Chapter 21 - Problems

3/30/23, 3:23 PM Chapter 21: Problems
Chapter 21: Problems
Section 21.1 Electric Potential Energy and Electric

Potential
Section 21.2 Sources of Electric Potential
1. ||| Moving a charge from point A, where the potential is 300 V, to point B,
where the potential is 150 V, takes 4.5 × 10−4 J of work. What is the value of
the charge?
2. |||| The graph in Figure P21.2 shows the electric potential energy as a
function of separation for two point charges. If one charge is +0.44 nC,
what is the other charge?
Figure P21.2
https://plus.pearson.com/courses/piacquadio31748/products/BRNT-DYHZY39USIJ/pages/a30f93b0-fa8a-11eb-9402-0915dd0d5d0f?key=128596384159193592302… 1/39
The horizontal axis is labeled r (centimeters) and ranges from 0 to 10 in increments
of 1 unit. The vertical axis is labeled U subscript elec (microjoules) and ranges from
negative 8 to 0 in increments of 1 unit. A curve starts from approximately (0.6,
negative 8), increases with a decreasing steepness, passes through the points (1,
negative 4), (2, negative 2), (4, negative 1), and ends at approximately (10, negative
0.4).
3. ||| It takes 3.0 𝜇J of work to move a 15 nC charge from point A to B. It takes
−5.0 𝜇J of work to move the charge from C to B. What is the potential
difference 𝑉C − 𝑉A ?
Video Tutor Solution

Problem 21.3
4. || In 1 second, a battery charger moves 0.60 C of charge from the negative

terminal to the positive terminal of a 1.5 V AA battery.
a. How much work does the charger do?
b. What is the power output of the charger in watts?
5. | A 20 nC charge is moved from a point where 𝑉 = 150 V to a point where

𝑉 = −50 V. How much work is done by the force that moves the charge?
6. | BIO In a typical mammalian cell, the net transport by the sodium-

potassium exchange pump that maintains the 70 mV membrane potential is
500 singly charged ions per second. How much work does the pump do each
second?
7. | At one point in space, the electric potential energy of a 15 nC charge is 45

μJ.
a. What is the electric potential at this point?
b. If a 25 nC charge were placed at this point, what would its electric

potential energy be?
Section 21.3 Electric Potential and Conservation of

Energy
8. || BIO This scanning electron microscope image of a bacterium was produced

using a beam of electrons accelerated through an 30 kV potential difference.
What is the speed of the electrons?
9. ||||| What potential difference is needed to accelerate a He+ ion (charge +𝑒,
mass 4 u) from rest to a speed of 1.0 × 106 m/s?
10. || BIO A patient’s tumor is being treated with proton-beam therapy. The
protons are accelerated through a potential difference of 62 MV. What is the
speed of the protons? (Note: The speed is high enough that, in principle, we
should use a relativistic calculation—something you’ll learn about in Chapter
27—but for this problem you should use the formulas you are already
familiar with.)
11. || An electron with an initial speed of 500, 000 m/s is brought to rest by an
electric field.
a. Did the electron move into a region of higher potential or lower

potential?
b. What was the potential difference that stopped the electron?
c. What was the initial kinetic energy of the electron, in electron volts?
12. || BIO An electrophoresis gel rests between two parallel plates; the potential
difference between the plates is 50 V. Each second, 50 mC of charge moves
through the gel. What is the increase in thermal energy of the gel in 1.0
minute?
13. ||| A proton with an initial speed of 800, 000 m/s is brought to rest by an
electric field.
a. Did the proton move into a region of higher potential or lower

potential?
b. What was the potential difference that stopped the proton?
c. What was the initial kinetic energy of the proton, in electron volts?
14. || The Cassini spacecraft that visited Saturn and its moons did more than take
pretty pictures; it also returned physical data. Saturn’s moon Titan has a
substantial atmosphere, and Cassini went close enough to detect atoms and
molecules from Titan’s atmosphere. It measured the atmospheric
composition with a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Ionized atoms and
molecules were accelerated through a 30 kV potential difference and then
sent through a chamber of length 18.8 cm. The time to travel the length of
the chamber was measured, with heavier particles taking longer times. What
is the travel time for a singly ionized molecule of water?
Section 21.4 Calculating the Electric Potential
15. || The electric potential at a point that is halfway between two identical
charged particles is 300 V. What is the potential at a point that is 25% of the
way from one particle to the other?
16. || A 2.0 cm × 2.0 cm parallel-plate capacitor has a 2.0 mm spacing. The

