PHYS2255 Introductory Electricity and Magnetism

HOMEWORK 3 DUE DATE: March 26, 2020 (Thursday) 12:00pm

 Answers should be in the form one ONE file (either DOC. DOCX or PDF) file.
 All assignments must be submitted through the Moodle page

1. [15] Modified from Tipler & Mosca (6th edition) – Chapter 23, problem 32 A point
charge of ‒3e is at the origin and a second point charge of +2e is on the x-axis at x = a.
(a) Sketch the potential function V(x) versus x for all points on the x axis.
(b) At what point or points, if any, is V= zero on the x axis?
(c) What point or points, if any, on the x-axis is the electric field zero? Are these
locations the same locations found in Part (b)? Explain your answer.
(d) How much work by an external force is needed to bring a third charge ‒e to the
point x = + 12 a on the x-axis? Is it positive or negative?

2. [10] Tipler & Mosca (6th edition) – Chapter 23, problem 49 Consider two infinite
parallel thin sheets of charge, one in the x = 0 plane and the other in the x = a plane. The
potential is zero at the origin. (a) Find the electric potential everywhere in space if the
planes have equal positive charge densities +. (b) Find the electric potential everywhere
in space if the sheet in the x = 0 plane has a charge density + and the sheet in the x = a
plane has a charge density – . (Hint: A key point to this problem is to adopt a
convenient position to have zero electric potential.)

3. [15] Modified from Jewett & Serway (8th edition) - Chapter 26, problem 40 Consider
two conducting spheres with radii R1 and R2 separated by a distance much greater than
either radius. A total charge Q is shared between the spheres, with q1 and q2 representing
the charges on the first and second spheres respectively. (a) By considering the work done
in bringing the charges from infinity to the conducting sphere, determine the electric
energy associated with a single conducting sphere of radius R and charge q surrounded by
vacuum. (b) Find the total energy of the system of two spheres in terms of q1, Q, R1 and
R2. (c) Based on your results in part(b), determine the charge q1 which minimizes the
energy stored in the two sphere system. (d) In the configuration of minimum energy, find
the electric potential of each sphere. What’s the potential difference between the two
spheres?

4. [10] Let’s consider the electric force present at capacitors. (a) What is the capacitance of a
fully charged capacitor with q = 30 C, area of plate A = 20 cm2, and separate of the
plates d = 0.4 mm. (b) Show that the plates of a parallel-plate capacitor attract each other
with a force given by F = q2/20A. (Hint: Prove this by calculating the work necessary to
increase the plate separation from x to x + dx, with the charge q remaining constant. (c)
Assuming that the attractive force of the capacitor is provided by a small weight of mass
m, please determine m.
5. [20] An isolated parallel-plate capacitor with a plate
separation d has a capacitance C0, and a surface charge
density ± on the capacitor plates in the absence of a
dielectric. Consider a slab of dielectric material of dielectric
constant  and thickness fd (0 < f < 1) is now inserted
between the plates near one end of the capacitor plate, as
shown in the figure. (a) What is the induced surface charge
density ind on each surface of the dielectric? (b) What is
capacitance C of the capacitor with the dielectric inserted
as shown? (c) [Computational problem] Using MATLAB,
or any other plotting program, make a graph of how C
varies as a function of f for the case of  = 3. For this part,
please include in your submission (1) the graph, (2) the
original code you used to generate the plot, and (3) which
program you used to generate the plot.

6. [15] Modified from Serway & Jewett (8th edition) Chapter 28, problem 27 In the circuit
below, determine the direction and magnitude of the currents through the two batteries
and in the horizontal wire between a and e.

7. [15] Modified from Tipler & Mosca (6th edition) Chapter 24, problem 34 For the circuit
below, the capacitance system is connected to a constant voltage source of 10.0 V, find
(a) the equivalent capacitance between the terminals, (b) the charge stored on the
positively charge plate of each capacitor, (c) the voltage across each capacitor, and (d) the
total stored energy. (e) whether positive work done by an external force is required to (i)
double the separation of the capacitor plates for the 1.00 F capacitor; and (ii) insert a
piece of dielectric of = 3 between the capacitor plates for the 0.300 F capacitor? (for
part e, qualitative yes or no answer would be sufficient)

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