Physics 196 Fall 2014

Take-Home Quiz 3
Due: 09/11
Conceptual-Based Questions:
1. Two solid spheres, both of radius R, carry identical total charges, Q. One sphere is a good
conductor while the other is an insulator. If the charge on the insulating sphere is uniformly
distributed throughout its interior volume, how do the electric elds outside these two spheres
compare? Are the elds identical inside the two spheres?
2. Shown below are four solid spheres, each with uniform volume charge density and total
charge Q. (a) Rank the spheres according to their volume charge density, greatest rst. The gure
also shows a point P for each sphere, all at the same distance from the center of the sphere. (b)
Rank the spheres according to the magnitude of the electric eld they produce at point P, greatest
rst.
3. If two points are at the same potential, does this mean that no work is done in moving a test
charge from moving on one point to another? Does this imply that no force need be exerted?
Explain.
4. Can a particle move from a region of low electric potential to one of higher potential and yet
have its potential energy decrease? Explain.
5. The gure below shows four arrangements of charged particles, all the same distance from the
origin. Rank the situations according to the net electric potential at the origin, most positive rst.
Take the potential to be zero at innity.
Calculation-Based Questions:
1. A charge distribution that is spherically symmetric but not uniform radially produces an
electric eld of magnitude E = Kr
4
, directed radially outward from the center of the sphere. Here
r is the radial distance from that center, and K is a constant. What is the volume density, ! of the
charge distribution?
2. The gure below shows two nonconducting spherical shells xed in place on an x axis. Shell 1
has uniform surface charge density +4.0 mC/m
2
on its outer surface and radius 0.50 cm, and shell
2 has uniform surface charge density -2.0 mC/m
2
on its outer surface and radius 2.0 cm; the
centers are separated by L = 6.0 cm. Other than at x = ", where on the x axis is the net electric
eld equal to zero?
3. A conducting spherical shell of inner radius a and outer radius b carries a net charge Q. A point
charge q is placed at the center of this shell. Determine the surface charge density on (a) the inner
surface of the shell and (b) the outer surface of the shell.
4. (a) Calculate the speed of a proton that is accelerated from rest through a potential difference
of 120 V. (b) Calculate the speed of an electron that is accelerated through the same potential
difference.
5. An insulating rod having linear charge density # = 40.0 $C/m and linear mass density $=0.100
kg/m is released from rest in a uniform electric eld E = 100 V/m directed perpendicular to the rod
(see the gure below). (a) Determine the speed of the rod after it has traveled 2.00 m. (b) How does your
answer in part (a) change if the electric eld is not perpendicular to the rod? Explain.
6. A rectangular array of charged particles xed in place, with distance a=39.0 cm and the
charges shown as integer multiples of q
1
= 3.40 pC and q
2
=6.00pC. With V=0 at innity, what
is the net electric potential at the rectangles center? (Hint: Use symmetry to reduce the
amount of calculation you have to do!)
7. A rod of length L lies along the x axis with its lies along the x axis with its left end at the
origin. It has a nonuniform charge density #=%x.
(a) What are the units of %?
(b) Calculate the electric potential at A.
(c Calculate the electric potential at B, which lies on the perpendicular bisector of the rod a
distance b above the x axis.
8. In class we show that the potential at a point P a distance a above one end of a uniformly
charged rod of length l lying along the x axis is
Use this result to derive an expression for the y component of the electric eld at P. (Hint: Start
by replacing a with y).
9. A ring of outer radius R = 13.0 cm, inner radius r = 0.200R, and uniform surface charge
density & = 6.20 pC/m
2
. With V = 0 at innity, nd the electric potential at point P on the central
axis of the ring, at distance z = 2.00R from the center of the ring.