⇡IRBcos✓ (5)

(b) using
F = r(m · B) (6)

4. A uniform current density J = J0 ẑ fills a slab straddling the yz plane, from

x = a to x = +a. A magnetic dipole m = m0 x̂ is situated at the origin.
(a) Find the force on the dipole, using equation (6)
(b) Do the same for a dipole pointing in the y direction: m = m0 ŷ.
(c) In the electrostatic case the expressions F = r(p · E) and F = (p · r)E are
equivalent (prove it), but this is not the case for the magnetic analogs (explain
why). As an example, calculate (m · r)B for the configurations in (a) and (b).

5. An infinitely long circular cylinder carries a uniform magnetization M paral-

lel to its axis. Find the magnetic field (due to M) inside and outside the cylinder.

6. A short circular cylinder of radius a and length L carries a ”frozen-in” uniform

magnetization M parallel to its axis. Find the bound current, and sketch the
magnetic field of the cylinder. (Make three sketches: one for L a, one for
L ⌧ a, and one for L ⇡ a.) Compare this bar magnet with the bar electret
(A similar cylinder, carrying a ”frozen-in” uniform polarization P, parallel to
its axis)

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7. Suppose the field inside a large piece of magnetic material is B0 , so that
H0 = (1/µ0 )B0 M.
(a) Now a small spherical cavity is hollowed out of the material (shown below).
-

Find the field at the center of the cavity, in terms of B0 and M. Also find H at
the center of the cavity, in terms of H0 and M.
(b) Do the same for a long needle-shaped cavity running parallel to M.
(c) Do the same for a thin wafer-shaped cavity perpendicular to M.
Bo- M
Ho
4)
=

B (BoM)
(HoM)

S
H

I
~
8. A coaxial cable consists of two very long cylindrical tubes, separated by lin-
-
ear insulating material of magnetic susceptibility m . A current I flows down
the inner conductor and returns along the outer one; in each case the current

-
distributes itself uniformly over the surface (shown below). Find the magnetic
field in the region between the tubes. As a check, calculate the magnetization
and the bound currents, and confirm that (together, of course, with the free
currents) they generate the correct field.
o H Al I
=

⑧
H ? =

es(1 - xm)H
↓

B
=

⑧
B ? =

O
M x mH
=

Y
?
-
T