QUESTIONS

1 Figure shows, in cross section, a central metal ball, two spherical

metal shells, and three spherical Gaussian surfaces of radii R, 2R, and
3R, all with the same center. The uniform charges on the three objects
are: ball, Q; smaller shell, 3Q; larger shell, 5Q. Rank the Gaussian surfaces
according to the magnitude of the electric field at any point on the
surface, greatest first.
2 Figure shows, in cross section, two Gaussian spheres and two Gaussian cubes that are centered on
a positively charged particle. (a) Rank the net flux through the four Gaussian surfaces, greatest first.
(b) Rank the magnitudes of the electric fields on the surfaces, greatest first,
and indicate whether the magnitudes are uniform or variable along each surface.
3 A surface has the area vector ⃗⃗⃗𝐴 = 2𝑖̂ + 3𝑗̂ 𝑚2 . What is the flux of a
uniform electric field through the area if the field is
(a) ⃗⃗⃗
𝐸 = 4𝑖̂ 𝑁/𝐶 and (b) ⃗⃗⃗𝐸 = 4𝑘̂𝑁/𝐶 ?
4 Figure shows, in cross section, three solid cylinders, each of length L and uniform
charge Q. Concentric with each cylinder is a cylindrical
Gaussian surface, with all three surfaces having the
same radius. Rank the Gaussian surfaces according
to the electric field at any point on the surface,
greatest first.
5 Figure shows four situations in which four very
long rods extend into and out of the page (we see only
their cross sections). The value below each cross section
gives that particular rod’s uniform charge density in
microcoulombs per meter. The rods are separated by either
d or 2d as drawn, and a central point is shown midway
between the inner rods. Rank the situations according to
the magnitude of the net electric field at that central
point, greatest first.

6 A small charged ball lies within the hollow of a metallic spherical shell of radius R. For three
situations, the net charges on the ball and shell, respectively, are (1) +4q, 0; (2) –6q, +10q;
(3) +16q, –12q. Rank the situations according to the charge on (a) the inner surface of the shell
and (b) the outer surface, most positive first.

7 Rank the situations of Question 6 according to the magnitude of the electric field (a) halfway
through the shell and (b) at a point 2R from the center of the shell, greatest first.
8 Three infinite nonconducting sheets, with uniform positive surface charge densities , 2, and 3,
⃗⃗⃗ produced by
are arranged to be parallel. What is their order, from left to right, if the electric field 𝐸
the arrangement has magnitude E = 0 in one region and E = 2/𝜖0 in another region?
9 In Fig. an electron is released between two infinite nonconducting sheets that are horizontal and
have uniform surface charge densities 𝜎+ 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝜎− , as indicated. The electron is subjected to the
following three situations involving surface charge densities and sheet separations. Rank the
magnitudes of the electron’s acceleration, greatest first.
Situation 𝜎+ 𝜎− Separation
1 +4𝜎 −4𝜎 d
2 +7𝜎 −𝜎 4d
3 +3𝜎 −5𝜎 9d

10 Figure shows four solid spheres, each with charge

Q uniformly distributed through its volume. (a) Rank
the spheres according to their volume charge density,
greatest first. The figure 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 field they produce at point P, greatest first.

MCQs
1. When a piece of paper is held with one face perpendicular to a uniform electric feld the flux
through it is 25N. m2 /C. When the paper is turned 250 with respect to the Feld the flux through it is:
A. 0
B. 12 N. m2/C
C. 21 N. m2/C
D. 23 N. m2/C
E. 25 N. m2/C
2. The flux of the electric Feld (24N/C)𝑖̂ + (30N/C)𝑗̂ + (16N/C)𝑘̂ through a 2.0m2 portion of
the yz plane is:
A. 32 N. m2/ C
B. 34 N. m2/ C
C. 42 N. m2/ C
D. 48 N. m2/ C
E. 60 N. m2/ C
3. Consider Gauss' law: ∮ ⃗⃗⃗ ⃗⃗⃗ = 𝑞⁄𝜖 Which of the following is true?
𝐸 . 𝑑𝐴 0
⃗⃗⃗
A. 𝐸 must be the electric Feld due to the enclosed charge
B. If q = 0, then ⃗⃗⃗
𝐸 = 0 everywhere on the Gaussian surface
C. If the three particles inside have charges of +q, +q, and —2q, then the integral is zero
D. on the surface ⃗⃗⃗ ⃗⃗⃗
𝐸 is everywhere parallel to 𝑑𝐴
E. If a charge is placed outside the surface, then it cannot affect ⃗⃗⃗
𝐸 at any point on the surface
4. If there were only one type of charge in the universe, then
(a) ∮ 𝑬. 𝑑𝑺 ≠ 0 on any surface.
(b) ∮ 𝑬. 𝑑𝑺 = 0 if the charge is outside the surface.
(c) ∮ 𝑬. 𝑑𝑺 could not be defined.
𝑞
(d) ∮ 𝑬. 𝑑𝑺 = ⁄∈ if charges of magnitude q were inside the surface.
0
5. If ∮ 𝑬. 𝑑𝑺 = 0 over a surface, then
(a) the electric field inside the surface and on it is zero.
(b) the electric field inside the surface is necessarily uniform.
(c) the number of flux lines entering the surface must be equal to
the number of flux lines leaving it.
(d) all charges must necessarily be outside the surface.
6. The Electric field at a point is
(a) always continuous.
(b) continuous if there is no charge at that point.
(c) discontinuous only if there is a negative charge at that point.
7. Refer to the arrangement of charges in Fig. and a Gaussian
surface of radius R with Q at the centre. Then
−𝑄
(a) total flux through the surface of the sphere is ⁄𝜀0 . G.S
−𝑄
(b) field on the surface of the sphere is 4𝜋𝜖 𝑅2 5Q R Q
0
𝑅
(c) flux through the surface of sphere due to 5Q is zero. -2Q 2
(d) field on the surface of sphere due to –2Q is same everywhere.

