Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-physics-b-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2018/paper-1/section-b/b9/solution
Past exam of the physics B course of the University of Cambridge 2018 Paper 1 Section B B9 Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-18
Distributed line parameters. The geometry is the wide parallel-plate transmission line described in the question, with absolute permittivity . A length has charge and field , givingThe opposed plate currents have sheet density and confine the leading magnetic field between the plates. The magnetic energy per unit length is , soHere and are per unit length, in and , not lumped component values. Internal conductor fields and edge corrections are neglected.
Voltage and current evolution. The current entering a short length minus that leaving it is the rate of increase of its plate charge:The voltage drop across that length is its inductive drop, . Dividing by gives the lossless Telegrapher's equations,
Propagation speed. Differentiate these equations once more and eliminate the other variable:The wave equation speed is
Travelling-wave impedance. For a forward wave , take . Substitution into gives , hence the characteristic impedanceThe backward-wave current has the opposite sign relative to its voltage; the fixed ratio above applies to one travelling direction.
Matching the antenna. The voltage reflection coefficient is . No reflection requires . With , , and ,The resulting is consistent with the wide-plate approximation.
Both transverse forces. The matched transverse electromagnetic mode has electric attraction and magnetic repulsion. For time-averaged power ,The force on one plate excludes its own field. Thus the average electric attraction and magnetic repulsion per unit length are respectivelyThe electric and magnetic pressure cancellation in a matched TEM line follows directly from :The equality also holds instantaneously for a single travelling wave. Quoting either alone would omit the opposing contribution. This is the ideal electromagnetic force in the stated lossless uniform-dielectric model; a standing wave would not generally have the same cancellation.
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