Kuwait University Physics Department

Physics 102

First Midterm Exam (Summer Semester)

J ul y 7 , 2 0 0 5
Time: 10.30 to 12.15 p.m.
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NameStudent No.

Instructors:

Drs. Bhatia, Farhan, Lajko, Marafi, Rakhshani, Razee, Sharma

Fundamental Constants

1
k= = 9.0 10 9 N m 2 / C 2 (Coulomb constant)
4 o

o = 8.85 10-12 C2 / (Nm2) (Permittivity of free space)

e = +1.60 10-19 C (Elementary unit of charge)

NA = 6.022 1023 (Avogadros number)

g = 9.8 m/s2 (Acceleration due to gravity)

me= 9.11 10-31 kg (Electron mass)

mp = 1.67 10-27 kg (Proton mass)

Prefixes of units

m = 10-3 = 10-6 n = 10-9 p = 10-12

k = 103 M = 106 G = 109 T = 1012

For use by Instructors only

Prob. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Total
Marks
1. How many electrons must be removed from a conducting sphere (radius 15 cm) in order
that it applies a force of 0.23 nN to a proton placed 85 cm far from its surface?

a) 1.0 x1013
b) 1.2 x1013
c) 2.0 x1016
d) 1.0 x1018
e) 1.6 x1019

TThe proton is at 0.85+0.15 m = 1 m distance from the center of the sphere.

The Gauss law (or The Shell theorem 1) gives the electric field at this distance
as a point like electric field:
kQ
E=
r2
TThe force acting between the sphere and the proton is
F = qE = eE
12 kQ
0.23 10 N =e
r2
The charge on the sphere is Q = 0.16 C

Thus, the number of electrons to be removed from the sphere is

n = Q / e = 1.0 1018

2. Three point charges are held along the x-axis as shown (q = 5 nC, a = 10 cm). What is the
direction (with respect to +x axis) of the net electric field at point (0, a)?

a) -55
b) +125
c) +45
d) +135
e) -45

The x and y components of the three charges are:

First charge: Second charge: Third charge:

1 kq 2 kq 3 kq
Ex = cos 225 Ex = cos 90 = 0 Ex = cos 135
( 2a ) 2 (a)2 ( 2a ) 2
1 kq 2 kq 3 kq
Ey = sin 225 Ey = sin 90 Ey = sin 135
( 2a ) 2 (a)2 ( 2a ) 2

Addition of the components yields the net electric field from which
net
1 E y
= tan = 55
E xnet

= 180 55 = 125
3. A conducting ring with radius R = 15 cm and charge Q is shown below. An identical
charge Q is placed at a point along the ring axis with a distance d= 3 R from the
center. This charge experiences an electric force of 31.25 N. What is the value of Q?

a) 0.4 nC
b) 25 nC Q
c) 0.9 C
d) 19 C d
e) 25 C
R

The electric field due to the uniformly charged conducting ring is

kQd
E=
(
d 2 + R2
3/ 2
)
The force acting on the point charge Q due to this field is F = QE.

kQ 2 d F ( d 2 + R 2 )3 / 2
F = 31.25 N = QE = Q= = 19 10-6 C = 19 C
3 kd
( d 2 +R2 ) 2

r
4. A uniform electric field E = 9110 N/C i exists in the x-y plane. An electron moving in the
r
field has a velocity = 10 6 m/s i + 8 10 5 m/s j at one instant. What is the speed of
electron 1 ns later? y
a) 1000 km/s v
b) 1400 km/s -e
c) 1800 km/s
d) 2000 km/s
e) 2500 km/s
x

