CBSE · NCERT · Class 12 Physics · Chapter 8

NCERT Solutions: Class 12 Physics Chapter 8 - Electromagnetic Waves

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Chapter-wise NCERT intext questions and exercise answers for Electromagnetic Waves, grounded in the official textbook.

Questions are taken verbatim from the NCERT textbook; answers were grounded against the chapter's content during generation. Items needing review are marked.
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Q.8.1Figure 8.5 shows a capacitor made of two circular plates each of radius 12 cm, and separated by 5.0 cm. The capacitor is being charged by an external source (not shown in the figure). The charging current is constant and equal to 0.15A. (a) Calculate the capacitance and the rate of change of potential difference between the plates. (b) Obtain the displacement current across the plates. (c) Is Kirchhoff’s first rule (junction rule) valid at each plate of the capacitor? Explain.v
Solution

The capacitance is $C=\epsilon_0A/d=\epsilon_0\pi R^2/d=(8.854\times10^{-12})\pi(0.12)^2/0.050=8.0\times10^{-12}\,\text{F}$. Since $I=dQ/dt=C\,dV/dt$, $dV/dt=I/C=0.15/(8.0\times10^{-12})=1.9\times10^{10}\,\text{V s}^{-1}$. The displacement current between the plates equals $\epsilon_0 d\Phi_E/dt=C\,dV/dt$, which is the same as the charging current, $0.15\,\text{A}$. Therefore Kirchhoff's junction rule remains valid when the displacement current is counted as the current continuing through the gap.

Answer:

(a) $8.0\times10^{-12}\,\text{F}$ and $1.9\times10^{10}\,\text{V s}^{-1}$. (b) $0.15\,\text{A}$. (c) Yes, if displacement current between the plates is included.

Q.8.2A parallel plate capacitor (Fig. 8.6) made of circular plates each of radius R = 6.0 cm has a capacitance C = 100 pF. The capacitor is connected to a 230 V ac supply with a (angular) frequency of 300 rad s–1. (a) What is the rms value of the conduction current? (b) Is the conduction current equal to the displacement current? (c) Determine the amplitude of B at a point 3.0 cm from the axis between the plates.v
Solution

For a capacitor in ac, $I_{\text{rms}}=V_{\text{rms}}\omega C=230(300)(100\times10^{-12})=6.9\times10^{-6}\,\text{A}$. The displacement current between the plates equals the conduction current in the leads at every instant. For the field amplitude at radius $r=0.030\,\text{m}$ inside plates of radius $R=0.060\,\text{m}$, use Ampere-Maxwell law: $B_0(2\pi r)=\mu_0 I_0(r^2/R^2)$, where $I_0=\sqrt2 I_{\text{rms}}=9.76\times10^{-6}\,\text{A}$. Thus $B_0=\mu_0 I_0 r/(2\pi R^2)=1.6\times10^{-11}\,\text{T}$.

Answer:

(a) $6.9\times10^{-6}\,\text{A}$. (b) Yes. (c) $1.6\times10^{-11}\,\text{T}$.

Q.8.3What physical quantity is the same for X-rays of wavelength 10–10m, red light of wavelength 6800 Å and radiowaves of wavelength 500m?v
Solution

X-rays, visible light and radio waves are all electromagnetic waves. In vacuum, all electromagnetic waves travel with the same speed $c$, independent of wavelength.

Answer:

Their speed in vacuum is the same: $c=3.0\times10^8\,\text{m s}^{-1}$.

Q.8.4A plane electromagnetic wave travels in vacuum along z-direction. What can you say about the directions of its electric and magnetic field vectors? If the frequency of the wave is 30 MHz, what is its wavelength?v
Solution

An electromagnetic wave is transverse: $\mathbf{E}\perp\mathbf{B}$ and both are perpendicular to the direction of propagation. For propagation along z, $\mathbf{E}$ and $\mathbf{B}$ may lie along x and y directions. The wavelength is $\lambda=c/\nu=3.0\times10^8/(30\times10^6)=10\,\text{m}$.

Answer:

The electric and magnetic field vectors are mutually perpendicular and both are perpendicular to the z-direction. The wavelength is $10\,\text{m}$.

Q.8.5A radio can tune in to any station in the 7.5 MHz to 12 MHz band. What is the corresponding wavelength band?v
Solution

Wavelength is $\lambda=c/\nu$. At $7.5\,\text{MHz}$, $\lambda=3.0\times10^8/(7.5\times10^6)=40\,\text{m}$. At $12\,\text{MHz}$, $\lambda=3.0\times10^8/(12\times10^6)=25\,\text{m}$. Thus the wavelength band is $40\,\text{m}$ to $25\,\text{m}$.

Answer:

$40\,\text{m}$ to $25\,\text{m}$.

Q.8.6A charged particle oscillates about its mean equilibrium position with a frequency of 109 Hz. What is the frequency of the electromagnetic waves produced by the oscillator?v
Solution

An oscillating charge radiates electromagnetic waves at the same frequency as its oscillation. Therefore the emitted electromagnetic waves have frequency $10^9\,\text{Hz}$.

