PHYS1212 Exam#2 Spring 2014

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CREDIT GRADE
PART A 60%
PART B 40%
TOTAL 100%

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PART A. Each question is worth 3%. In the space provided, to the left of the question
number, write the letter corresponding to the best answer to the question.

__C_ 1. A neutral metal ball is suspended by a string. A positively charged insulating rod is
placed near the ball, which is observed to be attracted to the rod. This is because:

A. the ball becomes positively charged by induction

B. the ball becomes negatively charged by induction
C. there is a rearrangement of the electrons in the ball
D. the string is not a perfect insulator
E. the number of electrons in the ball is more than the number in the rod

__A__2. Two charged particles are arranged as shown. In which region could a third particle,
with charge +1 C, be placed so that the net electrostatic force on it is zero?

A. I only
B. I and II only
C. III only
D. I and III only
E. II only

__E_ 3. Electric field lines:

A. are trajectories of a test charge

B. are vectors in the direction of the electric field
C. cross each other in the region between two point charges
D. form closed loops
E. are none of the above

_A__ 4. Positive charge +Q is uniformly distributed on the upper half a semicircular rod and
negative charge −Q is uniformly distributed on the lower half. What is the direction of
the electric field at point P, the center of the semicircle?

A. ↓
B. ↑
C. →
D. ←
E.

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__D_ 5. A small object has charge Q. Charge q is removed from it and placed on a second small
object. The two objects are placed 1m apart. For the force that each object exerts on the
other to be a maximum. q should be:

A. 0
B. 2Q
C. Q
D. Q/2
E. Q /4

D 6. To make an uncharged object have a positive charge

A. remove some neutrons
B. add some neutrons
C. add some electrons
D. remove some electrons
E. heat it to cause a change of phase

D 7. An electric field is most directly related to

A. the momentum of a test charge

B. the kinetic energy of a test charge
C. the potential energy of a test charge
D. the force acting on a test charge
E. the charge carried by a test charge

_B__ 8. A parallel plate capacitor of capacitance C0 has plates of area A with separation d
between them. When it is connected to a battery of voltage V0, it has charge of magnitude
Q0 on its plates. It is then disconnected from the battery and the plates are pushed closer
to a separation d/2 without discharging them. After the plates are d/2 apart, the magnitude
of the charge on the plates and the potential difference between them are:

1 1
A. Q0 , V0 D. Q0 , 2V0
2 2
1
B. Q0 , V0 E. 2Q0 , 2V0
2
C. Q0 , V0

__C_ 9. A battery is used to charge a parallel combination of two identical capacitors. If the
potential difference across the battery terminals is V and total charge Q flows through the battery
during the charging process then the charge on the positive plate of each capacitor and the
potential difference across each capacitor are:

A. Q/2 and V/2, respectively

B. Q and V, respectively
C. Q/2 and V, respectively

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 D. Q and V/2, respectively
E. Q and 2V, respectively

__C_ 10. If both the plate area and the plate separation of a parallel-plate capacitor are doubled,
the capacitance is:

A. doubled
B. halved
C. unchanged
D. tripled
E. quadrupled

B 11. An electron traveling north enters a region where the electric field is uniform and points
north. The electron:

A. speeds up
B. slows down
C. veers east
D. veers west
E. continues with the same speed in the same direction

__B_ 12. The diagram shows the electric field lines due to two charged parallel metal plates. We
conclude that:

A. the upper plate is positive and the lower plate is negative

B. a proton at X would experience the same force if it were placed at Y
C. a proton at X experiences a greater force than if it were placed at Z
D. a proton at X experiences less force than if it were placed at Z
E. an electron at X could have its weight balanced by the electrical force

__A_13. Points R and T are each a distance d from each of two particles with charges of equal
magnitudes and opposite signs as shown. If k = 1/4πε0, the work required to move a
particle with a negative charge q from R to T is:

A. 0
B. kqQ/d2
C. kqQ/d
D. kqQ /( 2d )
E. kQq/(2d)

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_E__ 14. Which of the following graphs represents the magnitude of the electric field as a
function of the distance from the center of a solid charged conducting sphere of radius R?

__A_ 15. A Two particle with charges Q and −Q are fixed at the vertices of an equilateral
triangle with sides of length a. If k = 1/4π0, the work required to move a particle with charge
q from the other vertex to the center of the line joining the fixed particles is

A. 0
B. kQq/a
C. kQq/a2
D. 2kQq/a
E. 2kQq / a

A 16. Two thin spherical shells, one with radius R and the other with radius 2R, surround an
isolated charged point particle. The ratio of the number of field lines through the larger
sphere to the number through the smaller is:

A. 1
B. 2
C. 4
D. 1/2
E. 1/4

D 17. When a piece of paper is held with one face perpendicular to a uniform electric field the
flux through it is 25N · m2 /C. When the paper is turned 25o with respect to the field the flux
through it is:

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 A. 0
B. 12N · m2/C
C. 21N · m2/C
D. 23N · m2/C
E. 25N · m2/C

__A_ 18. Positive charge is distributed uniformly throughout a non-conducting sphere. The
highest electric potential occurs:

A. at the center
B. at the surface
C. halfway between the center and surface
D. just outside the surface
E. far from the sphere

D 19 An electron goes from one equipotential surface to another along one of the four paths
shown below. Rank the paths according to the work done by the electric field, from least to
greatest.

