Cylindrical magnetostatic pressure balance 2026-10-05
For an axisymmetric vector field independent of the axial coordinate and regular on the axis, Gauss's law for magnetism gives . The magnetostatic Ampère-Maxwell equation then gives , , and in Gaussian units. Radial magnetostatic equilibrium isFor enclosed axial electric current , the magnetostatic Ampère-Maxwell equation gives , henceThe first term contains pressure and axial magnetic pressure; the second combines toroidal magnetic pressure with the hoop force from magnetic tension.
Electrical circuit 2026-10-05
An electrical circuit connects components that carry electric current and sustain electric potential difference differences. Its dynamics may couple electrical resistance, inductance and capacitance.
Line current Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
A line current idealizes an electric current as flowing along a curve; its current-density volume integral reduces to along that curve.
With no axial electric current, cylindrical magnetostatic pressure balance reduces to constant . For and , its radial solutions areAs , and . These finite scalar limits do not give a smooth function of Cartesian position: has a cusp at the axis, and the azimuthal unit vector has no unique limit there. Thus these data describe radial equilibrium away from the axis, but cannot satisfy smooth vector-field regularity on the axis without modifying the data.
On-axis magnetic field of a circular current loop Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
A circular loop of radius carrying electric current has, on its axis,where the sign of is fixed by the right-hand rule. At its centre, .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2004 ib Paper 2 18B Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2004 ib Paper 2 7B Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
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Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2006 ii Paper 2 33D Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
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Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2013 ib Paper 2 6D Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-07
Take the divergence of the Ampère-Maxwell equation, . Since the divergence of a curl is zero vanishes, and Gauss's law gives , the result isThis is the charge continuity equation.
At an internal point of a homogeneous Ohmic conductor, Ohm's law gives . Since is constant, the charge continuity equation becomes . ThereforeThis is charge relaxation. Here is the total charge appearing in the vacuum form of Gauss's law; in a homogeneous dielectric description of free charge the corresponding constant permittivity replaces .
For a finite isolated body, charge travels to the surface. The bulk formula applies at internal points, not across the interface where electrical conductivity jumps and surface charge density accumulates. Integrating the charge continuity equation over the body, including its surface charge, gives constant total electric charge because no electric current crosses the external boundary. Bulk decay and conservation of electric charge are therefore compatible.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 ib Paper 2 6D a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
In SI units the Ampère-Maxwell equation is . Since , the displacement-current term vanishes and . Apply Stokes theorem to an oriented surface with positively oriented boundary :Hence the integral form of Ampère's law isHere is vacuum magnetic permeability, is current density, and positive enclosed electric current is defined by the orientation of .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 ib Paper 2 6D b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
For the field generated by the infinitely long, axially symmetric shell currents, axisymmetry and the right-hand rule give . A circular loop has . Its enclosed electric current is zero inside the inner shell, between the shells and outside both. Ampère's law therefore givesThe positive direction is counterclockwise viewed from positive . The ideal current sheets make the tangential magnetic field discontinuous at each shell; these formulas specify the three open regions, with no additional imposed background field.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 ib Paper 2 6D c Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
Only the signed enclosed electric current changes. Between the shells it remains , but outside both it is . The same circular-loop application of Ampère's law givesOpposite currents confine the generated magnetic field to the annulus, as in an ideal infinitely long coaxial cable. The two shell current sheets account for the field jumps.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 iii Paper 314 3 b Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
The remaining magnetic field has . The radial Lorentz force density separates into a magnetic pressure gradient and inward magnetic tension:Here has radial component because . Thus magnetostatic equilibrium givesIntegrating the axial component of the magnetostatic Ampère-Maxwell equation gives , since regularity removes the integration constant. Substituting combines the toroidal terms intoThis is the cylindrical magnetostatic pressure balance equation in terms of enclosed electric current.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 iii Paper 314 3 c Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
For constant , cylindrical magnetostatic pressure balance givesRegularity gives . With , integration yields the power-law pressure-supported axial currentThe sign of may be chosen either way and fixes the sense of the toroidal magnetic field. For and nontrivial decreasing pressure (), the integral converges at infinity precisely whenAt it diverges logarithmically; for it diverges as . The degenerate case has constant pressure and zero electric current.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2020 ii Paper 4 36D a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-29
In the absence of free electric charge and electric current, the source-free Maxwell equations in a linear medium aretogether with the constitutive relations and .