electric field strength inside the capacitor is 1.0 × 105 V/m.
a. What is the potential difference across the capacitor?
b. How much charge is on each plate?
17. ||| Two 2.00 cm × 2.00 cm plates that form a parallel-plate capacitor are
charged to ±0.708nC. What are the electric field strength inside and the
potential difference across the capacitor if the spacing between the plates is
(a) 1.00 mm and (b) 2.00 mm?
18. |
a. In Figure P21.18, which capacitor plate, left or right, is the positive

plate?
b. What is the electric field strength inside the capacitor?
c. What is the potential energy of a proton at the midpoint of the

capacitor?
Figure P21.18
The capacitor is oriented vertically and the distance between the plates is 3.0
millimeters. The plate on the left is labeled 0 volts and the plate on the right is
labeled 300 volts. Two equidistant vertical equipotential lines are shown between
the plates. The lines are labeled 100 volts and 200 volts from left to right.
19. || What are the potential differences Δ𝑉AB and Δ𝑉BC ?
Figure P21.19
The positive charge is labeled 2.0 nanocoulombs. The radii of the inner and outer
dashed circles are 1.0 centimeters and 2.0 centimeters. Points “A” and B marked are
on the left and right circumferences of the inner dashed circle. Point C is marked at
the bottom circumference of the outer dashed circle.
20. || BIO A flying hummingbird picks up charge as it moves through the air.
This creates a potential near the bird. What is the “voltage of a
hummingbird”? Assume that the bird acquires a charge of +200 pC, a typical
value, and model the bird as a sphere of radius 3 cm.
21. || What is the electric potential at the point indicated with the dot in Figure
P21.21?
Figure P21.21
The dimensions of the horizontal and vertical sides of the rectangle are 3.0 and 4.0
centimeters. Three positive charges labeled 2.0 nanocoulombs are placed at the
lower left, upper left, and upper right corners of the rectangle. The dot is at the
positive lower right corner.
22. || Raindrops acquire an electric charge as they fall. Suppose a 2.5-mm-

diameter drop has a charge of +15 pC, fairly typical values. What is the
potential at the surface of the raindrop?
23. ||
a. What is the potential difference between the terminals of an ordinary

AA or AAA battery? (If you’re not sure, find one and look at the
label.)
b. An AA battery is connected to a parallel-plate capacitor having 4.0-

cm-diameter plates spaced 2 mm apart. How much charge does the
battery move from one plate to the other?
24. || The radius of a cadmium atom is approximately 0.16 nm. What is the
ionization energy?
25. || The radius of a calcium atom is approximately 0.23 nm. What is the
ionization energy?
Section 21.5 Connecting Potential and Field
26. || BIO Guiana dolphins are one of the few mammals able to detect electric
fields. In a test of sensitivity, a dolphin was exposed to the variable electric
field from a pair of charged electrodes. The magnitude of the electric field
near the sensory organs was measured by detecting the potential difference
between two measurement electrodes located 1.0 cm apart along the field
lines. The dolphin could reliably detect a field that produced a potential
difference of 0.50 mV between these two electrodes. What is the
corresponding electric field strength?
27. ||
a. In Figure P21.27, which point, A or B, has a higher electric potential?
b. What is the potential difference between A and B?
Figure P21.27
Six electric field vector arrows lines are shown in two columns and three rows. The
electric field is labeled E equals 1000 volts per meter and points to the right. Point
“A” is between the top left and middle left vector arrows while point B is between
the bottom right and middle right vector arrows. The vertical and horizontal
distances between points “A” and B are 3.0 and 7.0 centimeters.
28. | Students in an introductory physics lab are producing a region of uniform

electric field by applying a voltage to two 20-cm-diameter aluminum plates
separated by 2.5 cm. They connect the two plates to the two terminals of a
high-voltage power supply and then gradually turn up the voltage. In such a
situation, sparks start to fly when the field exceeds 3 × 106 V/m. What is the
highest voltage the students can use?
29. ||| In Figure P21.29, the electric potential at point A is −300 V. What is the
potential at point B, which is 5.0 cm to the right of A?
Figure P21.29
Two sets of parallel electric field vector arrows point to the upper right, making an
angle of 30 degrees with the horizontal. In each set, two parallel arrows are shown
one below the other. The electric field is E equals 1200 volts per meter. Two points
labeled “A” and B are shown. Point “A” is between the tips of the first set of vector
arrows to the left and point B is between the tips of the second set of vector arrows
to the right.
30. | Under typical atmospheric conditions, there is an electric field near the
earth’s surface, directed downward, with a magnitude of 100 V/m. If we say
that the potential at the earth’s surface is 0 V, what is the potential 1.0 km
above the surface?
31. | What are the magnitude and direction of the electric field at the dot in
Figure P21.31?
Figure P21.31

