Unit 02

Revision topics
Electric Potential and Capacitance

1 (i) Define electric potential. Is it vector or scalar?

(ii) Define 1 volt
(iii) What is the physical significance of electric potential?
(iv) Define the term potential difference. Give its SI unit and dimensions.
2 (i) Derive an expression for the electric potential at a point due to a point charge.
(ii) What is the nature/symmetry of this potential?
(iii) Draw a graph showing the variation of this potential with r from a point charge q.
3 (i) Derive an expression for the potential at a point along the axial line of a short dipole.
(ii) Derive an expression for the potential at a point along the equatorial line of a short dipole.
(iii) Derive an expression for the potential at any general point at a distance r from the center
of dipole.
(iv) Give some points of differences between the potential due to a point charge and potential
due to a dipole.
(v) Write the expression for electric potential due to a uniformly charged thin spherical shell
and draw a graph to show the variation of V with r.
4 (i) Establish a relation between electric field and electric potential.
(ii) What is the significance of minus sign in this relation?
(iii) Write two properties relating electric field and electric potential.
(iv) Express the potential in integral form.
5 (i) What are equipotential surfaces?
(ii) No work is done in moving a test charge over an EPS. Why?
(iii) E field is always normal to the EPS. Why?
(iv) Two EPS can never intersect each other. Why?
(v) Show that closer the EPS, stronger the E field.
(vi) Sketch and explain the EPSs for: point charge, dipole, two identical +ive charges, for
uniform E field.
(vii) What is the physical significance of equipotential surfaces?
6 (i) What do you mean by electric potential energy of a system of charges?
(ii) Is it scalar or vector? Give its SI unit and dimensions.
(iii) Derive an expression for potential energy of (i) two (ii) three charge system.
(iv) What is the significance of potential energy for (i) Q 1Q2>0 (ii) Q1Q2<0
(v) Since E field is a conservative field then write the relation between electric force and
electric potential energy.
(vi) If work can be obtained by releasing the charges, then potential energy of the system will
be __________
(vii) Derive an expression for the potential energy of a dipole in a uniform electric field.
(viii) Obtain the conditions for zero energy, + ive PE and –ive PE.
7 (i) Net electric field is zero in the interior of a conductor. Why?
(ii) Just outside the surface of a charged conductor E field is normal to the surface. Why?
(iii) Potential is constant within and on the surface of a conductor. Explain.
(iv) Show that Electric field at the surface of a charged conductor is proportional to the surface
charge density.
(v) What is electrostatic shielding? Give at least two applications of electrostatic shielding.
(vi) What is Faraday Cage?
10 (i) Define capacitance of a conductor.
(ii) Is it vector or scalar? Give its SI unit and dimensions.
(iii) Define the SI unit of capacitance.
(iv) Derive an expression for the capacitance of an isolated spherical conductor of radius R.
 (v) Show that 1C is the enormous amount of charge.
(vi) What is the capacitance of a spherical conductor whose radius is equal to radius of earth?
11 (i) What is a capacitor?
(ii) Explain the concept of parallel plate capacitor.
(iii) Derive an expression for the capacitance of a parallel plate capacitor.
(iv) What do you mean by a single plate capacitor?
(v) Derive an expression for the equivalent capacitance if n capacitors are connected in (a)
series (b) parallel.
(vi) Derive an expression for the energy stored in parallel plate capacitor.
(vii) Where and in which form this energy remain stored in a parallel plate capacitor?
(viii) Derive an expression for the energy density of an electric field. Is it scalar or vector? Give
its SI unit and dimensions.
(ix) Show that the energy is additive in both series and parallel combinations of capacitors.
12 (i) Show that after redistribution of charges between two capacitors, the charges are in the
ratio of their capacitances.
(ii) Derive an expression for the loss of energy in redistribution of charges between two
capacitors.

13 (i) What are dielectrics?

(ii) What is the basic difference in the behavior of a conductor and dielectric in external field?
(iii) What are polar and nonpolar dielectrics? Give some examples of each.
(iv) What do you understand by dielectric polarization?
(v) Explain how a polar dielectric get polarized when placed in an external field?
(vi) Explain how a nonpolar dielectric get polarized when placed in an external field?
(vii) Establish a relation between dielectric constant and reduced electric field.
(viii) Define polarization density. Give its unit and dimensions.
(ix) Establish a relation between polarization density and surface charge density.
(x) What do you mean by dielectric strength of a dielectric?
14 (i) Derive an expression for the capacitance of a capacitor with
(a) Conducting slab
(b) Dielectric slab
(ii) What is the effect [on (a) charge (b) PD (c) E field (d) energy (e) capacitance] of dielectric
when the battery is kept connected across a capacitor?
(iii) What is the effect [on (a) charge (b) PD (c) E field (d) energy (e) capacitance] of dielectric
when the battery is kept disconnected from a capacitor