singh (mms3363) HW7-c li (55140)

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Multiple-choice questions may continue on
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before answering.

zero. Thus, at r = r1 ,

001 (part 1 of 2) 10.0 points

As in the figure below, a a thin spherical metal
shell of radius r1 has a charge Q (on its outer
surface) and is surrounded by a concentric
thin spherical metal shell of radius r2 which
has a charge Q (on its inner surface).

At r r2 ,

V =

V =

V =

|V | = V1 V2
1 Q
1 Q
=

40 r1 40 r2


1
1
1
Q

=
40
r1 r2

Use the definition of capacitance

Solve for Q to get

Q = C |V |
to find the capacitance of this spherical capacitor.


1
1
1

1. C =
80 r1 r2
40
 correct
2. C = 
1
1

r1  r2

1
1
3. C = 40

r1 r2
80

4. C = 
1
1

r1  r2

1
1
1
5. C =

40 r1 r2
Explanation:
The electric potential outside a uniformly
charged spherical shell is that of a point particle at the center of the spherical shell:
V =

1 Q
.
40 r2

Thus,

r1 + r2

1 Q
1 Q
+
= 0.
40 r
40 r

Just inside r2 ,

1 Q
.
40 r1

1 Q
.
40 r

Inside the spherical shell, the electric field is

Q= 

40
 V.
1
1

r1 r2

Comparing to Q = C V gives
C=

40
.
1
1

r1 r2

002 (part 2 of 2) 10.0 points

Assuming that the radii of the spherical shells
r1 and r2 are large and nearly equal to each
other, write C in terms of the surface area
A = 4 r 2 , and s, which is the small gap
distance between the shells (r2 = r1 + s).
1. C s A
A
s
0 s
3. C
A
0 A
correct
4. C
s

2. C

singh (mms3363) HW7-c li (55140)

Explanation:

sA
5. C
0

Vc = Es
Vc
9V
E=
=
s
0.003 m

6. C s A 0
Explanation:
We can write

= 3000 V/m

1
r1 r2
s
1

=
=
r1 r2
r1 r2
r1 r2


r1 r2
C = 40
.
s

004 (part 2 of 4) 10.0 points

How much charge is on the positive plate of
the capacitor?

And since r1 r2 = R, we know that

r1 r2 R2 , and

003 (part 1 of 4) 10.0 points

A capacitor consists of two rectangular metal
plates 2 m by 4.5 m, placed a distance 3 mm
apart in air. The capacitor is connected to a
9 V battery long enough to charge the capacitor fully, and then the battery is removed.
o = 8.85 1012 F/m

4.5 m
4.5 m (not to scale)

o A
s
(8.85 1012 F/m)(2 m)(4.5 m)
=
0.003 m
= 2.655 108 F

C=

Q = (2.655 108 F)(9 V)

= 2.3895 107 C

3 mm

Correct answer: 2.3895 107 C.

Explanation:
Q = CV . The capacitance of the capacitor is

0 4 R2
s
0 A
.

3 mm
+

+

+ +

+ +
+

0.6 mm

Voltmeter

What is the electric field inside the capacitor?

Note: The figure shows the capacitor with a
dielectric inserted for parts 1 and 2, assume
the dielectric is not present.
Correct answer: 3000 V/m.

005 (part 3 of 4) 10.0 points

With the battery still disconnected, you insert
a slab of plastic 2 m by 4.5 m by 0.6 mm
between the plates, next to the positive plate,
as shown in the figure. This plastic has a
dielectric constant of 6.
After inserting the plastic, you connect a
voltmeter to the capacitor. What is the initial
reading of the voltmeter?
Correct answer: 7.5 V.
Explanation:
Inserting the plastic changes V across the
plates because E in the plastic is less than
before. Total V across the plates is the sum
of V across the plastic + V across the air
gap.

singh (mms3363) HW7-c li (55140)

V = Vplastic + Vair


0.6 mm


(9 V)
2.4 mm
3 mm
=
+ (9 V)
K
3 mm
= 0.3 V + 7.2 V

A 5 F capacitor is charged to an unknown

potential V0 and then connected across an
initially uncharged 11 F capacitor.
If the final potential difference across the
5 F capacitor is 43 V, determine V0 .
Correct answer: 137.6 V.
Explanation:

= 7.5 V
006 (part 4 of 4) 10.0 points
The voltmeter has a resistance of 1 108 .
What does the voltmeter read 4 seconds after
being connected? (Hint: Remember that the
voltmeter and capacitor together make an RC
circuit.)

Let :

C1 = 5 F ,
C2 = 11 F ,

andVf = 43 V .

Initially, before C2 is connected across C1 , the

total charge in the system is
Qi = C1 V0 .

Correct answer: 2.13702 V.

Explanation:
The voltmeter and the capacitor make an
RC circuit. The capacitor will discharge.
However, the capacitance has changed due
to the dielectric, so we need to calculate the
new value C . This is given by
Q
V
2.3895 107 C
=
7.5 V
= 3.186 108 F .

C =

V is
t

V = (7.5 V)e RC

where

When C2 is connected, the capacitors are now

in parallel. This implies that the voltage
Vf across C1 is also across C2 . Further, we
can replace the parallel capacitor combination
with Ceq = C1 + C2 , so by conservation of
charge,
Qi = Qf
C1 V0 = (C1 + C2 ) Vf
(C1 + C2 ) Vf
V0 =
C1
(5 F + 11 F) (43 V)
=
5 F
= 137.6 V .
008

RC = (1 108 )(3.186 108 F)

= 3.186 seconds
so
4 seconds
V = (7.5 V)e 3.186 seconds

= 2.13702 V
007

10.0 points

10.0 points

singh (mms3363) HW7-c li (55140)

Figure above shows 3 circuits labeled A, B
and C. All the light bulbs, batteries and the
capacitors are identical. Denote the time constants of the circuits by TA , TB and TC . The
charges after the capacitors are fully charged
by QA , QB and QC . Choose from among the
following statements:

009 (part 1 of 3) 10.0 points

Consider the circuit shown below, where
the capacitor is initially uncharged.
R2
C

R1

TA
Ia. TB =
.
2
Ib. TB = 2 TA .
TA
.
IIa. TC =
2
IIb. TC = 2 TA .

