Course code: STP121

Course title: ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM

Instruction: Attempt FOUR (4) questions in all

1. (a) Define the following terms as related to

electrostatics :
(i) Electric field
(ii) Electric field Strength
(iii) Electric potential
(iv) Electric line of force
(b) (i) State Coulomb’s law of electrostatics, and explain why it obeys inverse square law?
(ii) Draw a well-labeled diagram of Van der Graff generator
(c) Three charged particles are located at the corners of an equilateral triangle of sides 0.5 m as shown in
Figure above. Calculate the magnitude of total electric force on the 7μC charge

2. (a) Define the following :

(i) Capacitance of a capacitor
(ii) Dielectric constant
(b) (i) State three uses of a capacitor
(ii) State the factors that affect the capacitance of a parallel plate of capacitor.
(iii) State the variation relationship between capacitance and the factors listed above
(c) A parallel plate capacitor consist of two parallel square plates with sides 20 cm long and separated by
5mm in air with potential difference of 12V applied across the plates. Calculate: (i) the capacitance of the
capacitor (ii) the charge stored on the plates (iii) the uniform electric field between the plates (iv) the energy
stored by the capacitor (permittivity of free space = 8.85×10-12 F/m)

3. (a) (i) State Kirchhoff’s laws of electricity

(ii) Define the terms as related to electric circuit:
(I) Node (II) loop (III) Active device (IV) passive device
(b) Using Kirchhoff’s laws, from the circuit below calculate (i) the currents I 1, I2 and I3 (ii) the
potential difference across terminal AB.

4. (a) (i) State Ohms law

(ii) Differentiate between ohmic and non-ohmic conductors and give two examples each.
(iii) List all the factors affecting the resistance of a metallic wire. Also, state how resistance of the wire
varies with these factors
 (b) From the circuit above, compute the following: (i) the total resistance (ii) the total current (iii)
current across terminal BC (iv) current across terminal BD
(c) Calculate the potential difference across the ends of a wire 10m long that has a diameter of 0.2cm
and resistivity of 2.63 x10-8 Ωm, when a current of 2A flows across it.

5. (a) State Faraday’s laws of electrolysis

(ii) State four applications of electrolysis
(b) (i) Differentiate between electrolytes and non-electrolytes. Give three examples each
(ii) State the reason why alternating current source cannot be used to perform electrolysis.
(iii) Draw a well labeled of a Hoffmann Apparatus and state its use?
(c) (i) Explain the statement: ‘electrochemical equivalent of copper is 3.3×10-4 g/C’
(ii) Calculate the time in second required to electroplate an article of area 300 cm 2 with a layer of
copper of 0.06 cm if a constant current of 2A is maintained. Assumed that the density and
electrochemical equivalent of copper are 8.9g/cm3 and 3.3×10-4 g/C respectively.

6. (a) (i) Define the following terms as related to magnetism

(I) Magnetic field (II) magnetic field strength (III) magnetic flux
(ii) State the characteristics of magnetic line of forces
(b) Explain the following (i) Ferromagnetism (ii) Paramagnetism (iii) Diamagnetism
(c) Draw the magnetic field lines (i) between two parallel magnets with parallel poles of the same kind
(ii) Between two parallel magnets with parallel poles of the different kind
(d) State the factors that affect the size of the force on a current-carrying conductor in a magnetic field