Tutorial 1 (Electrostatic – Electric Force & Coulomb’s Law)

1. How many electron must be removed from an electrically neutral silver ball to give it a charge of +2.4 μC ?
(Ans : 1.5 x 1013 electrons)

2. Excess electrons are placed on a small lead sphere with mass 8.00g so that the net charge is –3.20 X 10-9C.
Find the number of excess electrons on the sphere
(Ans : 2.0 X 1010 numbers of electron)

3. Two isolated small objects have charges of 1.0 C and –2.0 C and are 50cm apart as Figure 1. What will be
the magnitude of electrostatic force acting on each object? Write the electrostatic force vector component for
each object.

Q1 = +1.0C Q2 = -2.0C

50.0 cm Figure 1

 
(Ans : 0.072N , F12  0.072iˆ , F21  0.072iˆ )

4. Three point charges are arranged as Figure 2. Find the resultant electric force vector component on the
charge q3 due to charge q2 and q1.

1.5 m 2.0 m

Figure 2

q1 = +5C q2 = -10 C q3 = +20C


(Ans : F3  3.765 1011iˆN )

5. Three point charges Q1 , Q2 and Q3 are arranged as shown in Figure 3

(i) Write the vector component for resultant force on charge Q3 due to other charges
(ii) Calculate the resultant force on charge Q3.

Q3 = +1C

Figure 3
10cm 10cm

Q1 = +2C 10cm Q2 = +1C


(Ans : i) F3  0.45iˆ  2.34 ˆj , ii) 2.38N , 79.10 (1st quarter)
6. Three point charges Q1 , Q2 and Q3 are arranged as shown in Figure 4 .
(i) Find the vector component for resultant force on charge Q2 = + 200C due to other two charges.
(ii) Calculate the resultant force on charge Q2. .

Q1= +400C 4 cm
Q2= +200C

Figure 4
3 cm

Q3= -300C

(Ans: i. 4.5 x 105 N i – 6 x 105 N j, ii. 7.5 x 105 N, 530, 4th quarter)

7. Two point charges Q1 and Q2 are 3m apart and repel each other with a force 0.075N. If Q1 + Q2 = 20C,
what is the charge on Q1 and Q2 .
( Ans: 5C , 15C )

8. Four point charges Q1 , Q2 , Q3 and Q4 are arranged as shown in Figure 5,

(a) find the vector component for the force acting on Q2 due to Q1.
(b) find the vector component for the force acting on Q2 due to Q3.
(c) find the vector component for the force acting on Q2 due to Q4
(d) find the force acting on Q2
5cm
Q1 = +20C Q4 = -30C

5cm Figure 5

Q2 = -30C Q3 = +40C

(Ans : a. +2160N j , b. +4320N i , c –1145.5 i – 1145.5 j , d. 3332.21 N,  = 17.720 (1st quarter) @

17.72 above posite x axis.)
9. Three stationary charges are arranged at the corners of a triangle as shown in Figure 6. Given Q1 = + 5 C,
Q2 = - 3 C and Q3 = - 3 C

Q1

5 cm
10 cm
Q3

5 cm

Q2
Figure 6

a) Sketch the direction of the forces exerted on Q1 due to the other two charges
b) Calculate the magnitude and direction of the resultant electrostatics force on Q1
(Ans : 20.72 N, - 62.21o (4th quarter @ below +ve x-direction)

10. Three point charges Q1, Q2 and Q3 are arranged as shown in Figure 7. Calculate the net force experienced
by charge Q3 due to charges Q1 and Q2.

Q1 = +2C

Figure 7
4 cm

3 cm
Q3 = +4C Q2 = -3C
(Ans : 128.16 N, 20.56o (4th quarter @ below +ve x-direction)