Let [ε₀] denote the permittivity of the vaccum, and [μ₀] denote the permeability of the vaccum. If M = mass, L= length, T = time and I= electrical current, then the dimensional formulae of ε₀ and μ₀ are
Correct Answer :
[M⁻¹L⁻³T⁴I²] and [MLT⁻²I⁻²]
Solution :
To find the dimensional formulae of the permittivity of free space () and the permeability of free space (), we can derive them step-by-step from fundamental physical laws.
Step 1: Dimensional formula of Permittivity of vacuum ()
We can use Coulomb's Law, which defines the electrostatic force between two charges and separated by a distance in a vacuum:
Rearranging the equation to solve for gives:
Now, let's write the dimensional formula for each variable in terms of basic dimensions:
1. Electrical current
2. Force
3. Distance
4. The number is dimensionless.
Substituting these dimensional formulae into the expression for :
Simplifying the expression:
Step 2: Dimensional formula of Permeability of vacuum ()
We can use the relation between the speed of light in vacuum (), permeability (), and permittivity ():
Squaring both sides:
The speed of light is velocity, which has the dimensional formula:
Substituting the dimensions of and in the formula for :
Simplifying the denominator:
Thus, we obtain:
Therefore, the dimensional formulae of and are and , respectively.
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