Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-physics-b-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2012/paper-1/section-b/b9/solution
Past exam of the physics B course of the University of Cambridge 2012 Paper 1 Section B B9 Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-20
Use peak-amplitude phasors with time factor and . Faraday's law of induction and the Ampere-Maxwell law giveIn the good-conductor limit , take the root with positive attenuation into the slab:The real physical field is . A thick slab excludes a returning wave from its rear face. The skin depth is the electric-field amplitude decay length; the intensity decay length is .
Faraday's law of induction fixes . The surface impedance of a good conductor and the complete transmitted magnetic field are consequentlyThe sign of the imaginary part belongs to the stated time convention. Average the Poynting vector using complex conjugation and the factor one half appropriate to peak phasors:As an independent energy check, , the mean Joule heating per unit volume.
Ohm's law gives and . Hence the averaged Lorentz force per unit volume isIntegrating through the illuminated half-space gives the positive inward radiation pressureFinally let be the vacuum wave impedance. Tangential-field boundary conditions at normal incidence give the electric-amplitude reflection coefficient . Since ,Here by surface energy balance. Combining the leading formulas gives , the nearly perfect-reflector limit. The displayed reflection expansion also assumes a good conductor relative to the incident vacuum wave, .
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