PHY 152S, Problem Set 2. Assigned: January 19, 2020. Due: January 27, 2020, at 10 p.m.

Answer BOTH Parts A and B. Part A is to be answered on Wiley+. Part B is to be hand written or
typeset and uploaded as a pdf file using Quercus. Write your name, student number, and TA’s name
on your problem set solution. The breakdown of marks for the Wiley+ work on Part A and the indi-
vidual questions of Part B is listed in the right-hand margin in square brackets. For the problems
you hand in, show all derivations, and justify each significant step in your answer. Support your
solutions with sketches as suitable.
This assignment has 3 pages.

PART A (20 marks)

Carry out all the assigned questions for the Wiley+ assignment entitled PHY152S PS2A, Wiley+.
Even if you don’t complete the Wiley+ assignment, you must submit the assignment in order to
obtain points for the part you have completed.
Please note the following points about this part of the problem set:

• Throughout the problems, friction and drag are neglected.

• For the following notes, the notation like DDD, DD.D, D.DD, 0.DD etc. indicates numbers
of the corresponding form e.g. 123, 12.3, 1.23, 0.12, etc. Generally, D indicates a significant
figure (that could be zero).

• Chapter 21, Interactive Exercise 21.02: The answer keys look like they are paired up with
the red lines - these are just labels, the different answers aren’t paired. Much of the reading
for this example is instructive but not relevant for solving the problem.

• Chapter 21, Problem 2: Answer has two significant figures (e.g. could be DD0, D.D, 0.DD,
0.00DD etc.).

• Chapter 21, Interactive Exercise 21.05: Questions 2-4 answer has three significant figures
(e.g. could be of form DDD0, DDD, D.DD, 0.DDD etc.)

• Chapter 21, Interactive Exercise 21.07: Question 2 force answer has three significant figures
(in my version), Question 2 angle answer has four significant figures; Question 4 force answer
has three significant figures, Question 4 angle answer has three significant figures.

• Chapter 21, Problem 22: answer has three significant figures.

• Chapter 21, Problem 23: the answers include up to three significant figures, and one of the
answers uses exponential notation in the form D.DDEN, where N is an integer. E.g. 6.02E23
represents an answer of the form 6.02 × 1023 .

• Chapter 21, Problem 72: answer has three significant figures.

PHY152S - Foundations of Physics II 2020 Problem Set 2, page 1 of 3

 PART B (20 marks)
Of the following questions, only TWO will be graded. However, 10 marks will be deducted
for each question that is not attempted. In addition, you will be expected to learn how to do all
assigned problems for the purpose of future problems sets and tests, based on the posted solutions.

1. (a) (See supplementary material on conductors and inductors.) What is the difference be- [6]
tween charging by conduction and charging by induction? Include charge diagrams in
your explanation.
(b) Explain what is meant by the polarization force. Explain, with the help of a charge [4]
diagram, how a charged glass rod can attract an uncharged piece of styrofoam.
2. From Halliday text, Chapter 21, Problem 50. Figure 1 shows a long, nonconducting massless
rod of length L, pivoted at its centre and balanced with a block of weight W at a distance x
from the left end. At the left and right ends of the rod are attached small conducting spheres
with positive charges q and 2q, respectively. A distance h directly beneath each of these
spheres is a fixed sphere with positive charge Q.
(a) Find an equation for the distance x when the rod is horizontal and balanced. [6]
(b) What value should h have so that the rod exerts no vertical force on the bearing when [4]
the rod exerts no vertical force on the bearing when the rod is horizontal and balanced?
For this question, use the permittivity constant 0 , and don’t forget to include diagrams in
your solution.

Figure 1: Question 2.

3. From Halliday text, Chapter 21, Problem 34. Figure 2 shows electrons 1 and 2 on an x axis
and charged ions 3 and 4 of identical charge −q and at identical angles θ. Electron 2 is free to
move; the other three particles are fixed in place and are intended to hold electron 2 in place.
(a) In terms of the variables given and the elementary charge e, what is θ? [6]
(b) Would the value of θ change if charge 2 were a positron with charge +e instead of an [2]
electron with charge −e?
(c) Describe qualitatively what would happen if charge 2 were given a very slight push to [2]
the left, considering the cases that charge 2 is either an electron or a positron.
Don’t forget to include diagrams in your solution.

PHY152S - Foundations of Physics II 2020 Problem Set 2, page 2 of 3

 Figure 2: Question 3.

4. From Halliday text, Chapter 22, Problem 16. Figure 3 shows a plastic ring of radius R = [10]
50.2cm. Two small charged beads are on the ring: Bead 1 of charge +2.18µC is fixed in
place at the left side; bead 2 of charge +6.26µC can be moved along the ring. The two beads
produce a net electric field of magnitude E at the centre of the ring. At what positive and
negative values of angle θ should bead 2 be positioned such that E = 2.06 × 105 NC−1 ?

Figure 3: Question 4

THIS IS THE END OF THE ASSIGNMENT.

PHY152S - Foundations of Physics II 2020 Problem Set 2, page 3 of 3