Problem 21.31
32. | What are the magnitude and direction of the electric field at the dot in
Figure P21.32?
Figure P21.32
The lines are an angle of 45 degrees with the x-axis in the clockwise direction. From
lower left to upper right, the lines are labeled negative 200 volts, 0 volts, and 200
volts. The distance between two successive lines is 1.0 centimeters. A dot is placed at
the midpoint of the 0 volts line.
Section 21.6 The Electrocardiogram
33. | BIO One standard location for a pair of electrodes during an EKG is shown
in Figure P21.33. The potential difference Δ𝑉31 = 𝑉3 − 𝑉1 is recorded. For
each of the three instants a, b, and c during the heart’s cycle shown in Figure
21.29, will Δ𝑉31 be positive or negative? Explain.
Figure P21.33
The heart is shown. Two dots representing electrodes 1 and 3 are placed to the left
and below the heart, respectively. Electrode 1 is farther away than electrode 3 and is
marked on the left arm.
34. || BIO INT The eye has a modest dipole moment, with the cornea positive
and the back of the eye negative. This dipole moment rotates with the
eyeball. If electrodes are placed on either side of the eye, as in Figure
P21.34a, the potential difference between the electrodes can be used to
measure the orientation of the eye. A record of this potential is known as an
electro-oculogram; it’s similar in principle to the electrocardiogram.
a. Figure P21.34b is a top view showing the eyeball pointed straight

ahead. For this case, is the potential difference 𝑉2 − 𝑉1 positive,
negative, or zero?
b. Figure P21.34c is a top view showing the eyeball pointed to the right.
For this case, is the potential difference 𝑉2 − 𝑉1 positive, negative, or
zero?
Figure P21.34
Part (“a”) shows the illustration of an eye with two dots marked on either side of
the eye. This represents that electrodes are placed on either side of the eye. Parts (b)
and (c) show the top view of the eyeball. Electrode 1 is to the left and electrode 2 is
to the right. The cornea is marked positive and the retina is marked negative. Part
(b): The eyeball is pointed straight ahead. Part (c): The eyeball is turned to the right.
35. ||| BIO INT In experimental tests, sharks have shown the ability to locate
dipole electrodes (simulating the dipole fields of the heartbeats of prey
animals) buried under the sand. In a test with young bonnethead sharks,
sharks that detected the presence of a dipole usually swam toward the center
of the dipole by following equipotential lines. Figure P21.35 shows a dipole
electrode and three initial positions of a bonnethead shark. For each initial
position, sketch the most likely path of the shark toward the center of the
dipole.
Figure P21.35
Three dots numbered 1, 2, and 3 are commonly labeled initial shark position. Dot 1
is horizontally to the left of the negative charge. Dots 2 and 3 are to the upper left
and vertically above the positive charge.
36. | BIO Three electrodes, 1–3, are attached to a patient as shown in Figure
P21.36. During ventricular depolarization (see Figure 21.31), across which
pair of electrodes is the magnitude of the potential difference likely to be the
smallest? Explain.
Figure P21.36
The heart is shown. Three dots numbered 1, 2, and 3 are marked to the left, upper
right, and below the heart, respectively, with dot 2 being the closest and dot 3 being
the farthest.
Section 21.7 Capacitance and Capacitors
37. ||| Two 2.0 cm × 2.0 cm square aluminum electrodes, spaced 0.50 mm
apart, are connected to a 100 V battery.
a. What is the capacitance?
b. What is the charge on the positive electrode?
38. || BIO We’ve seen that bees develop a positive charge as they fly through the
air. When a bee lands on a flower, charge is transferred, and an opposite
charge is induced in the earth below the flower. The flower and the ground
together make a capacitor; a typical value is 0.80 pF. If a flower is charged to
30 V relative to the ground, a bee can reliably detect the added charge and
then avoids the flower in favor of flowers that have not been recently visited.
Approximately how much charge must a bee transfer to the flower to create
a 30 V potential difference?
39. ||| An uncharged capacitor is connected to the terminals of a 3.0 V battery,

