UNIT I –ELECTROSTATICS Date:24/12/2016

QUESTIONS ;

1. A system has 2 charges qA =2.5x10-7C &qB =-2.5x10-7C located sat points A(0,0,-15

cm) and B(0,0,15 cm) respectively. What are the total charge and electric dipole

moment of the system?

2. a. Two insulated charged spheres A and B have their centers separated by a distance

of 50 cm. What is the mutual force of electro static repulsion if the charge on each is

6.5x10-7C?

b. What is the force of repulsion if the charge on each is doubled & distance halved?

3. An oil drop of 12 excess electrons is held stationary under a constant electric field of

2.55x104 N/C . Estimate the radius of the drop. (density of oil = 1.26 g cm -3,g=9.81

ms-2 and e= 1.6x10-19C).

4. Suppose two spheres A and B of charge 6.5x10-7C each are separated by 50 cm. A

third uncharged sphere of same size is brought in contact with first charge,then 2nd

charge and finally removed. Find the new force of repulsion between the charges A

and B.

5. Two small identical electrical dipoles AB and CD, each of dipole moment “p” are kept
at an angle of 1200 as shown in Y

the figure. What is the resultant dipole moment A

of this combination? If this system is subjected D 1200X
to electric field (E) directed along +Xdirection, C
What will be the magnitude and direction of the B
Torque acting on this?

6. Two electric charges 3µC, -4µC are placed at the two corners of an isosceles right
angled triangle of side 1m
 A
as shown in the figure. What is the direction 1m
and magnitude of electric field at A due to
two charges? B C
-4µC 1m +3µC

7. A system has two charges qA=2.5 x 10 -7C and qB= -2.5 x 10 -7C located at
points A(0,0,-15)cm and B(0,0,+15)cm respectively. What are the total
charge and electric dipole moment of the system.

8. ABCD is a square of side 5m, charges of +50C, -50C and +50C are placed
at A, C and D respectively. Find the resultant electric field at B.

9. .An electron is projected with velocity vx = 2 x 106 m/s in the region between 2
charged plates. If E between the plates separated by 0.5 cm
Is 9.1 x 102 N/C, where will the electron strike the upper plate?

10. Three point charges +Q, +2Q and -3Q are placed at the vertices of an equilateral triangle
ABC of side l. If these charges are displaced to the mid points P, Q and R respectively,
calculate the amount of work done in shifting the charges to the new locations.
11. An infinite number of charges each equal to q are placed along the x-axis at x=1, x=2,
x=4,….. and so on. (i) Find the electric field and the electric potential at the point x=0
due to this set of charges. (ii) What will be the electric field and the electric potential if
in the above set up the consecutive charges have opposite signs.
12. Two charges of magnitude q each other are placed 4 cm apart. At what position will the
electric potential becomes minimum? Also determine the potentials at x = 0 and x = 4
cm.
13. A charge Q is distributed over two concentric spheres of radii r and R where R>r such
that the surface charge densities are equal. Find the potential at the common centre.
14. Two identical thin rings each of radius R are coaxially placed at a distance R apart. If Q1
and Q2 are respectively charges uniformly spread on the two rings, calculate the work
done in moving a charge q from the centre of one ring to that of the other.
 15. A metallic spherical shell has an inner radius ‘ r ‘ and an outer radius R. A charge
‘Q’ is placed at the center of the spherical shell. What will be the surface charge
density on the 1) inner surface and 2)the outer surface?
16. What will be the total flux through the faces of a cube with the side of length ‘a’, if a
charge ‘q’ is placed at ;
(a)A corner of the cube

(b) Midpoint of an edge of the cube

(c) Centre of the face of the cube

17. What is the net flux of a uniform electric field ,E =3x 103i N/C through a cube of side
20 cm oriented so that its faces are parallel to the co- ordinate planes.
18. Electric field in the figure is directed along the + X- direction and given by Ex = 5Ax
+2B where E is in N/C and x is in metre, A and B are constants with dimensions.
Taking A=10NC-1 m-1 and B=5N/C. Calculate (i) the electric flux through the cube
and (ii) the net charge enclosed within the cube.

