Additional Problems

Electric Field Intensity

1. Two charges qA = 1 μC and qB = 4 μC are separated by a distance of 4 cm (k = 9 x 109 N m2 C−2). What

is the magnitude of the electric field at the center between qA and qB?
qA E=? qB

d = 0.04m

Given:

Charge A (qA) = 1 μC = 1 x 10−6 C

Charge B (qB) = 4 μC = 4 x 10−6 C
k = 9 x 109 N m2 C−2
Distance between charge A and B (dAB) = 4 cm = 0.04 meters
Distance between charge A and the center point (dA) = 0.02 meters
Distance between charge B and the center point (dB) = 0.02 meters

Find: the magnitude of the electric field at the center between qA and qB

Solution:

The electric field produced by charge A at the center point :

EA = kqA = (9x109 Nm2C-2) (1x10-6 C) = 2.25x107 N/C

dA2 (0.02 m)2

Test charge is positive and charges A is positive so that the direction of the electric field points to charge B

The electric field produced by charge B at the center point :

EB = kqB = (9x109 Nm2C-2) (4x10-6 C) = 9x107 N/C

dB2 (0.02 m)2

Test charge is positive and charge B is positive so that the direction of the electric field points to
charge A.
The resultant of the electric field at the center point :
EA and EB have the opposite direction.
E = EB- EA = 9x107 N/C - 2.25x107 N/C = 6.75x107 N/C

qA E=6.75x107 N/C qB

d = 0.04m
2. Charge q3 located at 5 cm rightward of q2, as shown in the figure below. What is the magnitude of the
electric field at charge q3 (1 µC = 10-6 C)?
Given:
E=?

q3 = 1x10-6 C

Charge q1 = 5 µC = 5 x 10-6 Coulomb

Charge q2 = 5 µC = -5 x 10-6 Coulomb
Distance between charge q1 and charge q3 (d1) = 15 cm = 0.15 m = 15 x 10-2 meters
Distance between charge q2 and charge q3 (d2) = 5 cm = 0.05 m = 5 x 10-2 meters
k = 9 x 109 N m2 C-2

Solution:
E=?

Charge q3 is positive so that the direction of the electric field at charge q3 points to the minus charge q2 (E2)
and away from the plus charge q1 (E1). The resultant of the electric field is the sum of the electric field
E1 and E2.
Find: The electric field at charge q3
The electric field 1 :
E1 = k q1 / d12
E1 = (9 x 109)(5 x 10-6) / (15 x 10-2)2
E1 = (45 x 103) / (225 x 10-4)
E1 = 0.2 x 107 N/C
The electric field 2 :
E2 = k q2 / d22
E2 = (9 x 109)(5 x 10-6) / (5 x 10-2)2
E2 = (45 x 103) / (25 x 10-4)
E2 = 1.8 x 107 N/C
Resultant of the electric field :
The resultant of the electric field at charge q3 :
E = E2 – E1 = (1.8 x 107) – (0.2 x 107) = 1.6 x 107 N/C
The direction of the electric field points to leftward (same direction as E2)