V0

S b
a

After S is switched to position a, the initial

current through R1 is
1. It=0 = R1 Vo

IIIa. QA = QB = QC .
IIIb. QA < QB , QA > QC .

2. It=0 = (R1 + R2 ) Vo
R1 R2
Vo
R1 + R2
Vo
=
R1 + R2
R1 + R2
=
Vo
R1 R2
Vo
=
correct
R1

1. Ib, IIa, IIIb

3. It=0 =

2. Ib, IIb, IIIb

4. It=0

3. Ib, IIb, IIIa

4. Ia, IIa, IIIa
5. Ia, IIb, IIIa

5. It=0
6. It=0

7. It=0 = R2 Vo

6. Ib, IIa, IIIa correct

8. It=0 =
7. Ia, IIa, IIIb
8. Ia, IIb, IIIb
Explanation:
For circuit A, TA = R C .
For circuitB, the two bulbs are in series. It
has a resistance 2 R. So TB = 2 R C.
For circuit C, the two bulbs are in parallel.
R
RC
It has a resistance . So TC =
.
2
2
Put all together, we have TB = 2 TA , and
TA
TC =
. So Ib and IIa are correct.
2
After waiting for a long time, for all three
cases Q = = E C. So QA = QB = QC . Hence,
IIIa is correct.

Vo
R2

Explanation:
When the switch is in position a at t = 0,
there is no potential drop across the capacitor.
Note: There is no current flowing through
R2 , so the entire potential drop, Vo , is across
the resistor R1 .
From Ohms law,
I=

Vo
.
R1

010 (part 2 of 3) 10.0 points

Leave the switch at position a for a long time,
then move the switch from a to b.

singh (mms3363) HW7-c li (55140)

2

When the switch is in position b, what is
Vo
3/2
e
(R1 + R2 )
=
the time constant, , of the circuit?
R1 + R2
(5 V)2
Vo2
R1 + R2
3
e
=
e3
=
1. =
C
R
+
R
7

+
10

R1 R2
1
2
R1 R2
= 0.0732163 W .
2. =
(R1 + R2 ) C

3. = (R1 + R2 ) C correct
R1 + R2
R1 R2 C
R1
5. =
C

012 (part 1 of 2) 10.0 points

4. =

The circuit has been connected as shown in

the figure for a long time.

6. = R1 C

Explanation:
When the switch is in position b, R1 and R2
are now in series so the equivalent resistance is
R = R1 +R2 . By definition, the time constant
is
= R C = (R1 + R2 ) C .

22 F

R1 R2
C
R1 + R2
R2
8. =
C
(R1 + R2 )
9. =
C

7. =

10. = R2 C

76

74

75 V

What is the magnitude of the electric potential across the capacitor?

Correct answer: 28 V.
Explanation:

Let : R1
R2
R3
R4
C

011 (part 3 of 3) 10.0 points

3
At a time after S has been switched to
2
position b, what is the power consumption of
the circuit? Vo = 5 V, C = 4 F, R1 = 7 ,
and R2 = 10 .

= 74 ,
= 76 ,
= 6 ,
= 44 , and
= 22 F = 2.2 105 F .

Correct answer: 0.0732163 W.

R2

R1
a

It
R3
E

It

Explanation:
While the capacitor is discharging, the
magnitude of the current decreases as a function of time as
Vo
et/ .
I(t) =
R1 + R2
Noting that R = R1 + R2 , the power con3
sumed by the circuit at t = is
2
2
P = I (R1 + R2 )

44

R4

Ib

Ib
b

After a long time implies that the capacitor C is fully charged, so it acts as an open

singh (mms3363) HW7-c li (55140)

R2

R1
R3

R4

Ib

Rt = R1 + R2 = 74 + 76 = 150 and
so

EC = E3 E1
= 9 V 37 V = 28 V
|EC | = 28 V .
013 (part 2 of 2) 10.0 points
If the battery is disconnected, how long does
it take for the voltage across the capacitor to
E0
drop to a value of V (t) = , where E0 is the
e
initial voltage across the capacitor?
Correct answer: 1056 s.
Explanation:
With the battery removed, the circuit is

Ir

R4
Ir

Ieq

1
1

Req C = (48 ) (22 F)

= 1056 s .

Since E1 and E3 are measured from the same

point a, the potential across C must be

R2

1
1
+
R Rr

so the time constant is

E3 = Ib R3 = (1.5 A) (6 ) = 9 V .

R1
R3

Req =

1
1
+
=
80 120
= 48 ,

and across R3

and

E1 = It R1 = (0.5 A) (74 ) = 37 V

where
R = R1 + R3 = 74 + 6 = 80 ,
Rr = R2 + R4 = 76 + 44 = 120

Ib

Rb = R3 + R4 = 6 + 44 = 50 ,
E
75 V
It =
=
= 0.5 A and
Rt
150
75 V
E
= 1.5 A .
=
Ib =
Rb
50
Across R1 ,

Req

It

It
a

The
C

circuit with no current flowing to it.

equivalent circuit is

The capacitor discharges according to

Qt
= et/
Q0
V (t)
1
= et/ =
E0
e
 
t
1
= ln
= ln e

e
t = (ln e) = (1056 s) (1)
= 1056 s .