28.10. The hole that the conducting wire passes through is so small that it can be ignored.

(a) Positive charge has been transferred to the small sphere, so it has a positive charge.
(b) Negative. A Gaussian surface through the conductor of the larger sphere must contain a net charge of zero, so
the inner surface of the larger conductor is negatively charged. The magnitude of the charge is the same as that
of the positive charge placed on the smaller sphere.
(c) The negative charge on the inner surface of the larger sphere came from its outer surface (all excess charge
lies on the surface of a conductor) so the outside of the larger sphere has a positive charge. This can also be seen
by considering a Gaussian surface outside the larger sphere. It contains a net positive charge (that on the smaller
sphere, since the larger sphere is neutral). Since the charge on the inner surface is equal and opposite to that on
the smaller sphere, the outside of the larger sphere must be positively charged.

28.4. Model: The electric flux flows out of a closed surface around a region of space containing a net
positive charge and into a closed surface surrounding a net negative charge.
Visualize: Please refer to Figure EX28.4. Let A be the area in m2 of each of the six faces of the cube.

Solve: The electric flux is defined as e E A EA cos , where is the angle between the electric field and
a line perpendicular to the plane of the surface. The electric flux out of the closed cube surface is
out 20 N/C 20 N/C 10 N/C A cos0 50 A N m 2/C

Similarly, the electric flux into the closed cube surface is

in 15 N/C 15 N/C 15 N/C A cos180 45 A N m2 /C

The net electric flux is 50 A N m2 /C 45 A N m2 /C 5 A N m2 /C. Since the net electric flux is positive
(i.e., outward), the closed box contains a positive charge.

28.12. Model: The electric field is uniform over the rectangle in the xy plane.
Solve: (a) The area vector is perpendicular to the xy plane. Thus

A 2.0 cm 3.0 cm k 6.0 104 m 2 k

The electric flux through the rectangle is

e E A 50i 100k 6.0 104 k N m2/C 6.0 102 N m2/C

(b) The electric flux is

e E A 50i 100j 6.0 104k N m2/C 0 N m2 / C

Assess: In (b), E is in the plane of the rectangle. That is why the flux is zero.

28.19. Visualize: Please refer to Figure EX28.19.

Solve: For any closed surface that encloses a total charge Qin, the net electric flux through the surface is
e Qin 0 . We can write three equations from the three closed surfaces in the figure:

q1 q3

q1 q3 q

2q

q2 q3

3q

q1 q2

q1 q2 3q

q2 q3 2q

Subtracting third equation from the first,

q1 q2 q
Adding second equation to this equation,
2q1 4q q1 2q
That is, q1 2q, q2 q, and q3 3q.

28.25. Model: The excess charge on a conductor resides on the outer surface.
Solve:

The electric field at the surface of a charged conductor is

Esurface , perpendicular to surface

0

0 Esurface 8.85 1012 C 2 /Nm 2 3.0 106 N/C 2.7 105 C/m 2

Assess: It is the air molecules just above the surface that break down when the E-field becomes strong
enough to accelerate stray charges to approximately 15 eV between collisions, thus causing collisional
ionization. It does not make any difference whether E points toward or away from the surface.

28.30. Model: The electric field over the five surfaces is uniform.
Visualize:

Please refer to Figure P28.30.

Solve: The electric flux through a surface area A is e E A EA cos where is the angle between the
electric field and a line perpendicular to the plane of the surface. The electric field is perpendicular to side 1 and is

parallel to sides 2, 3, and 5. Also the angle between E and A4 is 60. The electric fluxes through these five
surfaces are
1 E1 A1 cos1 400 N/C 2 m 4 m cos 180 3200 N m 2/C
2 E2 A2 cos90 3 5 0 N m 2 /C

4 E4 A4 cos 4 400 N/C 2 m sin 30 4 m cos60 6400 N m 2/C

Assess: Because the flux into these five faces is equal to the flux out of the five faces, the net flux is zero, as
we found.

28.34. Solve: For any closed surface that encloses a total charge Qin, the net electric flux through the closed
surface is e Qin 0 . The total flux through the cube is
e 6 100 N m2/C

Qin

Qin 600 N m 2 /C 8.85 1012 C 2 /N m 2 5.31109 C 5.31 nC

28.40. Model: The excess charge on a conductor resides on the outer surface. The charge distribution on the
two spheres is assumed to have spherical symmetry.
Visualize: Please refer to Figure P28.40. The Gaussian surfaces with radii r 8 cm, 10 cm, and 17 cm match

the symmetry of the charge distribution. So, E is perpendicular to these Gaussian surfaces and the field strength
has the same value at all points on the Gaussian surface.