and 6.0 𝜇C flows to the positive plate. The 3.0 V battery is then
disconnected and replaced with a 5.0 V battery, with the positive and
negative terminals connected in the same manner as before. How much
additional charge flows to the positive plate?
40. || The earth is negatively charged, carrying 500,000 C of electric charge. This
results in a 300 kV potential difference between the earth and the positively
charged ionosphere. What is the capacitance of the earth–ionosphere system?
If we assume that the bottom of the ionosphere is 60 km above the surface,

what is the average electric field between the earth and the ionosphere?
41. ||| You need to construct a 100 pF capacitor for a science project. You plan
to cut two 𝐿 × 𝐿 metal squares and place spacers between them. The thinnest
spacers you have are 0.20 mm thick. What is the proper value of L?
42. || BIO When a hummingbird visits a flower, its wings rub against the flower
and leaves, and this can result in a noticeable charge on the bird. There is an
opposite charge in the earth. We can consider the hummingbird and the
earth to be the two electrodes of a capacitor. The capacitance for one species
has been estimated to be 1.1 pF. If the bird accumulates a charge of +300 pC,
what is the potential difference between the hummingbird and the earth?
43. | A switch that connects a battery to a 10 𝜇F capacitor is closed. Several

seconds later you find that the capacitor plates are charged to ±30 𝜇C. What
is the battery voltage?
44. || BIO Investigators are exploring ways to treat milk for longer shelf life by
using pulsed electric fields to destroy bacterial contamination. One system
uses 8.0-cm-diameter circular plates separated by 0.95 cm. The space
between the plates is filled with milk, which has a dielectric constant the
same as that of water. The plates are briefly charged to 30,000 V. What is
the capacitance of the system, and how much charge is on each plate when
they are fully charged?
45. | Initially, the switch in Figure P21.45 is open and the capacitor is uncharged.
How much charge flows through the switch after the switch is closed?
Figure P21.45
The circuit elements are as follows: a battery labeled 1.5 volts, an open switch, and a
capacitor labeled 10 microfarads. The positive terminal of the battery is connected
to the switch, which is connected to oneTend

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capacitor is connected to the negative
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terminal of the BO
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46. || A 1.2 nF parallel-plate capacitor has an air gap between its plates. Its
capacitance increases by 3.0 nF when the gap is filled by a dielectric. What is
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the dielectric constant of that dielectric?
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47. ||| A 25 pF parallel-plate capacitor with an air gap between the plates is
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connected to a 100 V battery.
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plates and completely fills the gap. What is the change in the charge on the
positive plate when the Teflon is inserted?
48. || BIO INT Nerve cells in your body can be electrically stimulated; a large
enough change in a membrane potential triggers a nerve impulse. Certain
plants work the same way. A touch to mimosa pudica, the “sensitive plant,”
causes the leaflets to fold inward and droop. We can trigger this response
electrically as well. In one experiment, investigators placed electrodes on the
thick tissue at the base of a leaf. The electrodes were 3.5 mm apart. When
the electrodes were connected to a 47 𝜇F capacitor charged to 1.5 V, this

stimulated a response from the plant.
a. Eventually, all the charge on the capacitor was transferred to the

plant. How much charge was transferred?
b. What was the approximate electric field between the electrodes?
49. ||| A science-fair radio uses a homemade capacitor made of two

35 cm × 35 cm sheets of aluminum foil separated by a 0.25-mm-thick sheet
of paper. What is its capacitance?
50. ||| A parallel-plate capacitor is connected to a battery and stores 4.4 nC of

charge. Then, while the battery remains connected, a sheet of Teflon is
inserted between the plates.
a. Does the capacitor’s charge increase or decrease?
b. By how much does the charge change?
51. ||| A parallel-plate capacitor is charged by a 12.0 V battery, then the battery
is removed.
a. What is the potential difference between the plates after the battery is
disconnected?
b. What is the potential difference between the plates after a sheet of