8.A positive charge Q is uniformly distributed along a circular

ring of radius R. A small test charge q is placed at the centre of
the ring . Then
(a) If q > 0 and is displaced away from the centre in the plane
of the ring, it will be pushed back towards the centre.
(b) If q < 0 and is displaced away from the centre in the plane
of the ring, it will never return to the centre and will q
continue moving till it hits the ring.
(c) If q < 0, it will perform SHM for small displacement along
the axis.
(d) q at the centre of the ring is in an unstable equilibrium
within the plane of the ring for q <0
10. A particle with charge 5.0µC is placed at the corner of a cube. The total electric Flux in
N m2 /C through all sides of the cube is:
(a) 0
(b) 7.1 * 104
(c) 9.4 * 104
(d) 1.4 * 105
(e) 5.6 * 105
11. A point particle with charge q is at the center of a Gaussian surface in the form of a cube. The
electric Flux through any one face of the cube is:
𝑞
(a) ⁄𝜀0
𝑞
(b) ⁄4𝜋𝜀
0
𝑞
(c) ⁄3𝜀
0
𝑞
(d) ⁄6𝜀
0
𝑞
(e) ⁄12𝜀
0
12. The table below gives the electric Flux in Nm2 /C through the ends and round surfaces of four
Gaussian surfaces in the form of cylinders. Rank the cylinders according to the charge inside,
from the most negative to the most positive.
left end right end rounded surface
−9 −9
cylinder 1: +2 ∗ 10 +4 ∗ 10 −6 ∗ 10−9
cylinder 2: +3 ∗ 10−9 −2 ∗ 10−9 +6 ∗ 10−9
cylinder 3: −2 ∗ 10−9 −5 ∗ 10−9 +3 ∗ 10−9
cylinder 4: +2 ∗ 10−9 −5 ∗ 10−9 −3 ∗ 10−9
(a) 1, 2, 3, 4 (b) 4, 3, 2, 1 (c) 3, 4, 2, 1 (d) 3, 1, 4, 2 (e) 4, 3, 1, 2
 PROBLEMS
1. What will be the total flux through the faces of the cube with side of length a if a charge q is placed
at (a) A: a corner of the cube. (b) B: mid-point of an edge of the cube. (c) C: centre of a face of the
cube. (d) D: mid-point of B and C.
2. Consider a sphere of radius R with charge density distributed as
ρ(r ) = kr for r ≤ R
= 0 for r > R .
Find the electric field at all points r.
3. In Fig.a proton is a distance d/2 directly above the center of a square of
side d. What is the magnitude of the electric flux through the square?
4. A charged particle is held at the center of two
concentric conducting spherical shells. Figure a shows
a cross section. Figure b gives the net flux Φ through a
Gaussian sphere centered on the particle, as a function
of the radius r of the sphere. The scale of the vertical
axis is set by 𝛷𝑠 = 5 ∗ 105 𝑁𝑚2 /𝐶 .
What are (a) the charge of the central particle and the net charges of (b) shell A and (c) shell B?
5. Figure a shows a narrow charged solid cylinder that is coaxial with a larger charged cylindrical
shell. Both are nonconducting and thin and have uniform surface charge densities on their outer
surfaces. Figure b gives the radial component E of the electric field versus radial distance r from the
common axis, and 𝐸𝑠 = 3 ∗ 103 𝑁/𝐶. What is the shell’s linear charge density?

6. Figure a shows three plastic sheets that are large, parallel, and uniformly charged. Figure b gives
the component of the net electric field along an x axis through the sheets. The scale of the vertical
axis is set by 𝐸𝑠 = 6 ∗ 103 𝑁/𝐶 . What is the ratio of the charge density on sheet 3 to that on sheet 2?

7. In Fig. a small, nonconducting ball of mass 𝑚 = 1.0 𝑚𝑔 and charge 2 ∗ 10−8 𝐶

(distributed uniformly through its volume) hangs from an insulating thread that
makes an angle 𝜃 = 30𝑜 with a vertical, uniformly charged nonconducting sheet
(shown in cross section). Considering the gravitational force on the ball and assuming
the sheet extends far vertically and into and out of the page, calculate the surface
charge density  of the sheet.
8. Two identical metal plates, each having surface area ‘A’
and charge q1 and q2 are placed facing each other at a (1) (2) (3) (4)
separation d. Find the charge appearing on surface (1), (2),
(3) and (4). Assume the size of the plates is much larger than
the separation between the plates.
q1 q2