19. Keeping the voltage of the charging source constant, what would be the percentage
change in the energy stored in a parallel plate capacitor if the separation between the
plates were to be increased by 10%.

20. Seven capacitors, each of capacitance 2µF are to be connected in a configuration to

obtain an effective capacitance of 10/11 µF. Suggest a suitable combination to achieve the
desired result.

21. A parallel plate capacitor contains one mica sheet of thickness 1mm and fibre sheet of
thickness 0.5mm. The dielectric constants of mica and fibre are 8 and 2.5 respectively.
Fibre breaks down in an electric field of 6.4X106 Vm-1. What maximum voltage can be
applied in the capacitor?

22. A parallel plate capacitor is maintained at a certain potential difference. When a 3mm
thick dielectric slab is introduced between the between the plates, in order to maintain the
same potential difference, the distance between the plates is increased by 2.4 mm. Find the
dielectric constant of the slab.

23. A capacitor of capacitance C is fully charged by a 200 V battery. It is then discharged

through a small coil of resistance wire embedded in a thermally insulated block of specific
heat 2500 Jkg-1K-1 and of mass 0.1 kg. If the temperature of the block rises by 0.4K, what is
the value of C?

ANSWERS
1. Distance between 2 charges = 15+15 = 30 cm

Total charge = (2.5x10-7) + (-2.5x10-7) = 0 C

Dipole moment = q x 2l =7.5x10-8C along Z axis

(9𝑥109 )(6.5𝑥10−7 )(6.5𝑥10−7 )

2. a. F = (50𝑥10−2 )2
= 1.5x10-2 N

b. F’ =16F=0.24N

3. Charge q=ne

= 12x1.6x10-19 = 1.92x10-18 C

Force F=qE=(1.92x10-18)(2.55x104)

Weight F=mg= 4/3 πr3ρg

Fg=Fe

Hence r= 9.81x10-7 m
 4. A and C in contact q’A = (qA + qC)/2 = 3.25 x 10-7 C

This charge when in contact with C, q’B = (qB + q’A)/2 = 4.87x10-7 C

1 𝑞𝐴 ′ −𝑞𝐵 ′
New force = 4𝜋𝜀 = 5.7x103 N
0 𝑟2

5. (i)Resultant dipole moment :

pr = (p12 +p22 + 2p1p2cos1200)1/2 p1 = p2 = p

pr = p

Using law of addition of vectors, we can see that the resultant dipole makes an angle of 600
with the Y-axis or 300 with x-axis .

(ii) τ= p X E

= p E sin300

= pE/2

Direction of torque is along negative Z-direction.

6. E1 - E at A due to B = k 4µC/1 from A to B

E2- E at A due to C = k 3µC/2 from C to A

E = (E12 +E22 + 2E1E2cos1350)1/2

E = 2.25 x 104

Ѳ = 36.90 from the line AB

7.(i) total charge = q = q1 +q2

=0

(ii) p = q x 2l = 7.5 x 10 -9 Cm directed along negative Z-axis

(Hint: NTP – negative to positive)

8. E3
 5m
+50C A B β E1
E4
5m 5m
E2

+50C D 5m C -50C

E=kq/r2

E1 = EBA = 2k along AB
E2 = EBc = 2k along BC
E3 = EBD = k along DB
E4 – resultant of E1 and E2

E4 = (E12 +E22 + 2E1E2cos900)1/2

Net E – resultant of E3 an E4 - along X-axis

E= (E32 +E42 + 2E3E4cos900)1/2

E = 3k =2.7 x 1010 N/C
tanβ = E3 / E4
β = 25.50

9. Y = eE L2 / 2mvx2

L2 = 2mvx2 y /eE

L = 1.58 x 10 -2 m

𝑄𝑋2𝑄 𝑄𝑋(−3𝑄) 2𝑄𝑋(−3𝑄)