Teflon is inserted between them?
Section 21.8 Energy and Capacitors
52. || BIO INT The gecko in the photo is sticking upside down to a smooth
ceiling. The remarkable adhesion might be due to static electricity. Gecko
feet are covered with microscopic hairs. When these hairs rub against a
surface, charges separate, with the hair developing a positive charge and
negative charge forming below the surface. There is an attractive force
between the separated charges. This is an effective means of adhering to a
surface, but it comes at a cost: Two planes of charge are like two charged
plates of a capacitor, which takes energy to charge. Doubling the amount of
charge on each surface increases the attractive force, but also increases the
energy required to separate the charge. By what factor does this energy
increase?
53. ||| To what potential should you charge a 1.0 𝜇F capacitor to store 1.0 J of
energy?
54. || To provide the pulse of energy needed for an intense bass, some car stereo
systems add capacitors. One system uses a 2.0 F capacitor charged to 24 V,
double the normal 12 V provided by the car’s battery. How much energy
does the capacitor store at 12 V? At 24 V?
55. | Capacitor 2 has half the capacitance and twice the potential difference as
capacitor 1. What is the ratio 𝑈C 1 /𝑈C 2 ?
56. || The capacity of a battery to deliver charge, and thus power, decreases with
temperature. The same is not true of capacitors. For sure starts in cold
weather, a truck has a 500 F capacitor alongside a battery. The capacitor is
charged to the full 13.8 V of the truck’s battery. How much energy does the
capacitor store? How does the energy density of the 9.0 kg capacitor system
compare to the 130,000 J/kg of the truck’s battery?
57. |||| 50 pJ of energy is stored in a 2.0 cm × 2.0 cm × 2.0 cm region of uniform

electric field. What is the electric field strength?
58. |||| Two uncharged metal spheres, spaced 15.0 cm apart, have a capacitance
of 24.0 pF. How much work would it take to move 12.0 nC of charge from
one sphere to the other?

Problem 21.58
59. || A 2.0-cm-diameter parallel-plate capacitor with a spacing of 0.50 mm is
charged to 200 V. What are (a) the total energy stored in the electric field
and (b) the energy density?
General Problems
60. ||| What is the change in electric potential energy of a 3.0 nC point charge
when it is moved from point A to point B in Figure P21.60?
Figure P21.60
The positive charge is labeled 25 nanocoulombs. Point “A” is vertically above the
charge at a distance of 5.0 centimeters. Point B is horizontally to the right of the
charge at a distance of 1.5 centimeters.
61. || INT A −50 nC charged particle is in a uniform electric field

→
𝐸 = 10 V/m, east. An external force moves the particle 1.0 m north, then
5.0 m east, then 2.0 m south, and finally 3.0 m west. The particle begins and
ends its motion with zero velocity.
a. How much work is done on it by the external force?
b. What is the potential difference between the particle’s final and initial
positions?
62. || The 4000 V equipotential surface is 10.0 cm farther from a positively

charged particle than the 5000 V equipotential surface. What is the charge
on the particle?
63. || What is the electric potential energy of the electron in Figure P21.63? The
protons are fixed and can’t move.
Figure P21.63
The two protons are placed one below the other at a distance of 1.0 nanometers.
The electron is placed horizontally to the right at a distance of 2.0 nanometers from
the center of the separation between the protons, which is 0.5 nanometers from
either proton.
64. |||| Two point charges 2.0 cm apart have an electric potential energy −180 𝜇J
. The total charge is 30 nC. What are the two charges?
65. ||||| A +3.0 nC charge is at 𝑥 = 0 cm and a −1.0 nC charge is at 𝑥 = 4cm. At

what point or points on the x-axis is the electric potential zero?
66. ||||| A −3.0 nC charge is on the x-axis at 𝑥 = −9 cm and a +4.0 nC charge is
on the x-axis at 𝑥 = 16cm. At what point or points on the y-axis is the electric
potential zero?
67. || INT A −2.0 nC charge and a +2.0 nC charge are located on the x-axis at
𝑥 = −1.0 cm and 𝑥 = + 1.0 cm, respectively.
a. At what position or positions on the x-axis is the electric field zero?
b. At what position or positions on the x-axis is the electric potential

