Electric charges and field

Very short answer type question( 1 mark each):

Q.1 Two charges of magnitudes -2Q and +Q are located at points (a,0) and (4a,0) respectively. What is
the electric flux due to these charges through a sphere of radius ‘3a’ with its centre at the origin.?

Ans. Electric flux ф= -2Q/ε0.

Q.2 Sketch the electric field lines for two point charges q1 and q2 for q1=q2 and q1>q2 separated by a
distance d.

Q.3 A charge q is placed at the center of a cube of side l. What is the electric flux passing through two
opposite faces of the cube.?

Ans. Ф= q/3 ε0.

Q.4 If the radius of the Gaussian surface enclosing a charge is halved, how does the electric flux through
the Gaussian surface change.?

Ans . No change, because the electric flux does not depend on the radius of surface.

Q.5 In which orientation , a dipole placed in uniform electric field is in (i) stable (ii) unstable equilibrium.?

Ans. If ф is the angle between dipole moment and electric field then ф=0ᵒ for stable equilibrium and
ф=180ᵒ for unstable equilibrium.

Q.6 If a body gives out 109 electrons every second, how much time is required to get out total charge of
1C from it.?

Ans. Time T= 1/(109x 1.6x10-19) s = 6.25x109s = 198.18 years.

Q.7 Force of attraction between two point charges placed at a distance d is F. What distance apart should
they be kept in the same medium so that force between them is F/3.

Ans. As F is proportional to 1/r2. So new distance = √(3) r.

Q.8 Consider three charged bodies P,Q and R. If P and Q repel each other and P attracts R, what is the
nature of force between Q and R.?

Ans. Attractive because Q and R carry opposite charges.

Q.9 Can ever the whole excess charge of a body P be transferred to the other Q.? If yes , how and if not,
why?

Ans, Yes , the whole charge of the body P can be transferred to a conducting body Q., when P is enclosed
by Q and is connected to it. This is because charge always resides on the surface of the conductor.

Q.10 Ordinary rubber is an insulator. But the special rubber tyres of aircrafts are made of slightly
conducting. Why.?

Ans. During landing or take off , the tyres of aircraft get charged due to friction between tyres and the
ground. In case the tyres are slightly conducting, the charge developed on the tyres will not stay on them
and it finds its way to the earth.

Q.11 Why electrostatic field be normal to the surface at every point of a charged conductor.?

Ans For the condition of electrostatics, the electric field lines must be normal to the surface of the
conductor, otherwise there would be a non zero component of electric field along the surface of the
conductor and charges could not be at rest.

Q.12 Two insulated charged copper spheres A and B of identical size have charges qA and qB respectively.
A third sphere of same size but uncharged is brought in contact with the first and then second. Find new
charges on A and B.?

Ans. New charge on A is qA/2 and on B is (qA+2qB )/4.

Q.13. Two plane sheet of charge densities +σ and –σ are kept as shown in figure. What are the electric
field intensities at points A & B.?

A +σ

B –σ

Ans. At position A electric field E=0 and at B electric field E= σ/ε0.

Q.14 An arbitrary surface encloses a dipole. What is the electric flux through this surface.

Ans. Net charge on a dipole is zero. So according to Gauss theorem net flux through the surface
𝑞
∫ 𝐸. 𝑑𝑠 = 𝜀𝑜 = 0

Q.15 What is the angle between the directions of electric field at any (i) axial point and (ii) equatorial point
due to an electric dipole.?
(ii) At axial point it is 0ᵒ and (ii) at equatorial point it is 180ᵒ.

Q.16 Out of given three point charges +2q, -q and +3q the charges +2q and –q are enclosed within surface
S and -3q is outside the surface S. What is the electric flux through this surface S.?

Ans. Electric flux =(2q-q) /ε0.

Q.17 A metallic sphere is placed in a uniform electric field. Which one of the path a,b,c and d shown in
figure will be followed by the electric field lines and why.?

Ans. Path ‘d’ is followed by electric field lines because there is no electric field lines within a metallic
sphere and field lines are normal at each point of the surface.

Q.18 Draw the electric field lines due to uniformly charged thin spherical shell when charge on the shell
is (i) positive and (ii) negative.

Q.19 The force between two point charges kept at a distance r apart in air is F. If the same charges are
kept in water at the same distance, how does the force between them change.?

