Coulomb’s Law

Q.1 A cube is given with eight-point charges 𝑞 on each of its vertices. Calculate the force exerted on any
of the charges due to rest of the seven charges.

Q.2 Two particles, each of mass of 5gm and charged with charge 1.0 × 10−7 C each stay in equilibrium at
the verge of sliding on a horizontal table with a separation of 10cm between them. The coefficient of
friction 𝜇 between each particle and the table is the same. Find 𝜇.

Q.3 A particle 𝐴 having charge 𝑞 = 5 × 10−7 C is clamped in a vertical wall. A small ball 𝐵 of mass 100 g
and having equal charge is suspended by an insulating thread of length 30 cm from the wall. The point of
suspension is 30 cm above the particle 𝐴 as shown in figure. Find the angle 𝜃 which the thread makes
with the wall in equilibrium. Take 𝑔 = 10 m/s 2 .

Q.4 Two positive charges 𝑞1 and 𝑞2 are located at the points with position vectors 𝑟⃗1 and 𝑟⃗2 . Find the
magnitude of a negative charge 𝑞3 and the position vector 𝑟⃗3 of the point at which it is to be placed for the
force acting on each of the three charges to be equal to zero.

Q.5 Three small balls, each of mass 10 gm are suspended separately from common point by silk threads,
each one meter long. The balls are identically charged and hang at the corners of an equilateral triangle of
the side 0.1 meter. Find the charge on each ball?

Q.6 A ring of radius 𝑅 is charged with a uniformly distributed charge 𝑞 . A charge 𝑞0 is now placed at the
centre of the ring. Find the increment in the tension in ring.

Q.7 Two balls of the same radius and weight are suspended on threads so that their surface are in contact.
A charge of 𝑞0 = 4 × 10−7 C is given to the balls which makes them repel each other and diverge to an
angle of 60∘ . Find the mass of the balls if the distance of balls from the point of suspension to the centre
of ball is 20 cm. Find the density of the material of the balls if the angle of divergence becomes 54∘ when
the balls are immersed in kerosene of density 800 kg m−3 , dielectric constant of kerosene is 𝜀𝑟 = 2.
Q.8 Consider a fixed charge 𝑄 and another charge 𝑞 is placed at a distance 𝑥0 from 𝑄 on a smooth plane
surface. Find the velocity of charge 𝑞 as a function of 𝑥.

Q.9 Four point charges, each of charge +𝑞, are rigidly fixed at the four corners of a square planar soap
film of side a. The surface tension of the soap film is 𝜎. If the system of charges and planar film are in
1/𝑁
𝑞2
equilibrium, then side of square is given as 𝑎 = 𝑘 [ 𝜎 ] , find the values of 𝑘 and 𝑁

Q.10 Two identical beads each having a mass 𝑚 and charge 𝑞. When placed in a hemispherical bowI of
radius 𝑅 with frictionless, non-conducting walls, the beads move, and at equilibrium they are a distance
𝑅 apart as shown if figure. Determine the charge on each bead.

Q.11 A small point mass 𝑚 has a charge 𝑞, which is constrained to move inside a narrow frictionless
cylinder. At the base of the cylinder is a point mass of charge 𝑄 having the same sign, as 𝑞. Show that if
the mass 𝑚 is displaced by a small amount from its equilibrium position and released, it will exhibit simple
harmonic motion with angular frequency 𝜔 = (2𝑔/𝑦0 )1/2, where 𝑦0 is the equilibrium position of charge
𝑞.
Q.12 A small bead of mass 𝑚, charge −𝑞 is constrained to move along a frictionless wire. A positive
charge 𝑄 lies at a distance 𝐿 from the wire. Show that if the bead is displaced a distance 𝑥, where 𝑥 << 𝐿,
and released, it will exhibit simple harmonic motion. Obtain an expression for the time period of simple:
harmonic motion.

Q.13 Four identical charges are fixed at the corners of a square of side 𝑎. A fifth point charge −𝑄 lies a
distance 𝑧 along the line perpendicular to the plane of the square. Show that for 𝑧 ≪ 𝑎 the motion of −𝑄
is simple harmonic. What would be the period of motion, if the mass of −𝑄 is 𝑚 ? (Neglect gravitational
force.)
 Answer Key
−𝐾𝑞 1 1 2
Q.1 𝐹⃗𝑛𝑒𝑡 = 𝑎2 [(3 3 + 2 + 1) (𝑖ˆ + 𝑗ˆ + 𝑘ˆ )]
√ √
Q.2 0.18
Q.3 𝜃 = 17∘
𝑞2 𝑟⃗1 +√𝑞1 𝑟⃗2 −𝑞1 𝑞2
Q.4 𝑟⃗3 = √ , 𝑞3 = (
√𝑞1 +√𝑞2 √𝑞1 +√𝑞2)2

Q.5 𝑞 = 6.2 × 10−8 C

𝐾𝑞𝑞
Q.6 Δ𝑇 = 2𝜋𝑅02
Q.7 1.592 g, 2559 kg/m5

𝑄𝑞 1 1 1/2
Q.8 [2𝜋𝜖 { − 𝑥}]
0𝑚 𝑥0

1 1 1/3
Q.9 [ (1 + )] ,3
4𝜋𝜀0 2√2

1/2
4𝜋𝜀0 𝑚𝑔𝑅2
Q.10 ( )
√3

4𝜋𝜀0 𝑚𝐿3
Q.12 𝑇 = 2𝜋√ 𝑄𝑞

0 4𝜋𝜀 𝑎3𝑚
Q.13 𝑇 = 2𝜋√ 4𝑄𝑞⋅2 3/2