Solve: (a) Gausss law is e AE dA Qin 0 . Applying it to a Gaussian surface of radius 8 cm,

Qin 0 EAsphere 8.85 1012 C2/N m2 15,000 N/C 4 0.08 m 1.07 108 C

Because the excess charge on a conductor resides on its outer surface and because we have a solid metal sphere
inside our Gaussian surface, Qin is the charge that is located on the exterior surface of the inner sphere.
(b) In electrostatics, the electric field within a conductor is zero. Applying Gausss law to a Gaussian surface just
inside the inside surface of the hollow sphere at r 10 cm,
Q
e AE dA in Qin 0 C
2

That is, there is no net charge. Because the inner sphere has a charge of 1.07 108 C, the inside surface of the hollow
sphere must have a charge of 1.07 108 C.
(c) Applying Gausss law to a Gaussian surface at r 17 cm,

2
Qin 0 AE dA 0 EAsphere 8.85 1012 C2 /Nm 2 15,000 N/C 4 0.17 m 4.82 108 C
This value includes the charge on the inner sphere, the charge on the inside surface of the hollow sphere, and the
charge on the exterior surface of the hollow sphere due to polarization. Thus,
Qexterior hollow 1.07 108 C 1.07 10 8 C 4.82 10 8 C
Qexterior hollow 4.82 108 C

28.47. Model: The three planes of charge are infinite planes.

Visualize:

From planar symmetry the electric field can point straight toward or away from the plane. The three planes are
labeled as P (top), P, and P(bottom).
Solve: From Example 28.6, the electric field of an infinite charged plane of charge density is

Eplane

2 0

EP EP

4 0

EP
2

In region 1 the three electric fields are

EP
j
EP
j
4 0
2 0

Adding the three contributions, we get Enet 0 N/C.

In region 2 the three electric fields are

EP
j
4 0

EP
j
2 0

EP
j
4 0

EP
j
4 0

Thus, Enet 2 0 j.

In region 3,

EP
j
4 0

EP
j
2 0

EP
j
4 0

Thus, Enet 2 0 j.

In region 4,

EP
j
4 0

Thus Enet 0 N/C.

EP
j
2 0

EP
j
4 0

28.49. Model: The infinitely wide plane of charge with surface charge density polarizes the infinitely wide
conductor.
Visualize:

Because E 0 in the metal there will be an induced charge polarization. The face of the conductor adjacent to the
plane of charge is negatively charged. This makes the other face of the conductor positively charged. We thus have
three infinite planes of charge. These are P (top conducting face), P (bottom conducting face), and P(plane of charge).
Solve: Let 1, 2, and 3 be the surface charge densities of the three surfaces with 2 a negative number. The
electric field due to a plane of charge with surface charge density is E 2 0 . Because the electric field
inside a conductor is zero (region 2),

EP EP EP 0 N/C 1 j 2 j 3 j 0 N/C 1 2 0 C/m2

2 0
2 0
2 0
We have made the substitution 3 . Also note that the field inside the conductor is downward from planes P
and P and upward from P. Because 1 2 0 C/m2, because the conductor is neutral, 2 1. The above
equation becomes
1 1 0 C/m2 1 12 2 12

We are now in a position to find electric field in regions 14.

For region 1,

EP
j
EP
j
4 0
4 0

The electric field is Enet EP EP EP 2 0 j.

In region 2, Enet 0 N/C. In region 3,

EP
j
EP
j
4 0
4 0

The electric field is Enet 2 0 j.

EP
j
2 0

EP
j
2 0

In region 4,

The electric field is Enet

EP
j
4 0
2 0 j.

EP
j
4 0

EP
j
2 0

28.54. Model: Assume that the negative charge uniformly distributed in the atom has spherical symmetry.
Visualize:

The nucleus is a positive point charge Ze at the center of a sphere of radius R. The spherical symmetry of the
charge distribution tells us that the electric field must be radial. We choose a spherical Gaussian surface to match
the spherical symmetry of the charge distribution and the field. The Gaussian surface is at r R, which means
that we will calculate the amount of charge contained in this surface.

Solve: (a) Gausss law is AE dA Qin 0 . The amount of charge inside is
r3
r3
Ze
4 3
Qin
r Ze 4 3 43 r 3 Ze Ze 3 Ze Ze 1 3
R
3
3R
R

Ein 4 r 2

Ze r 3
Ze 1 r

1 3 Ein
0 R
4 0 r 2 R3

(b) At the surface of the atom, r R. Thus,

Ein

Ze 1
R

0 N/C
4 0 R2 R3

This is an expected result, which can be quickly obtained from Gausss law. Applying Gausss law to a Gaussian
surface just outside r R. Because the atom is electrically neutral, Qin 0. Thus

Qin
0 E 0 N/C
AE dA

(c) The electric field strength at r 12 R 0.050 nm is

1
0.050 nm 4.6 1013 N/C
Ein 92 1.60 1019 C 9.0 109 C 2 /Nm 2

2
3
0.050 nm 0.10 nm

28.6.

A = 4q o B = 4q o C = 0 D = 3q o E = 0