REVIEW TOPICS

Electric charge and electric force, Coulomb’s Law

Electric field (calculating electric fields, motion of a charged

particle in an electric field, dipoles)

Gauss’ Law (electric flux, calculating electric fields via

Gaussian surfaces, fields and surface charges of conductors)

Electric potential and potential energy (calculating work,

potential energy and potential, calculating fields from potentials,
equipotentials, potentials of conductors)

Capacitors (calculating capacitance, equivalent capacitance of

capacitor network, charges and voltages in capacitor network)
Three charges +Q, +Q, and –Q, are located at the corners of
an equilateral triangle with sides of length a. What is the force
on the charge located at point P (see diagram)?

y
F1 F = ( F1x + F2x ) ˆi + ( F1y + F2y ) ˆj
P
q
+Q
q F = ( F1 cos q + F2 cos q ) ˆi
F2 + ( F1 sin q - F2 sin q ) ˆj
a
( +Q )( +Q ) Q2
F1 = k =k 2
a2 a
q=60°
+Q -Q
x
( -Q )( +Q ) Q2
F2 = k =k 2
a2 a
Note: if there is not a problem like this on Exam 1, there will be one on the Final!
Three charges +Q, +Q, and –Q, are located at the corners of
an equilateral triangle with sides of length a. What is the force
on the charge located at point P (see diagram)?

y
F1 æ kQ 2 kQ 2 öˆ
F = ç 2 cos 60 + 2 cos 60 ÷ i
P
q è a a ø
+Q
q æ kQ 2 kQ 2 öˆ
+ ç 2 sin 60 - 2 sin 60 ÷j
F2
è a a ø
a

+Q -Q
x

I could have stated that Fy=0 and Fx=2F1x by

symmetry, but I decided to do the full calculation here.
Three charges +Q, +Q, and –Q, are located at the corners of
an equilateral triangle with sides of length a. What is the force
on the charge located at point P (see diagram)?

y
F1 kQ 2
F = 2 2 cos 60 ˆi
P
q a
+Q
q F
F2 kQ 2 ˆ
F= 2 i
a a

+Q -Q
x
What is the electric field at P due to the two charges at the
base of the triangle?
You can “repeat” the above calculation,
y
replacing F by E (and using Coulomb’s Law).

P Or you can be smart… F = qE

kQ 2
î
F a 2 kQ ˆ
E= = = 2 i
a q Q a

This is the charge which had

+Q -Q been at point P, “feeling” the
x force F.

Caution: never write q = E . Why?

F
A rod is bent into an eighth of a circle of radius a, as shown.
The rod carries a total positive charge +Q uniformly distributed
over its length. What is the electric field at the origin?

y dq
dE = k
r2

a x
A rod is bent into an eighth of a circle of radius a, as shown.
The rod carries a total positive charge +Q uniformly distributed
over its length. What is the electric field at the origin?

y dq dq
dE = k 2
=k
r a2

dq charge
dq = l ds = ds
q length
q x
a
dE +Q
dq = ds
( length of arc )
+Q 4 +Q
dq = ds = ds
(
2pa
8 )
pa
A rod is bent into an eighth of a circle of radius a, as shown.
The rod carries a total positive charge +Q uniformly distributed
over its length. What is the electric field at the origin?

dq
ds ds = a dq

q x
a
dE
A rod is bent into an eighth of a circle of radius a, as shown.
The rod carries a total positive charge +Q uniformly distributed
over its length. What is the electric field at the origin?

y k éæ 4 + Q ö ù
dE = 2 êç ÷ ( a dq ) ú
a êëè pa ø úû

dq dE x = - dE cos q
q
q x dE y = - dE sin q
a
dE
p

ò dE cos q
4
Ex = -
0
1 p
( 2p ) =
8 4
p

ò dE sin q
4
Ey = -
0
A rod is bent into an eighth of a circle of radius a, as shown.
The rod carries a total positive charge +Q uniformly distributed
over its length. What is the electric field at the origin?

