A coaxial transmission line consists of an inner cylindrical conductor and an outer…
PHYSICS · Multi-part · CBSE · Physics · Current Electricity · Current Electricity
Problem
A coaxial transmission line consists of an inner cylindrical conductor and an outer cylindrical conductor that share the same axis. In operation, electrons in the inner conductor drift to the right while electrons in the outer conductor drift to the left. The magnitudes of the electron currents in the two conductors are equal.
Assume no other charge carriers are present and that the currents are steady.
(a) State the direction of the conventional current in the inner conductor and the direction of the conventional current in the outer conductor.
(b) Determine the net conventional current carried by the coaxial line as a whole. Explain your reasoning clearly.
(c) Suppose the drift speed of electrons in the inner conductor is doubled while the electron density remains the same. Describe qualitatively how this change affects (i) the magnitude of the conventional current in the inner conductor and (ii) the net conventional current of the coaxial line.