The initial speed of the electron is changed by the acceleration being along
the negative x-axis:
F Ee 9110 N / C1.6 x1019 C
ax = = = = -1.6 1015 m/s2
m m 9.11x1031 kg
The velocity after t = 1 ns:
x = v x0 + a x t
6 15 9 6
= 10 m/s i - 1.6 10 10 = 0.6 10 m / s

vy = constant = 8 105 m/s

speed v = v 2x + v 2y = 1.0 106 m/s = 1000 km/s

5. Charge Q = 100 C is distributed uniformly in the volume of a tetrahedron (a solid shape
with 4 identical faces). What is the electric flux through one of the faces?

a) 11.3106 Nm2/C
b) 8.3106 Nm2/C
c) 2.8106 Nm2/C
d) 1.4106 Nm2/C
e) 1.0106 Nm2/C

Due to the symmetry of the problem, each face has an identical electric flux.
Accordingly, the flux on one face is the total flux divided by 4, i.e.
Qencl 6 2
face = = = 2.8 x10 Nm / C
4 4 0

6. Two parallel and infinitely large plates of charge are 5 cm apart. One carries a charge
density of +17.7 nC/m2 and the other +35.4 nC/m2. What is the net electric field 12 cm
from one of these planes?

a) zero E1
b) 1 kN/C
c) 2 kN/C
d) 3 kN/C E2
e) 4 kN/C
1 2

The point at 12 cm distance is such a point that is either to the right or to the
left of both the plates. Consequently, the electric fields due to both the plates
are in the same direction. Thus,

1 2
E = + = 1000 + 2000 N/C = 3000 N/C = 3 kN/C
2 0 2 0

7. At a distance R from a point charge Q the electric potential is 3 V (with respect to

infinity) and the electric field is 12 V/m. What is the value of R?

a) 10 cm kq
b) 15 cm The electric potential due to the point charge is V = R .
c) 25 cm
d) 240 cm kq
And the electric field due the same charge is E= .
e) 400 cm R2
V
Therefore, the ratio is = R = 0.25 m
E
8. A disk of radius R = 20 cm has a uniform surface charge density of 17 pC/m2. An
electron escapes from the center of the disk. What is the speed of this electron at far
away distances from the disk?

a) 52 km/s
b) 232 km/s
c) 456 km/s
d) 838 km/s R
e) 1220 km/s

Electric potential due to a charge disk along the z-axis is:

V =

2 0
[ z2 +R2 z ]

At initial position of the electron (z =0), Vi = R and at z = , Vf =0.
2 0
The charge is potential energy U = q (Vf Vi ) = qVi
K = K f K i = U = qVi
1 2 (1.6 10 =19 ) (17 10 12 ) 0.20
Ki = 0, K f = qVi mv = (e) R =
2 2 0 2 8.85 10 12

v = 833 10 3 m/s = 833 km/s

9. A rod along the x-axis has a non-uniform linear charge density (x) = 3/x nC/m between
x1 = 1 mm and x2 = 10 mm. What is the electric potential at the origin?

a) 24 kV
b) 30 kV x (mm)
c) 42 kV
d) 50 kV
e) 76 kV 0 1 10

The electric potential at the origin due to an element dx of charge at a

distance x is:
dq dx dx
dV = k =k = 3 10 9 k 2
x x x

Thus, the electric potential due to the whole rod is

0.01
0.01 dx 1
V = dV = 3 10 9 k 2
= 3 10 9 9 10 9 = 24 10 3 V
0.001 x x 0.001
V = 24 kV
10. The electric potential as a function of space coordinates is given, in SI units, as V = 2x2 -
3y2 +3xz. What is the magnitude of electric field at the point (1m, 1m, 1m)?

a) 3.0 N/C
b) 6.0 N/C
c) 7.0 N/C
d) 8.5 N/C
e) 9.7 N/C

Electric field components at (x, y, z) = (1m, 1m, 1m) are:

V
Ex = = (4 x + 3 z ) = 7 V/m
x
V
Ey = = (6 y ) = 6 V/m
y
V
Ez = = (3 x) = 3 V/m
z

E = E x2 + E y2 + E z2 = 9.7 V/m or N/C.