zero?
c. Draw graphs of the electric field strength and the electric potential
along the x-axis.
68. || Electric outlets have a voltage of approximately 120 V between the two
parallel slots. Estimate the electric field strength between these two slots.
69. || BIO A Na+ ion moves from inside a cell, where the electric potential is
−70 mV, to outside the cell, where the potential is 0 V. What is the change
in the ion’s electric potential energy as it moves from inside to outside the
cell? Does its energy increase or decrease?
70. ||| BIO Suppose that a molecular ion with charge −10𝑒 is embedded within
the 5.0-nm-thick cell membrane of a cell with membrane potential −70mV.
What is the electric force on the molecule?
71. | What is the electric potential at the point indicated with the dot in Figure
P21.71?
Figure P21.71
The equilateral triangle with a side length of 3.0 centimeters, has a point is marked
at its center. Two negative charges labeled negative 1.0 nanocoulombs are placed on
the base corners of the triangle. A positive charge labeled 2.0 nanocoulombs is
placed on the top corner.
72. |
a. What is the electric potential at point A in Figure P21.72?
b. What is the potential energy of a proton at point A?
Figure P21.72
The dimensions of the horizontal and vertical sides of the rectangle are 2.0 and 4.0
centimeters. Two positive charges labeled 5.0 nanocoulombs and 10 nanocoulombs
are placed at the lower left and upper left corners, respectively. A negative charge
labeled negative 5.0 nanocoulombs is placed at the upper right corner. A point
labeled “A” is placed at the lower right corner.
73. ||| A proton’s speed as it passes point A is 50, 000 m/s. It follows the
trajectory shown in Figure P21.73. What is the proton’s speed at point B?
Figure P21.73
Three concentric equipotential arcs open to the left and are labeled 30 volts, 10
volts, and negative 10 volts, respectively, from left to right. Point “A” is on the
upper part of the 30 volts arc and point B is on the lower part of the negative 10
volts arc. A trajectory curve from the left passes through points “A” and B and
extends toward the lower right. The proton is on the trajectory curve between the 10
volts arc and the negative 10 volts arc.
74. ||| A proton follows the path shown in Figure P21.74. Its initial speed is
𝑣0 = 1.9 × 106 m/s. What is the proton’s speed as it passes through point P?
Figure P21.74
The proton is 3.0 millimeters horizontally to the right of a negative 10
nanocoulombs negative charge. A velocity vector arrow labeled vector v subscript 0
from the proton points upward. Point P is marked vertically above the negative
charge at a distance of 4.0 millimeters. A trajectory curve starts from the positive
charge and extends until point P. The curve is concave down.
75. ||| A parallel-plate capacitor is charged to 5000 V. A proton is fired into the
center of the capacitor at a speed of 3.0 × 105 m/s, as shown in Figure
P21.75. The proton is deflected while inside the capacitor, and the plates are
long enough that the proton will hit one of them before emerging from the
far side of the capacitor. What is the impact speed of the proton?
Figure P21.75
The upper plate is negatively charged and the lower plate is positively charged. The
proton is at the center of the left end of the capacitor. A velocity vector arrow
labeled vector v subscript 0 from the proton points to the right.
76. ||| A proton is released from rest at the positive plate of a parallel-plate
capacitor. It crosses the capacitor and reaches the negative plate with a speed
of 50, 000 m/s. What will be the proton’s final speed if the experiment is
repeated with double the amount of charge on each capacitor plate?
77. || INT In the early 1900s, Robert Millikan used small charged droplets of oil,
suspended in an electric field, to make the first quantitative measurements of
the electron’s charge. A 0.70-μm-diameter droplet of oil, having a charge of
+𝑒, is suspended in midair between two horizontal plates of a parallel-plate
capacitor. The upward electric force on the droplet is exactly balanced by the
downward force of gravity. The oil has a density of 860 kg/m3 , and the
capacitor plates are 5.0 mm apart. What must the potential difference
between the plates be to hold the droplet in equilibrium?
78. |||| Two 2.0-cm-diameter disks spaced 2.0 mm apart form a parallel-plate
capacitor. The electric field between the disks is 5.0 × 105 V/m.
a. What is the voltage across the capacitor?
b. How much charge is on each disk?
c. An electron is launched from the negative plate. It strikes the positive

plate at a speed of 2.0 × 107 m/s. What was the electron’s speed as it
left the negative plate?
79. || BIO In proton-beam therapy, a high-energy beam of protons is fired at a

tumor. The protons come to rest in the tumor, depositing their kinetic energy
and breaking apart the tumor’s DNA, thus killing its cells. For one patient, it
is desired that 0.10 J of proton energy be deposited in a tumor. To create the
proton beam, the protons are accelerated from rest through a 10 MV
potential difference. What is the total charge of the protons that must be
fired at the tumor to deposit the required energy?
80. |||| A 2.5-mm-diameter sphere is charged to −4.5nC. An electron fired directly

