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PHYS1312 HW1 suggested solution
Problem 1: Dimensions of physical constants
1. Planck constant
Consider the energy of a photon:
[E] (M L2 T −2 )
[E] = [h] [f ] ⇒ [h] = ⇒ [h] = −1
= M L2 T −1 (1)
[f ] T
2. Boltzmann constant
Consider the thermal energy:
[E]
[kB ] = M L2 T −2 Θ−1 = M L2 T −2 Θ−1
[E] = [kB ] [T ] ⇒ [kB ] = ⇒ (2)
[T ]
3. Permittivity of free space
Consider the Coulomb’s law:
[q1 ] [q2 ] [q1 ] [q2 ] (IT )2
[F ] = ⇒ [0 ] = ⇒ [0 ] = = M −1 L−3 T 4 I 2 (3)
[4π0 ] [r2 ] [F ] [r2 ] (M LT −2 ) (L2 )
4. Permeability of free space
Consider the magnetic field of a N -turn solenoid with length L and the magnetic force experi-
enced by a current wire with length l:
[µ0 ] [N ] [I] [B] [L]
[B] = ⇒ [µ0 ] = (4)
[L] [I]
[F ]
[F ] = [l] [I] [B] ⇒ [B] = (5)
[l] [I]
Combining (4) and (5), we get
[F ] M LT −2
[µ0 ] = 2 = 2
= M LT −2 I −2 (6)
[I] I
5. Gravitational constant
Consider the Newton’s law of gravitation:
[G] [m1 ] [m2 ] [F ] [r2 ] (M LT −2 ) (L2 )
[F ] = ⇒ [G] = ⇒ [G] = = M −1 L3 T −2 (7)
[r2 ] [m1 ] [m2 ] M 2
6. Speed of light
[c] = LT −1 (8)
7. The electron charge
[e] = IT (9)
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Problem 2: Exercises in dimensional analysis
1. Planck length
Assume the Planck length is given by
Lp ∼ ~α cβ Gγ (10)
From dimensional analysis, we have
L = [~]α [c]β [G]γ
α β γ
⇒L = M L2 T −1 LT −1 M −1 L3 T −2
⇒L = M α−γ L2α+β+3γ T −α−β−2γ (11)
By comparison, we obtain the equations for α, β and γ:
α−γ =0 , 2α + β + 3γ = 1 , −α − β − 2γ = 0 (12)
Solving the equations gives
1 3 1
α= , β=− , γ= (13)
2 2 2
Hence, the Planck length is given by
r
~G
Lp = ≈ 1.62 × 10−35 m, (14)
c3
a length scale which quantum theory of gravity becomes significant.
2. Hall resistance
Assume the Hall resistance is given by
RH ∼ eα ~β (15)
From dimensional analysis, we have
[RH ] = [e]α [~]β (16)
Recall that the power dissipated by a resistor is given by
E [E]
P = = I 2R ⇒ [R] = 2 = M L2 T −3 I −2 (17)
t [I] [t]
Substitute in to (16), we have
β
M L2 T −3 I −2 = (IT )α M L2 T −1
⇒M L2 T −3 I −2 = M β L2β T α−β I α (18)
By comparison, we obtain the values for α, β:
α = −2 , β=1 (19)
Hence, the required Hall resistance is given by
~
RH = ≈ 4100Ω, (20)
e2
which is an important number in integer quantum Hall effect.
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3. Magnetic flux
Assume the magnetic flux is given by
Φ ∼ eα ~β (21)
From dimensional analysis, we have
β
[B] [A] = (IT )α M L2 T −1
[F ]
⇒ [A] = M β L2β T α−β I α
[I] [l]
⇒ M T −2 I −1 L2 = M β L2β T α−β I α
⇒M L2 T −2 I −1 = M β L2β T α−β I α (22)
By comparison, we obtain the values for α and β:
α = −1 , β=1 (23)
Hence, the required Hall resistance is given by
~
Φ= ≈ 6.6 × 10−16 Wb, (24)
e
which is the quantized magnetic flux of a Type-II superconductor in the vortex state.
4. Impedance of the vacuum
Assume the impedance of vacuum is given by
Z0 ∼ (0 )α (µ0 )β . (25)
Recall in (17), the dimension of Z0 is
[Z0 ] = M L2 T −3 I −2 (26)
By dimensional analysis, we have:
α β
M L2 T −3 I −2 = M −1 L−3 T 4 I 2 M LT −2 I −2
⇒M L2 T −3 I −2 = M β−α Lβ−3α T 4α−2β I 2α−2β (27)
By comparison, we obtain the equations for α and β:
β−α=1 , β − 3α = 2 , 4α − 2β = −3 , 2α − 2β = −2 (28)
Solving the equations gives
1 1
α=− , β= (29)
2 2
Hence, the impedance of vacuum is given by
r
µ0
Z0 = ≈ 377Ω. (30)
0
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5. Speed of light
Assume the speed is given by
v ∼ (0 )α (µ0 )β . (31)
By dimensional analysis:
α β
LT −1 = M −1 L−3 T 4 I 2 M LT −2 I −2
α β
⇒LT −1 = M −1 L−3 T 4 I 2 M LT −2 I −2 (32)
−1 β−α β−3α 4α−2β 2α−2β
⇒LT =M L T I (33)
By comparison, we obtain the equations for α, β and γ:
β−α=0 , β − 3α = 1 , 4α − 2β = −1 , 2α − 2β = 0 (34)
Solving the equations gives
1 3 1
α= , β=− , γ= (35)
2 2 2
Hence, the speed is given by
1
v=√ ≈ 3 × 108 ms−1 , (36)
0 µ0
which is the speed of electromagnetic wave (light) in vacuum.
Problem 3: Find projectile range with dimensional analysis
Assume the range of the projectile is given by
R ∼ V a mb g c
From dimensional analysis, we have
L = [V ]a [m]b [g]c
a c
⇒ L = LT −1 M b LT −2
⇒ L = La+c M b T −a−2c
By comparison, we obtain the equations for a, b and c
a+c=1 , b=0 , −a − 2c = 0
Solving the equations gives
a=2 , b=0 , c = −1
Hence we have
R ∼ V 2 g −1
The expression for range we dervied in lecture is
V 2 sin(2α)
R= ,
g
which is consistent with the expression from dimensional analysis.