A. 1, 2, 3, 4
B. 4, 3, 2, 1
C. 1, 3, 4 and 2 tie
D. 4 and 2 tie, then 3, then 1
E. 4, 3, 1, 2

C 20 An electron is accelerated from rest through a potential difference V. Its final speed is
proportional to

A. V
B. V2
C. V
D. 1/V
E. 1 / V

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PART B Show all your work to receive full credit. A correct answer alone is only worth 1
point. Make sure you draw a free-body diagram if needed.

1. (15%) In the figure, two tiny conducting balls of identical mass m and identical charge q
hang from nonconducting threads of length L. Assume that  is so small that tan can be
replaced by its approximate equal, sin. Show that, for equilibrium,
1/ 3
 q2L 
x 
 2 mg 
 0 
Solution:
Under equilibrium, the left figure show the Free Body y
Diagram (total 5pts, T and its decomposition 2 pts, G: 1pt; Fe: 1pt;
Ty T
coordinate: 1pt), according to Newton’s first law,
x
we have

F  0 (this equation or equation below:1pt) Fe
Tx
 Fx  0
i.e., 
 Fy  0
G
Tx  Fe
Thus,  (this equation: 2 pts; if only this equation without above equation: 3pts)
 Ty  G

1q2
And Tx  T sin  , Ty  T cos  , G  mg , and Fe  (2pts)
4 0 x 2
 1 q2
T sin   (1)
Thus,  4 0 x 2 (The derivation procedure: 4pts)
 T cos   mg ( 2)

Using Eq. (1) divided by Eq. (2), one gets,
1 q2
tan  
4 0 x 2 mg
x/2
Since  is small, tan   sin   , thus
L
x 1 q2

2 L 4 0 x 2 mg
Therefore,
2L q 2 L q2
x3  
4 0 mg 2 0 mg
1/ 3
And (final answer: 1pt)  q2L 
x 
 2 mg 
 0 

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2. (25%) Consider two thin, conducting, concentric spherical shells as shown in cross-section in
the following figure. The inner shell has a radius r1, and a charge of +Q; the outer shell has a
radius r2, and a charge of -Q.

a) (10%) Find the electric field E in regions A, B, and C?

(2pts)

(2pts)

(2pts)

(2pts)

(2pts)

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b) (10%) Find the electric potential V in regions A, B, and C, with V = 0 at r = ∞
(2pts)

(2pts)

(2pts)

(2pts)

(2pts)

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c) (5%) Please Find the capacitance of the two shell system

(2pts)

(3pts)

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PART C BONUS QUESTION
(20%) Two charged spherical conductors of radius R1 = 6 cm and R2 = 2 cm are separated by a
distance much greater than 6 cm, and are connected by a long, thin conducting wire. A total
charge of Q = +80 nC is placed on one of the spheres. Assume that the charge on the conducting
wire is negligible.

a) (12%) What is the charge on each sphere?

When the two spheres are connected by a thin wire, they become equal-potential surface, i.e., the
electric static potential on the two sphere shall be the same. (2pts)

Assuming there are Q1 charge in Sphere#1, and Q2 in Sphere #2, according to conservation of
charge,
Q  Q1  Q2 (1) (3pts)
At infinite distance from the two sphere the potential is zero, and since the potential on a
1 q
spherical conducting shell is expressed as V  , (2pts) we have
4 0 R
V1  V2
1 Q1 1 Q2 Q1 Q2
i.e.,  or  (2) (3pts)
4 0 R1 4 0 R2 R1 R2
Combining Eq. (1) and Eq. (2), we have
R1 6
Q1  Q  80nC  60nC
R1  R2 62
R2
Q1  Q  20nC (2pts)
R1  R2

b) (4%) What is the electric field near the surface of each sphere?

According to Gauss’ law, the electric field near a surface of a charged conducting sphere is
 1 q
expressed as E  r̂ (2pts), thus
4 0 R 2

 1 Q1 60  10 9
E1  r̂  8 .99  10 9
 N / Cr̂  1.50  105 N / Cr̂
4 0 R12 ( 6  10 2 )2
 1 Q2 20  10 9
E2  r̂  8.99  109  N / Cr̂  4.49  105 N / Cr̂ (2pts)
4 0 2
R2 ( 2  10 )
2 2

c) (4%) What is the electric potential of each sphere?

Since the two spheres have the same potential, (1pt)

1 Q1 60  10 9
V1  V2   8.99  109   8.99  103V (3pts)
4 0 R1 6  10 2

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