at the sphere from far away comes to within 0.30 mm of the surface of the
target before being reflected.
a. What was the electron’s initial speed?
b. At what distance from the surface of the sphere is the electron’s speed
half of its initial value?
c. What is the acceleration of the electron at its turning point?
81. || A proton is fired from far away toward the nucleus of an iron atom. Iron is
element number 26, and the diameter of the nucleus is 9.0 fm.
1 fm = 10−15 m. What initial speed does the proton need to just reach the
surface of the nucleus? Assume the nucleus remains at rest.
82. ||| Determine the magnitude and direction of the electric field at points 1 and
2 in Figure P21.82.
Figure P21.82
Four circular equipotential lines are drawn such that the lower ends of the circles are
closer to each other than the upper ends. From the innermost to the outermost circle,
the potentials are 0 volts, 25 volts, 50 volts, and 75 volts. From the innermost to the
outermost circle, the approximate diameters of the circles, in centimeters, are: 1, 2.5,
4, and 5.5. Points labeled 1 and 2 are marked at the top and bottom ends of the 50
volts circle.
83. | Figure P21.83 shows a series of equipotential curves.
a. Is the electric field strength at point A larger than, smaller than, or

equal to the field strength at point B? Explain.
b. Is the electric field strength at point C larger than, smaller than, or

equal to the field strength at point D? Explain.
→
c. Determine the electric field 𝐸 at point D. Express your answer as a
magnitude and direction.
Figure P21.83
Both axes, in centimeters, range from 0 to 2 in increments of 1 unit. Five
equipotential curves labeled 2 volts, 1 volt, 0 volts, negative 1 volt, and negative 2
volts, from left to right, start between 0 and 1 on the x-axis. The curves are all
concave to the right. The curves appear to be equidistant at the start, but diverge
from each other as they increase. The approximate start and end points of the curves
are as follows. For 2 volts curve, (0.15, 0) and (0.6, 1.5). For 1 volt curve, (0.35, 0)
and (1, 1.4). For 0 volts curve, (0.55, 0) and (1.5, 1.2). For negative 1 volt curve,
(0.75, 0) and (1.8, 0.8). For negative 2 volts curve, (0.95, 0) and (2, 0.4). Points “A”
and B are marked on the 1 volt curve at approximately (0.8, 1.2) and (0.4, 0.3).
Point C is marked between the negative 1 and negative 2 curves at approximately
(1.2, 0.4). Point D is marked on the 0 volts curve at (0.55, 0).
84. ||| INT A capacitor consists of two 6.0-cm-diameter circular plates separated
by 1.0 mm. The plates are charged to 150 V, then the battery is removed.
a. How much energy is stored in the capacitor?
b. How much work must be done to pull the plates apart to where the
distance between them is 2.0 mm?
85. |||| The dielectric in a capacitor serves two purposes. It increases the
capacitance, compared to an otherwise identical capacitor with an air gap,
and it increases the maximum potential difference the capacitor can support.
If the electric field in a material is sufficiently strong, the material will
suddenly become able to conduct, creating a spark. The critical field
strength, at which breakdown occurs, is 3.0 MV/m for air, but 60 MV/m
for Teflon.
a. A parallel-plate capacitor consists of two square plates, 15 cm on a

side, spaced 0.50 mm apart with only air between them. What is the
maximum energy that can be stored by the capacitor?
b. What is the maximum energy that can be stored if the plates are
separated by a 0.50-mm-thick Teflon sheet?
86. | INT The highest magnetic fields in the world are generated when large
arrays, or “banks,” of capacitors are discharged through the copper coils of
an electromagnet. At the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, the total
capacitance of the capacitor bank is 32 mF. These capacitors can be charged
to 16 kV.
a. What is the energy stored in the capacitor bank when it is fully

charged?
b. When discharged, the entire energy from this bank flows through the
magnet coil in 10 ms. What is the average power delivered to the
coils during this time?
87. ||||| INT The flash unit in a camera uses a special circuit to “step up” the 3.0
V from the batteries to 300 V, which charges a capacitor. The capacitor is
then discharged through a flashlamp. The discharge takes 10 𝜇s, and the
average power dissipated in the flashlamp is 105 W. What is the capacitance
of the capacitor?
MCAT-Style Passage Problems
A Lightning Strike
Storm clouds build up large negative charges, as described in the

chapter. The charges dwell in charge centers, regions of concentrated
charge. Suppose a cloud has −25 C in a 1.0-km-diameter spherical
charge center located 10 km above the ground, as sketched in Figure
P21.88. The negative charge center attracts a similar amount of
positive charge that is spread on the ground below the cloud.
Figure P21.88
The charge center and the ground function as a charged capacitor, with
a potential difference of approximately 4 × 108 V. The large electric
field between these two “electrodes” may ionize the air, leading to a
conducting path between the cloud and the ground. Charges will flow
along this conducting path, causing a discharge of the capacitor—a
lightning strike.
88. | What is the approximate magnitude of the electric field between the charge
center and the ground?
A. 4 × 104 V/m
B. 4 × 105 V/m
C. 4 × 106 V/m
D. 4 × 107 V/m
89. | Which of the curves sketched in Figure P21.89 best approximates the shape
of an equipotential drawn halfway between the charge center and the
ground?
Figure P21.89
90. | What is the approximate capacitance of the charge center + ground