4k +Q
dE = dq
pa 2

p 4k +Q 4k +Q p
Ex = - ò cos q dq = - ò cos q dq
4 4
0 pa 2
pa 2 0

4k +Q 4k +Q
(sin p 4 - sin 0 )
p
Ex = - ( sin q ) 0 4
= -
pa 2 pa 2

4k +Q æ 2 ö 2 2k +Q
Ex = - çç - 0 ÷÷ = -
pa 2 è 2 ø pa 2
A rod is bent into an eighth of a circle of radius a, as shown.
The rod carries a total positive charge +Q uniformly distributed
over its length. What is the electric field at the origin?

4k +Q
dE = dq
pa 2

p 4k +Q 4k +Q p
Ey = - ò sin q dq = - ò sin q dq
4 4
0 pa 2
pa 2 0

4k +Q 4k +Q
( - cos p 4 + cos 0 )
p
Ey = - ( - cos q ) 0 4
= -
pa 2 pa 2

4k +Q æ 2 ö 4k +Q æ 2ö
Ey = - çç - + 1÷÷ = - çç1 - ÷÷
pa 2 è 2 ø p a 2
è 2 ø
A rod is bent into an eighth of a circle of radius a, as shown.
The rod carries a total positive charge +Q uniformly distributed
over its length. What is the electric field at the origin?

æ 2 2kQ ö ˆ æ 4kQ æ 2 ööˆ

E = - çç ÷÷ i - çç 2 çç1 - ÷÷ ÷÷ j
è pa ø è pa è
2
2 øø

2kQ é
E= - 2
pa ë
( 2 ) ˆi + ( 2 - 2 ) ˆjùû
You should provide reasonably simplified answers
on exams, but remember, each algebra step is a
chance to make a mistake.
What would be different if the charge were negative?

What would you do differently if you were asked to

calculate the potential rather than the electric field?

How would you find the force on a test charge -q at

the origin?
An insulating spherical shell has an inner radius b and outer radius c. The
shell has a uniformly distributed total charge +Q. Concentric with the shell
is a solid conducting sphere of total charge +2Q and radius a<b. Find the
magnitude of the electric field for r<a.

Use first and last slide for

in-person lecture; delete for
video lecture

This looks like a test preparation homework problem, but it is different!

An insulating spherical shell has an inner radius b and outer radius c. The
shell has a uniformly distributed total charge +Q. Concentric with the shell
is a solid conducting sphere of total charge +2Q and radius a<b. Find the
magnitude of the electric field for r<a.

+Q
For 0<r<a, we are inside
the conductor, so E=0. b a

c
If E=0 there is no need to +2Q
specify a direction (and the
problem doesn’t ask for one
anyway).
An insulating spherical shell has an inner radius b and outer radius c. The
shell has a uniformly distributed total charge +Q. Concentric with the shell
is a solid conducting sphere of total charge +2Q and radius a<b. Use Gauss’
Law to find the magnitude of the electric field for a<r<b.

q enclosed +Q
ò E × dA = eo
b a
r
2Q
E ( 4pr ) =
2 c
eo +2Q

Q
E=
2peo r 2

Be able to do this: begin with a statement of Gauss’s Law. Draw an

appropriate Gaussian surface on the diagram and label its radius r. Justify
the steps leading to your answer.
An insulating spherical shell has an inner radius b and outer radius c. The
shell has a uniformly distributed total charge +Q. Concentric with the shell
is a solid conducting sphere of total charge +2Q and radius a<b. Use Gauss’
Law to find the magnitude of the electric field for b<r<c.

q enclosed
ò E × dA = eo +Q

b a
+2Q
q shell,enclosed + q conductor,enclosed
E ( 4pr )=
2 r

eo
c

q conductor,enclosed = 2Q

Qshell
q shell,enclosed = rshell Vshell,enclosed = Vshell,enclosed
Vshell
 Qshell +Q
q shell,enclosed = Vshell,enclosed
Vshell b a
+2Q
r

Q é4 3 4 3ù
q shell,enclosed = ê pr - pb ú c
é4 3 4 3ù ë3 3 û
êë 3 pc - pb úû
3

Q ( r 3 - b3 )
q shell,enclosed =
(c 3
- b3 )

Q ( r 3 - b3 ) The direction of E is shown

+ 2Q in the diagram. Solving for
E ( 4pr
(c 3
-b 3
)
2
)= eo
the magnitude E (do it!) is
“just” math.
 +Q
Q ( r 3 - b3 )
+ 2Q b a

E ( 4pr
(c 3
-b 3
) +2Q
2
)= eo
r

What would be different if we had concentric cylinders instead of concentric spheres?