Answer:

$10^9\,\text{Hz}$.

Q.8.7The amplitude of the magnetic field part of a harmonic electromagnetic wave in vacuum is B0 = 510 nT. What is the amplitude of the electric field part of the wave?v
Solution

For an electromagnetic wave in vacuum, $E_0=cB_0$. With $B_0=510\,\text{nT}=510\times10^{-9}\,\text{T}$, $E_0=(3.0\times10^8)(510\times10^{-9})=153\,\text{V m}^{-1}$.

Answer:

$153\,\text{V m}^{-1}$.

Q.8.8Suppose that the electric field amplitude of an electromagnetic wave is E0 = 120 N/C and that its frequency is n = 50.0 MHz. (a) Determine, B0,w, k, and l. (b) Find expressions for E and B.v
Solution

The magnetic-field amplitude is $B_0=E_0/c=120/(3.0\times10^8)=4.0\times10^{-7}\,\text{T}$. With $\nu=50.0\times10^6\,\text{Hz}$, $\omega=2\pi\nu=3.14\times10^8\,\text{rad s}^{-1}$ and $\lambda=c/\nu=3.0\times10^8/(50.0\times10^6)=6.0\,\text{m}$. Hence $k=2\pi/\lambda=1.05\,\text{rad m}^{-1}$. The direction of propagation is not specified, so choose propagation along $+x$, electric field along $+y$, and magnetic field along $+z$ so that $\mathbf{E}\times\mathbf{B}$ points along $+x$.

Answer:

(a) $B_0=4.0\times10^{-7}\,\text{T}$, $\omega=3.14\times10^8\,\text{rad s}^{-1}$, $k=1.05\,\text{rad m}^{-1}$, and $\lambda=6.0\,\text{m}$. (b) One possible choice is $\mathbf{E}=120\sin(kx-\omega t)\,\hat{j}\,\text{N C}^{-1}$ and $\mathbf{B}=4.0\times10^{-7}\sin(kx-\omega t)\,\hat{k}\,\text{T}$ for propagation along $+x$.

Q.8.9The terminology of different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum is given in the text. Use the formula E = hn (for energy of a quantum of radiation: photon) and obtain the photon energy in units of eV for different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. In what way are the different scales of photon energies that you obtain related to the sources of electromagnetic radiation?v
Solution

Using $E=h\nu=hc/\lambda$ and $hc\approx1240\,\text{eV nm}$, the photon energy scale follows directly from wavelength. Longer-wavelength waves such as radio and microwaves have very small photon energies and are produced by accelerated charges in circuits or devices. Infrared energies match molecular rotations and vibrations. Visible and ultraviolet energies are comparable to electronic transitions in atoms and molecules. X-ray photons correspond to inner-shell atomic transitions or high-energy electron bombardment, while gamma rays have nuclear energy scales and are produced in nuclear transitions or radioactive decay.

Answer:

Photon energy increases with frequency and decreases with wavelength. Approximate ranges are: radio $<1.2\times10^{-5}\,\text{eV}$, microwave $1.2\times10^{-5}$ to $1.2\times10^{-3}\,\text{eV}$, infrared $1.2\times10^{-3}$ to $1.8\,\text{eV}$, visible $1.8$ to $3.1\,\text{eV}$, ultraviolet $3.1\,\text{eV}$ to $1.2\,\text{keV}$, X-rays $1.2\,\text{keV}$ to $1.2\,\text{MeV}$, and gamma rays $>1.2\,\text{MeV}$.

Q.8.10In a plane electromagnetic wave, the electric field oscillates sinusoidally at a frequency of 2.0 × 1010 Hz and amplitude 48 V m–1. (a) What is the wavelength of the wave? (b) What is the amplitude of the oscillating magnetic field? (c) Show that the average energy density of the E field equals the average energy density of the B field. [c = 3 × 108 m s–1.]v
Solution

The wavelength is $\lambda=c/\nu=3.0\times10^8/(2.0\times10^{10})=1.5\times10^{-2}\,\text{m}$. The magnetic field amplitude is $B_0=E_0/c=48/(3.0\times10^8)=1.6\times10^{-7}\,\text{T}$. The average electric energy density is $\langle u_E\rangle=\frac12\epsilon_0\langle E^2\rangle=\frac12\epsilon_0(E_0^2/2)=\epsilon_0E_0^2/4$. The average magnetic energy density is $\langle u_B\rangle=\frac{1}{2\mu_0}\langle B^2\rangle=B_0^2/(4\mu_0)=E_0^2/(4\mu_0c^2)=\epsilon_0E_0^2/4$, since $c^2=1/(\mu_0\epsilon_0)$.

Answer:

(a) $1.5\times10^{-2}\,\text{m}$. (b) $1.6\times10^{-7}\,\text{T}$. (c) $\langle u_E\rangle=\langle u_B\rangle=\epsilon_0E_0^2/4$.