system?
A. 6 × 10−8 F
B. 2 × 107 F
C. 4 × 106 F
D. 8 × 106 F
91. | If 12.5 C of charge is transferred from the cloud to the ground in a

lightning strike, what fraction of the stored energy is dissipated?
A. 12%
B. 25%
C. 50%
D. 75%
92. | If the cloud transfers all of its charge to the ground via several rapid
lightning flashes lasting a total of 1 s, what is the average power?
A. 1 GW
B. 2 GW
C. 5 GW
D. 10 GW

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Chapter 21 - Problems

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3/30/23, 3:23 PM Chapter 21: Problems

Chapter 21: Problems

Section 21.1 Electric Potential Energy and Electric

Section 21.2 Sources of Electric Potential

The horizontal axis is labeled r (centimeters) and ranges from 0 to 10 in increments

negative 8 to 0 in increments of 1 unit. A curve starts from approximately (0.6,

3. ||| It takes ﻿3.0 𝜇J of work to move a 15 nC charge from point A to B. It takes

−5.0 𝜇J of work to move the charge from C to B. What is the potential

Video Tutor Solution

4. || In 1 second, a battery charger moves 0.60 C of charge from the negative

a. How much work does the charger do?

b. What is the power output of the charger in watts?

5. | A 20 nC charge is moved from a point where 𝑉 = 150 V to a point where

6. | BIO In a typical mammalian cell, the net transport by the sodium-

7. | At one point in space, the electric potential energy of a 15 nC charge is 45

a. What is the electric potential at this point?

b. If a 25 nC charge were placed at this point, what would its electric

Section 21.3 Electric Potential and Conservation of

8. || BIO This scanning electron microscope image of a bacterium was produced

a. Did the electron move into a region of higher potential or lower

b. What was the potential difference that stopped the electron?

a. Did the proton move into a region of higher potential or lower

b. What was the potential difference that stopped the proton?

Section 21.4 Calculating the Electric Potential

16. || A 2.0 cm × 2.0 cm parallel-plate capacitor has a 2.0 mm spacing. The

a. What is the potential difference across the capacitor?

b. How much charge is on each plate?

a. In Figure P21.18, which capacitor plate, left or right, is the positive

b. What is the electric field strength inside the capacitor?

c. What is the potential energy of a proton at the midpoint of the

19. || What are the potential differences Δ𝑉AB and Δ𝑉BC ?

the bottom circumference of the outer dashed circle.

positive lower right corner.

22. || Raindrops acquire an electric charge as they fall. Suppose a 2.5-mm-

a. What is the potential difference between the terminals of an ordinary

b. An AA battery is connected to a parallel-plate capacitor having 4.0-

Section 21.5 Connecting Potential and Field

a. In Figure P21.27, which point, A or B, has a higher electric potential?

b. What is the potential difference between A and B?

28. | Students in an introductory physics lab are producing a region of uniform

Video Tutor Solution

the midpoint of the 0 volts line.

Section 21.6 The Electrocardiogram

marked on the left arm.

a. Figure P21.34b is a top view showing the eyeball pointed straight

and vertically above the positive charge.

Section 21.7 Capacitance and Capacitors

a. What is the capacitance?

b. What is the charge on the positive electrode?

39. ||| An uncharged capacitor is connected to the terminals of a 3.0 V battery,

If we assume that the bottom of the ionosphere is 60 km above the surface,

43. | A switch that connects a battery to a 10 𝜇F capacitor is closed. Several

capacitor labeled 10 microfarads. The positive terminal of the battery is connected

to the switch, which is connected to oneTend

switch represents the closing action.

the electrodes were connected to a 47 𝜇F capacitor charged to 1.5 V, this

a. Eventually, all the charge on the capacitor was transferred to the

b. What was the approximate electric field between the electrodes?

49. ||| A science-fair radio uses a homemade capacitor made of two

50. ||| A parallel-plate capacitor is connected to a battery and stores 4.4 nC of

a. Does the capacitor’s charge increase or decrease?

b. By how much does the charge change?

b. What is the potential difference between the plates after a sheet of

3. ||| It takes 3.0 𝜇J of work to move a 15 nC charge from point A to B. It takes