Ans. Force in water is reduced by K times, where K is dielectric constant of water which is 81.

Q.20 Figure shows the point charge +Q is located at a distance R/2 from

the centre of the spherical metal shell. Draw the electric field lines

for a given system.

Ans. Electric field lines for a given system is shown:

Q.21.If the distance between two equal point charges is doubled and their individual charges are doubled.
What would happen to the force between them,?
 1
Ans F = ( )qxq/r2
4𝜋 𝜀0

1
F’ = ( )2qx2q/(2r)2 = F
4𝜋 𝜀0

Q.22 A charge q is placed at the center of any face of the cube of side l. What is the electric flux passing
any one face of the cube.?

Ans. Ф= (q/2)/5 ε0 .

Short answer type question( 2 marks each):

Q.23(a)Define electric flux. Write its SI unit.

(b) A spherical rubber balloon carries a charge that is uniformly distributed over its surface. As the balloon
is blown up and increases in size, how does the total electric flux coming of the surface change.? Give
reason.

Ans. (a) Total no. of electric lines crossing a surface normally is called electric flux. Its SI unit is Nm2C-1.

(b) Total electric flux through the surface is Ф= q/ ε0. As the charge remains unchanged when size of the
balloon increases, electric flux through the surface remains unchanged.

Q.24 A thin metallic spherical shell of radius R carries a charge Q on its surface. A point charge Q/2 is
placed at the centre ‘C’ and another charge +2Q is placed outside the shell at A at a distance X from the
centre as shown in figure:

(i) Find the electric flux through the shell.

(ii) Find the force on the charge C of the shell and at the point A.

Ans.(i) Electric flux through the shell ф = (Q+Q/2)/ ε0

1
(ii) Force at C is zero and force at A =4𝜋 𝜀0 (3Q/2)x(2Q)/X2

Q.25 A metallic spherical shell has an inner radius R1 and outer radius R2. A charge Q is placed at the center
of the spherical cavity. What will be the surface charge density on (i) the inner surface, and (ii) the outer
surface.?

Ans. When a charge +Q is placed at the center of spherical cavity,

the charge induced on the inner surface is –Q and outer surface

is +Q so the surface charge density on inner surface is = -Q/4πR12

and on outer surface is +Q/4πR22.

Q.26 A charge q is placed at the center of the line joining two equal charges Q. Show that the system of
three charges will be in equilibrium if q=-Q/4.

Ans. For equilibrium of charge Q at B;

FCB + FAB=0
1 1
qQ/(l/2)2+ qQ/(l)2=0
4𝜋 𝜀0 4𝜋 𝜀0

q=-Q/4

Q.27 Plot a graph showing the variation of coulomb force F versus 1/r2 , where r is the distance between
the two charges of each pair of charges (1µC, 2µC) and (2µC , -3µC).

Q.28 Which among the curves cannot possibly represent electrostatic field lines:

Ans : (a) Field lines are wrongly drawn because electric field lines must be normal to the surface of the
conductor at each point.

(b) Field lines are wrongly drawn because electric field lines cannot start from a negative charge.

(c) Field lines are correctly drawn because they are originating from negative charge.

(d) Field lines are wrongly drawn because electric field lines cannot intersect.

Q. 29 Define electric dipole moment. Is it scalar or a vector quantity.? What are its SI unit.?
Ans. The electric dipole moment is defined as the product of either charge and the distance between the
two charges. Its direction is from negative charge to positive charge. i.e.

P=qx2l

Electric dipole moment is a vector quantity. Its SI unit is Coulomb-meter.

Q.30 Two identical metallic spheres , having unequal opposite charges are placed at a distance of 0.5m
apart in air. After bringing them in contact with each other they are again placed at the same distance
apart. Now the force of repulsion between them is 0.108 N. Calculate the final charge on each of them.

