SELF ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS (SAQS)

Activity 1 Electrostatics

1.1. Calculate the. Distance between point charges q x =26.0 μC∧q z =47.0 μC , if the magnitude of
the electrostatic force between them is 5.70 N.

1.2. Two charges of 2 ×10−6 C each are 60 cm apart. Find the magnitude of the force exerted by these
charges on a third charge of magnitude 4 ×10−6 C that is 50 cm away from each of the first two
charges.

1.3. At what distance would therepulsive force between two electrons have a magnitude of one
Newton?

1.4. How many excess electrons must be placed on each of two small spheres spaced 3cm apart if the
force of repulsion between the spheres is to be 10−19 N ?

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1.5. Two charges are located on the positive x-axis of a coordinate system. Charge q 1=2 ×10 C is
2 cm from the origin, and charge q 2=3 ×10−9 C is 4 cm from the origin. What is the magnitude of
the total force exerted by these two charges on a charge q 3=5 ×10−9 C located at the origin?
1.6. What is the total positive charge in Coulombs, of all the protons in 1 mol of Hydrogen and atoms?

1.7. An α − particles is a nucleus of doubly ionized helium. It has a mass of 6.69 x 10‘ 27 kg and a
Charge q of −2 e or 3.2 ×10−19 C . Compare the force of electrostatic repulsion between two
α − particles with the force of gravitational attraction between them, i.e. evaluate F e / F g

1.8. Two positively charged spheres have confined charge of 4.0 × 10−8 C . Calculate the charge on
each sphere if they are repelled with a force of 27.0 ×10−5 N when placed 0.1 m apart?

1.9. Compare the electric and gravitational forces of attraction between the electron and the proton in a
hydrogen atom assuming that their distance of separation is 5.3 ×10−11 m.
−31 −27 −19
(m e =9.1 ×10 kg , m p=1.7 × 10 kg , e=1.6 ×10 C) .

1.10. What is the magnitude of electrostatic force of attraction between anα − particles and an
electron 10−13 m apart?

1.11. Three charges Q 1=6.0 pC , Q2=−6.0 pC and Q 3=4.0 pC are located at −0.6 i , 0.6i∧+ 0.8 j .
Find the net force on Q3 charge.

1.12. Repeat the above question but with Q 1=Q2=+ 6 pC but Q3 is still equal to 4 pC . Find the force
on Q 3
1.13. The electron and proton of a hydrogen atom are separated (on the average) by a distance of
approximately 5.3 x 1011 m. Find the magnitudes of the electric force and the gravitational force
between the two particles.

1.14. Three-point charges lie along the x axis. The positive charge q 1=15.0 μC is at x=2.00 m, the
positive charge q 2=6.00 μC is at the origin, and the resultant force acting on q 3 (which is
negative) is zero. What is the x coordinating of q 3.

1.15. From the Coulomb’s law, what will be the slope of the graph-of log F vs log r ?

1.16. Calculate the resultant force on the charge q 1 due to the other charges. Given that all the six
charges have the same magnitude q=2.0 nC ; a=3.0 cm and θ=30o

1.17. What is magnitude of an electric field in which the force on an electron is equal in magnitude to
the weight of an electron?

1.18. A small object carrying a charge of 5 ×10−9 C . Experiences a downward force of 20 ×10−9 N
when placed at a certain point in an electric field. What is the electric field at the point?

1.19. A charge q 1=+8 nC is at the origin, and a second charge q 2=+12 nC is on the positive x axis 4m
away from the origin. Find (a) the net electric field at a point p on the x-axis at x=7 m and the (b)
the electric field at a point Q on the y-axis at y=3 m due to the charges.

1.20. Three charges are positioned at vertices of a triangle as shown in the figure above. If
Q1=Q2=8 μC and a=0.5 m , determine the Q if the electric field at P is zero.

1.21. Calculate the electric field at one corner of a square 80 cm on a side if the other three corner are
occupied by each charges of magnitude 18.2 ×10− 4 C .

1.22. Consider three-point charges located at the corners of an isosceles right-angle triangle of side
a , a∧x where q 1=q 2=5.0 μC , q 3=−2.0 μC and a=0.10 m , with q 3 placed at the right angle.
Find the resultant force exerted on q 3.

1.23. Two charges are held on the positions as shown in the figure below. Find the resultant force on the
4 Q charge.

1.24. Three-point charges are held at the corner of a triangle as shown in the figure below, if the
q 1=6.0 μC , q2 =1.0 μC∧q 3=5.0 μC , what is the resultant force on the q 3 charge?

236 146 90
1.25. The fission of U 92 can produce the fragments of B a56 and K r 36. These nuclei have +56 e∧+36 e
respectively. Determine the coulomb’s force acting on each just after their formation, when their
centre are separated by 1.6 ×10−14 m .
1.26. Two charges of equal magnitude Q 1=Q 2=6 μC are on the y-axis at y 1=3 cm and y 2=−3 cm.
Calculate the force on a charge 2.0 μC placed on the positive x-axis at 4 cm away from the origin.

1.27. The magnitude of charge on two different particles are 1.5 ×10−17 C and 3.2 ×10−19 C . What is
the magnitude of the electro-static force between the two particles separated by 1.0 ×10−13 m?

1.28. Calculate the force on the charge at Z(+ 1× 10−8 C) due to the charge at X (+ 2× 10−8 C) and
Y (−5 ×10 C ) .
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1.29. Two-point charges 30 nC∧−40 nC are held at the origin and at x=0.72 m. Respectively. A
particle q=42 μC is released from rest at x=0.82 m. if the initial acceleration of the particle has
a magnitude of 1 ×105 m/s, what is its mass?

1.30. A particle X of charge 3.2 ×10−19 C and mass 6.8 ×10−27 kg is travelling with a velocity of
1.0 ×107 m s−1directly towards another particle Y of charge +11.2 ×10−19 C . Calculate the
closest distance of approach of X to Y.