TUTORIAL 16: ELECTROSTATICS

16.1 Coulombs law

a) State Coulombs law,
2 2
o
4 r
kQq
r
Qq
F = =

.
b) Sketch the force diagram and appl Coulombs law for a sstem of point charges.
16.2 !lectric field
a) "efine electric field.
b) "efine and use electric field strength,
o
q
F
E

=
.
c) Sketch the electric field lines of isolated point charge, two point charges and
uniforml charged parallel plates.
d) Sketch the electric field strength diagram and determine electric field strength, E for
a sstem of charges.
16.# Charge in a uniform electric field
a) !$plain %uantitati&el with the aid of a diagram the motion of a charge in a uniform
electric field.
16.4 !lectric 'otential
a) "efine electric potential.
b) "efine and sketch e%uipotential lines and surfaces of
i) an isolated charge
ii) a uniform electric field
c) (se
r
kQ
V = for a point charge and a sstem of charges.
d) Calculate potential difference between two points,
V)* + V) , V*
o
*)
)*
q
W
V =
e) (se
d
V
E = for uniform electric field.
f) "educe the change in potential energ, U between two points in an electric field,
V q U =
g) Calculate potential energ of a sstem of point charges,

+ + =
2#
# 2
1#
# 1
12
2 1
r
q q
r
q q
r
q q
k U
TUTORIAL 16
(ELECTROSTATIC)
SECTION A
1. -hich of the following statement is not correct.
) /here are two tpes of charges differing in signs
* /he charges are conser&ed and the ha&e discrete &alues
C /he smallest &alue of a charge is that of an electron or a proton
" !lectric charges can be created b rubbing or friction
2. -hich diagram best represents the electric field around a negati&el charged
particle.
) * C "
#. )t a distance 0 awa from a point charge, the electric field has a strength of ! and
the electric potential is 1. )t a point 022 awa from the same point charge which
of the following is true.
!lectric field strength !lectric potential
) 4! 41
* 2! 21
C 2! 41
" 4! 21
4. ) proton accelerates from rest in a uniform electric field of 643 42C . )t some
later time, its speed is 1.23$13
6
m s
51
.Calculate the acceleration of the proton.
). 61.#2 6m s
52
*. #1.#3 6m s
52
C. 23.42 6m s
52
". 22.67 6m s
52
8. -hich of the following statements is true about electricall e%uipotential
surfaces.
) /he charge densit is uniform.
* /he electric field at an point on the e%uipotential surface is 9ero
C /here is no electric potential difference between 2 nearb electricall
e%uipotential surfaces.
" no work is done to mo&e a charge along an e%uipotential surface.
SECTION B
6. :a) State Coulombs ;aw
23 cm 18 cm
%
2
%
1
%
#
FIGURE 1
:b) /hree point charges, %
1
+ <#.3 =C, %
2
+ 54.3 =C and %
#
+ , 7.3 =C are
placed 23 cm and 18 cm apart on a straight line in air as shown in
FIGURE 1. -hat is the magnitude and direction of the nett electrostatic
force acting on charge %
1
: )ns> 8.7 4 to the right)
7. /wo e%ual positi&e point charges %
1
+ %
2
+ 2.3 =C are located at $ + 3, + 3.#
m and $ + 3, + 5 3.#3 m respecti&el. -hat are the magnitude and direction
of the total electric force that these charges e$ert on a third point charge ? +
4.3 =C at $ + 3.43 m, + 3.
:)ns> 3.46 4 to the right)
8. -hen a test charge % + 2nC is placed at the origin, it e$periences a force of
@.3 13
54
4. Calculate the magnitude of electric field at the origin.
:)nsA
8
13 3 . 4 4C
51
)
B. Sketch an electric field lines pattern for following cases >
i) /wo e%ual positi&e charges, <2? and <2?
ii) 4egati&e point charge
iii) (niforml charged parallel plates
13.

) beam of electrons enters the uniform electric field between two parallel plates
as shown in FIGURE 2.
:a) Sketch the path of the electron beam in the electric field, and after emerging
from the electric field.
:b) !$plain the shape of the path

e
FIGURE 2
11.
/wo parallel plates are set a distance of 18 mm apart in a &acuum as illustrated in
FIGURE 3. /he top plate is at potential of <233 1 and the bottom plate is at
potential 5233 1.
:a) Cop FIGURE 3 and draw lines to show the electric field between the plates
and show a possible path of the electron as it passes between the plates.
:b) "etermine the magnitude of the acceleration of the electron .
:)ns>
18
13 27 . 4

4)
12.

<233 1
5233 1
e
18 mm
FIGURE 3
CD6(0! 4 shows a section of the deflection sstem of a cathode ra oscilloscope.
)n electron tra&elling at a speed of 1.8 $ 13
7
m s
51
enter the space between two
parallel metal plates 63 mm long. /he electric field between the plates is 4.3$13
#
1 m
51
.
:a) Cop the figure and sketch the path of the electron in between plates, and
after emerging from the space between the plates.
:b) Calculate the &ertical component of &elocit as it lea&es the region between
the plates. :)nsA
6
13 @1 . 2 m s
5
1
)
1#. :a) Sketch e%uipotential lines and surfaces of
:i) a positi&e charge
:ii) a uniform electric field

3 1
<@3 1
1.8$13
7
m s
51
23 mm
63 mm
FIGURE 4
:b) /wo point charges of 4 EC and 16 EC are separated b a distance of 13
mm. ) point ' is at a distance of @ mm from the 4 EC charge and 6 mm
from the 16 EC charge.
:i) Calculate the electric potential at '.
:ii) -hat is the electric potential energ of a charge of 13 EC at '.
:)ns>
7
13 @8 . 2 1, 2@8 F)
14. :a) !$plain
:i) wh electric field strength is a &ector %uantit which has
magnitude and direction.
:ii) electric potential is a scalar which has onl magnitude.
:b) /wo parallel metal plates separated b a distance of 1.8 mm are charged
until the potential difference between the plates is 6 1. -hat is the electric
field intensit between the plates.
:)ns>
#
13 4 1 m
51
)
18. :a) -hat is the work re%uired to transfer a charge of 6 EC against a potential
difference of 113 1.
:)ns>
4
13 6 . 6

F)
:b)
/hree point charges of <%, <2% and 5#% are arranged as shown in FIGURE 5.
Calculate the electric potential energ of the sstem of three charges.
:)ns>
a
kq
2
8B . 7 F)
FIGURE 5
+q
-3q
+2q
a
a