Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Physics 8.03
Exam 2 Solutions
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
Solution for Problem 1
(a) Boundary condition is Ey = 0 at x = 0, L


y
E(x,
z, t) = E0 sin(kx x) cos(t + kz z)
for the nth mode, kx =

n
L ,

(1)

where n = 1, 2, 3 . . .



E

= B

(b) Faradays law

t

Ey
Ey
z
x

x
z
x
z + kz E0 sin(kx x) sin(t + kz z)
= kx E0 cos(kx x) cos(t + kz z)

E

=

kx
kz


x E0 cos(kx x) sin(t + kz z)
z
B(x,
z, t) = E0 sin(kx x) cos(t + kz z)

again for the nth mode, kx =

(c) 2 = c2 (kx2 + kz2 )

(2)

(3)

n
L ,

where n = 1, 2, 3 . . .
n
= c ( L )2 + kz2

kz =

2
c2

n 2 1/2
L

1 2 nc 2 1/2

c
L

(4)

Phase velocity
vpz =

kc
=
=
kz
kz

c
2 1/2

(5)

nc
L

Group velocity
vgrz =
(d) n = 1,

kz = 0,

c 2 nc 2 1/2
d
kz c
c2

=
= kz =
dkz
k

c
L

(e) Now = kz c vpz = c and vgrz = c.

There is No dispersion!

There is No cut-o frequency!

(6)

Solution to Problem 2

(a) The force applied to this charged particle is

= m
a
F
= q(
v B)

(7)

which equals the centripetal force for the circular motion, that is,
m|
a| = m

v02
R

(8)

= v0 B0 (y), therefore

At t = 0,
v B
qv0 B0 = m
(b) v0 = R

v02

R=

mv0
qB0

(9)

qB0
m

(c) The acceleration of the particle

v02
sin(t)
x cos(t)
y
R

v0 qB0
=
x + cos(t)
sin(t)
y
m

a(t) =

(d) Observer at +r0 z, t
= t

(10)

r0
c

v0 qB0
sin(t
)
x + cos(t
)
y
m

(11)

q 2 v0 B0




sin(t
)
x
+
cos(t
)
y
40 c2 mr0

(12)

a =
Thus


E(t)
=

It is circularly polarized radiation.

(e) The radiation is elliptically polarized.

Solution to Problem 3
(a) At t = 0, all energy is potential.

Potential energy density (see French 7-32)

dU 1 y 2
= T
dx
2
x

(13)

Energy conservation gives

1
Etotal = U (t = 0) = T
2

y 2
dx
x

(14)

where
y 2
x

The cross term in

y
x

Etotal

4
L

cos

2x
L

x 2
3
cos
L
L

will NOT contribute to the integral

1 2
16
=
T
2 L2
25T 2
=
4L

L
0

(15)

, thus

L
2x
x
cos
cos2
dx + 9
dx
L
L
0
2

(16)

(b) The displacement at time t is obtained as following:

v2
,
=

1 =

2v
=
,

2

v = v,
2L
L

v =

2 = 21 =

(17)

2
v
L

(18)

at t = 0, the string stands still, thus

y(x, t) = 3 sin

2x
x
cos(2 t)
cos(1 t) + 2 sin
L
L

(19)

2 standing waves.
(c) After a time 21 , the shape 1 has made one complete oscillation. In that same time, shape
2
2L
has made two complete oscillations. Thus, after 21 = 2L

v = v seconds, the shape will be the

same as at time t = 0.

Solution to Problem 4
(a) Reection at normal incidence:
n1 n2
Er
=
= 0.2
Ei
n1 + n2

(20)

Thus 4% will be reected. There is no dierence between the and the  components.
2
r
= 0.04 = 4%.
The ratio of light intensity (W/m2 ) is E
Ei
(b) The reected and the transmitted light is still circularly polarized as r and t are the same for
the and  components at normal incidence.
(c) Light intensity is the product of the Poynting vector and the cross-sectional area of the light
beam. As the light enters the prism, the cross-sectional area is the same as that of the incident
beam because 1 = 2 = 0.
< S >=

< Si >=
Since

Et
Ei

2n1
n1 +n2

B

>
<E
,
0

< Ei2 > n1

,
0 c

< St >=

|B| =

|E|n
|E|
=
v
c

< Et2 > n2

,
0 c

n1 = 1, n2 = 1.5

(21)

(22)

= 0.8,
< St >
= (0.8)2 1.5 = 0.96
< Si >

96% enters!

(23)

(d) At the surface AC, 100% of the light will be reected. The angle of incidence, 1 , is larger
than the critical angle.
1 = 45

crit = 41.8

sin crit =

Remember, 1 is where you are, 2 is where you are going.

(e) The reection r =

n1 n2
n1 +n2

= 0.2, thus 4% will be reected.

This is 4% of the 96% of I0 .

Thus 96% (of 96%) will emerge in air.

n2
1.0
=
n1
1.5

(24)