What would be different if the outer shell were a conductor instead of an insulator?
 An insulating spherical shell has an inner radius b and outer radius c. The
shell has a uniformly distributed total charge +Q. Concentric with the shell
is a solid conducting sphere of total charge +2Q and radius a<b. Find the
magnitude of the electric field for b<r<c.

é4 3 4 3ù
Qshell = r ê pc - pb ú
ë3 3 û
q enclosed
ò E × dA = eo
é4 3 4 3ù
r ê pr - pb ú + 2Q
E ( 4pr ) =
2 ë 3 3 û
eo
What would be different if we had concentric cylinders instead of concentric spheres?
What would be different if the outer shell were a conductor instead of an insulator?
A ring with radius R has a uniform positive charge density l.
Calculate the potential difference between the point at the
center of the ring and a point on the axis of the ring that is a
distance of 3R from the center of the ring.

3R

Begin by deriving the equation for the potential along the

central axis of a ring of charge. We did this back in part 2 of
lecture 6. I am going to be lazy… err, efficient… and just copy
the appropriate slides.
 dq
Every dq of charge on the
R r ring is the same distance
P x
from the point P.
x

Q dq dq
dV = k =k
r x2 + R2

kdq k
V=ò dV = ò = ò dq
ring ring
x +R
2 2
x +R
2 2 ring
 dq

R r

P x
x

k
ò
Q
V= dq
x +R
2 2 ring

kQ
V= Q = l ( 2pR )
x2 + R2

2plkR
V=
x2 + R2
A ring with radius R has a uniform positive charge density l.
Calculate the potential difference between the point at the
center of the ring and a point on the axis of the ring that is a
distance of 3R from the center of the ring.

x 2plkR
V(x) =
3R x2 + R2

2plkR 2plkR æ1 1 ö
V(0) - V(3R) = - = 2plkR ç - ÷
0 +R ( 3R ) + R è R R 10 ø
2 2 2 2
A ring with radius R has a uniform positive charge density l.
Calculate the potential difference between the point at the
center of the ring and a point on the axis of the ring that is a
distance of 3R from the center of the ring.

3R

æ 10 - 1 ö
V(0) - V(3R) = 2plk çç ÷÷
è 10 ø
If a proton is released from rest at the center of the ring,
how fast will it be at point P?
For the capacitor system shown, C1=6.0 µF, C2=2.0 µF, and
C3=10.0 µF. (a) Find the equivalent capacitance.

C1=6µF

C2=2µF C3=10µF
V0 C 23 = C 2 + C 3 = 2 + 10 = 12μF
For the capacitor system shown, C1=6.0 µF, C2=2.0 µF, and
C3=10.0 µF. (a) Find the equivalent capacitance.

C1=6µF

C23=12µF
V0

1 1 1 1 1 2 1 3 1
= + = + = + = =
C eq C1 C 23 6 12 12 12 12 4

C eq = 4μF

Don’t expect the equivalent capacitance to always be an

integer!
For the capacitor system shown, C1=6.0 µF, C2=2.0 µF, and
C3=10.0 µF. (b) The charge on capacitor C3 is found to be 30.0
µC. Find V0.

C1=6µF

There are several correct

V0
C2=2µF C3=10µF ways to solve this. Shown
here is just one.
C3=10µF
Q3= 30µC
V3= ?
Q = CV
Q Q3 30
V = V3 = V2 = V23 = = = 3V
C C3 10
For the capacitor system shown, C1=6.0 µF, C2=2.0 µF, and
C3=10.0 µF. (b) The charge on capacitor C3 is found to be 30.0
µC. Find V0.

C1=6µF

C23=12µF
V0 Q23= ?
V23= 3V

Q23 = C23 V23 = (12 ) ( 3 ) = 36 μC = Q1 = Qeq = C eq V0

36 36
V0 = = = 9V
C eq 4