Ans. When identical spheres comes in contact then let us suppose that charge on both of them becomes
equal to q then force between them is
1
F=( )qxq/r2
4𝜋 𝜀0

q2= (0.108x(0.5)2)/(9x109)

q = 1.732µC

Q.31 In the figure shown , calculate the total flux of the electrostatic field through the spheres S1 and S2.
The wire AB shown here has a linear charge density ƛ given by ƛ=kx where x is measured along the wire
from end A.
𝑙 𝑙
QAB =∫0 ƛ𝑑𝑥 = ∫0 𝑘𝑥𝑑𝑥 = 𝑘𝑙 2 /2

By Gauss Theorem S1= Q/ ε0

𝑄+𝑄𝐴𝐵 𝑄+𝑘𝑙2 /2
Total flux through S2 = =
𝜀0 𝜀0

Q.32 Consider two hollow concentric spheres S1 and S2, enclosing charges 2Q and

4Q respectively as shown in figure. (i) Find out the ratio of the electric flux through

them. (ii) How will the electric flux through the sphere S1 change if the medium

of dielectric constant K is introduced in the space inside S1 in place of air.

Ans. (i) Electric flux through S1= 2Q/ε0

Electric flux through S2= 6Q/ε0

Ratio ф1/ф2 =1/3

After introducing dielectric constant K filled in S1 flux ф’ = 2Q/k ε0

Q.33 The given figure shows electric field lines around three point charges A, B and C.
(a) Which charges are positive.

(b) Which charges has the largest magnitude.?Why.?

Ans. (a) Charges A and C are positive since lines of forces emanate from them.

(b) Charge C has the largest magnitude since maximum no. of field lines are associated with it.

Q.34 A charge Q sits at the back corner of a cube. What is the flux of electric field through the shaded
surface?

Ans. Net flux through is (Q/8)/ ε0 because the contribution of charge placed at the corner is 1/8th of total
charge but three face joining this charge are parallel to this charge so flux through them will be zero so only
remaining three faces perpendicular to it will pass the flus so flux through one face=Q/24 ε0.

Q.35 A simple pendulum consists of a small sphere of mass m and positive charge q is suspended by the
string of length L. The pendulum is placed in the electric field of strength E directed vertically downwards.
(i) What will be the time period of simple pendulum.

(ii) What will be the tension of the string when pendulum will be in the rest state.?

Ans (i) Time period of oscillation=T=2π√L/(g + qE/m)

(ii) Tension in the string when the pendulum is at rest =mg + qE

Q.36 A hollow conductor has a tiny hole cut into its surface. Show that the
electric field in the hole is σ/2ε0. Where σ is the surface charge density.

Ans. First consider conductor with hole filled up and point P is just outside

the conductor and Q is just inside the conductor.

Let the electric field at P is due to filled up hole(E1) and rest of the charged conductor(E2) is =E1+E2=
σ/ε0. And electric field at Q is = E1-E2=0

So E2= σ/2ε0.

Q.37 What is the relation between charges q1,q2 and q3 , if the electric flux through surface through surface
S2 is 8 times of that through surface S1.? It is given that surface s1 is enclosing charges q1 and q2 and the
charge q3 is lying between surfaces s1 and s2.

Ф1= (q1+q2)/ε0. Ф2=(q1+q2+q3)/ ε0.

But ф2= 8ф1

So q3 = 7(q1+q2)

Q.38(a) An infinitely long positively charged straight wire has a linear charge density ƛ cm-1.An electron is
revolving around the wire as its centre with a constant velocity in a circular plane perpendicular to the wire.
Deduce the expression the kinetic energy.

(b) Plot the graph of kinetic energy as a function of charge density ƛ.

Ans. Electric field due to straight wire E= ƛ/2πε0r

The revolving electron experience an electrostatic force and provides necessary centripetal force.

eE= mv2/r
1
KE=2 mv2= eƛ/4πε0

(b)

Q.39 (a) An electric dipole is kept first to the left and then to the right of a negatively charged
infinite plane sheet having a uniform surface charge density. The arrows p1 and p2 show the
directions of its electric dipole moment in the two cases.

Identify for each case, whether the dipole is in stable or unstable equilibrium. Justify each
answer.

(b) Next, the dipole is kept in a similar way (as shown), near an infinitely long straight wire having
uniform negative linear charge density.

Will the dipole be in equilibrium at these two positions? Justify your answer.

Ans (a) p1: stable equilibrium

p2: unstable equilibrium
The electric field, on either side, is directed towards the negatively charged sheet and
its magnitude is independent of the distance of the field point from the sheet. For
position p1, dipole moment and electric field are parallel. For position p2, they are
antiparallel

(b) The dipole will not be in equilibrium in any of the two positions.
The electric field due to an infinite straight charged wire is non- uniform (E α 1/r).

Hence there will be a net non-zero force on the dipole in each case.