TUTORIAL 16: ELECTROSTATICS

16.1 Coulombs law

a) State Coulombs law,
2 2
o
4 r
kQq
r
Qq
F = =
tc
.
b) Sketch the force diagram and apply Coulombs law for a system of point charges.

16.2 Electric field

a) Define electric field.
b) Define and use electric field strength,
o
q
F
E

= .
c) Sketch the electric field lines of isolated point charge, two point charges and
uniformly charged parallel plates.
d) Sketch the electric field strength diagram and determine electric field strength, E
for a system of charges.

16.3 Charge in a uniform electric field

a) Explain quantitatively with the aid of a diagram the motion of a charge in a
uniform electric field.

16.4 Electric Potential

a) Define electric potential.
b) Define and sketch equipotential lines and surfaces of
i) an isolated charge
ii) a uniform electric field

c) Use
r
kQ
V = for a point charge and a system of charges.
d) Calculate potential difference between two points,

V
AB
= V
A
V
B

o
BA
AB
q
W
V =
e) Use
d
V
E = for uniform electric field.
f) Deduce the change in potential energy, AU between two points in an electric field,
V q U A =
g) Calculate potential energy of a system of point charges,
|
|
.
|

\
|
+ + =
23
3 2
13
3 1
12
2 1
r
q q
r
q q
r
q q
k U




TUTORIAL 16
(ELECTROSTATIC)

SECTION A


1. Which of the following statement is not correct?

A There are two types of charges differing in signs
B The charges are conserved and they have discrete values
C The smallest value of a charge is that of an electron or a proton
D Electric charges can be created by rubbing or friction


2. Which diagram best represents the electric field around a negatively charged
particle?

A B C D






3. At a distance R away from a point charge, the electric field has a strength of E and
the electric potential is V. At a point R/2 away from the same point charge which
of the following is true?

Electric field strength Electric potential
A 4E 4V
B 2E 2V
C 2E 4V
D 4E 2V
4. A proton accelerates from rest in a uniform electric field of 640 N/C . At some
later time, its speed is 1.20x10
6
m s
-1
.Calculate the acceleration of the proton.

A. 61.32 Gm s
-2

B. 31.30 Gm s
-2

C. 20.42 Gm s
-2
D. 22.67 Gm s
-2








5. Which of the following statements is true about electrically equipotential surfaces?

A The charge density is uniform.
B The electric field at any point on the equipotential surface is zero
C There is no electric potential difference between 2 nearby electrically
equipotential surfaces.
D no work is done to move a charge along an equipotential surface.




SECTION B

6. (a) State Coulombs Law




20 cm 15 cm
q
2
q
1
q
3


FIGURE 1

(b) Three point charges, q
1
= +3.0 C, q
2
= -4.0 C and q
3
= 7.0 C are
placed 20 cm and 15 cm apart on a straight line in air as shown in
FIGURE 1. What is the magnitude and direction of the nett electrostatic
force acting on charge q
1
( Ans: 5.7 N to the right)

7. Two equal positive point charges q
1
= q
2
= 2.0 C are located at x = 0, y = 0.3
m and x = 0, y = - 0.30 m respectively. What are the magnitude and direction
of the total electric force that these charges exert on a third point charge Q =
4.0 C at x = 0.40 m, y = 0?
(Ans: 0.46 N to the right)

8. When a test charge q = 2nC is placed at the origin, it experiences a force of
8.0 10
-4
N. Calculate the magnitude of electric field at the origin.
(Ans;
5
10 0 . 4 NC
-1
)

9. Sketch an electric field lines pattern for following cases :

i) Two equal positive charges, +2Q and +2Q
ii) Negative point charge
iii) Uniformly charged parallel plates


10.











A beam of electrons enters the uniform electric field between two parallel plates
as shown in FIGURE 2.

(a) Sketch the path of the electron beam in the electric field, and after emerging
from the electric field.

(b) Explain the shape of the path

11.












Two parallel plates are set a distance of 15 mm apart in a vacuum as illustrated in
FIGURE 3. The top plate is at potential of +200 V and the bottom plate is at
potential -200 V.

(a) Copy FIGURE 3 and draw lines to show the electric field between the plates
and show a possible path of the electron as it passes between the plates.

(b) Determine the magnitude of the acceleration of the electron .
(Ans:
15
10 27 . 4

N)


+200 V
-200 V
e
15 mm
e
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 3


12.










FIGURE 4 shows a section of the deflection system of a cathode ray oscilloscope.
An electron travelling at a speed of 1.5 x 10
7
m s
-1
enter the space between two
parallel metal plates 60 mm long. The electric field between the plates is 4.0x10
3
V m
-1
.

(a) Copy the figure and sketch the path of the electron in between plates, and
after emerging from the space between the plates.

(b) Calculate the vertical component of velocity as it leaves the region between
the plates. (Ans;
6
10 81 . 2 m s
-1
)

13. (a) Sketch equipotential lines and surfaces of
(i) a positive charge
(ii) a uniform electric field

(b) Two point charges of 4 C and 16 C are separated by a distance of 10
mm. A point P is at a distance of 8 mm from the 4 C charge and 6 mm
from the 16 C charge.
(i) Calculate the electric potential at P.
(ii) What is the electric potential energy of a charge of 10 C at P?
(Ans:
7
10 85 . 2 V, 285 J)

14. (a) Explain
(i) why electric field strength is a vector quantity which has
magnitude and direction.
(ii) electric potential is a scalar which has only magnitude.

(b) Two parallel metal plates separated by a distance of 1.5 mm are charged
until the potential difference between the plates is 6 V. What is the electric
field intensity between the plates?
(Ans:
3
10 4 V m
-1
)


0 V
+80 V
1.5x10
7
m
s
-1
20 mm
60 mm
FIGURE 4


15. (a) What is the work required to transfer a charge of 6 C against a potential
difference of 110 V?
(Ans:
4
10 6 . 6

J)

(b)










Three point charges of +q, +2q and -3q are arranged as shown in FIGURE 5.
Calculate the electric potential energy of the system of three charges.
(Ans:
a
kq
2
59 . 7 J)






















FIGURE 5
+q
-3q
+2q
a
a