10. U initial = 1/4π∊0( + + )
𝑙 𝑙 𝑙
= -7Q2/4π∊0l
𝑄𝑋2𝑄 𝑄𝑋(−3𝑄) 2𝑄𝑋(−3𝑄)
U final =1/4π∊0 ( + + )
𝑙/2 𝑙/2 𝑙/2
 = -14Q2/4π∊0l
Work done to shift the charges = U final- U initial
= -7Q2/4π∊0l
𝑞
11. D(i) E = 3π∊0
𝑞
V = 2π∊0
𝑞
(ii) E = 5π∊0
𝑞
V = 6π∊0

x
12. A B
q P q
VP = VPA +VPB
4𝑞
=4π∊0( 4x-x2) -1
𝑑𝑉
For minimum V, =0
𝑑𝑥
x = 2m
When x=0 & x=4 cm, V is infinity
13. Q = Qr+QR
𝑄𝑅 𝑄𝑟
σ = 4𝜋𝑅2= 4𝜋𝑟2
𝑄𝑅2
QR =𝑅2+𝑟2
𝑄𝑟2
Qr =𝑅2+𝑟2
𝑄(𝑟+𝑅)
V =VR+Vr = 4π∊0(R2+r2)
1 𝑄1 𝑄2
14. V1= 4π∊0 ( 𝑅 + )
√2𝑅

1 𝑄2 𝑄1
V2= 4π∊0 ( 𝑅 + )
√2𝑅

𝑞(𝑄1−𝑄2) √2−1
W = q(V1-V2) = ( √2 )
4π∊0R

15. The charge Q induces a charge -Q on its inner surface and charge +Q on the outer
surface of the shell.

Therefore the surface charge density on the inner surface = -Q/4πr2

The surface charge density on the outer sphere = Q/4ΠR2

16. a) The flux will be divided into 8 such cubes, placed symmetrically at the corner.
𝑞
Thus the flux through each cube =8Ͼ0
 𝑞
b) Flux = 4Ͼ0(Flux is equally shared by 4 cubes)

𝑞
c) ) Flux = 2Ͼ0(Flux is equally shared by 2 cubes)

17. Net flux = 0

18. Net φ = 0.05Nm2C-1

Q = Ͼ0 φ = 4.43x10-13 C

19. U= ½ CV2=1/2(Ɛ0A/d) V2

When the separation between the plates is decreased by 10%, the energy stored becomes
1 Ɛ0A
U’=2 V2=10/9 U
0.9𝑑

𝑈"−𝑈 10
Percentage change in the stored energy, X100= ( -1)X100=11.11%
𝑈 9

20. Suppose a parallel combination of n capacitors is connected in series with a series

combination of (7-n) capacitors.

Capacitance of parallel combination, C1=2n µF

2
Capacitance of series combination, C2=7−𝑛 µF

10
As these two combinations are in series, Cs=11µF

1 1 1
= +
𝐶𝑠 𝐶1 𝐶2

11 1 7−𝑛
= +
10 2𝑛 2

Solving, n=5

Hence parallel combination of 5 capacitors must be connected in series with the other 2
capacitors.

21. Let σ be the surface charge density of the capacitor plates. Electric fields in mica (K1)
and fibre will be
𝜎 𝜎
E1=𝐾1Ɛ0 and E2=𝐾2Ɛ0
 𝑲𝟐
E1= 𝒌𝟏 X E2

The maximum permissible value for E2 is 6.4x106/m

The maximum permissible value for E1 = (2.5/8)x6.4x106=2x106V/m

Maximum voltage that can be applied to the capacitor is

V= E1d1+E2d2=2x106x10-3+ 6.4x106x0.5x10-3=5200V

22. Capacitance of the air filled parallel plate capacitor is C0=Ɛ0A/d0

When a dielectric slab of thickness t is introduced between the plates with new separation
d, the capacitance becomes
Ɛ0𝐴
C= 1
𝑑−𝑡(1−
𝐾

To maintain the same potential difference, C0=C

1
t (1-𝐾)=d-d0

Solving, K=5

23. Energy stored in the capacitor=1/2 CV2=2Cx104 J

Energy flows through the resistance coil=Heat gained by the coil

=MassXsp.heatXrise in temp. =0.1x2.5x102x0.4

=10J

Energy stored in the capacitor=Energy flows through the resistance coil

2Cx104=10

C=500µF

By

V.Balasaraswathy

PGT (Physics)