Assignments chapter 1

Quantisation of Electric Charges

1. Calculate the charge carried by 12.5 × 10⁸ electrons. (Ans. 2 × 10⁻¹⁰ C)
2. How many electrons would have to be removed from a copper penny to leave it with a positive charge
of 10⁻⁷ C?(Ans. 6.25 × 10¹¹ electrons)
3. Calculate the charge on an alpha particle. Given charge on a proton = 1.6 × 10⁻¹⁹ C. (Ans. + 3.2 × 10 ⁻¹ ⁹
C)
4. Calculate the charge on ⁵⁶₂₆Fe nucleus. Given charge on a proton = 1.6 × 10 ⁻¹ ⁹ C. (Ans. + 4.16 × 10 ⁻¹⁸
C)
5. Determine the total charge on 75.0 kg of electrons. (Ans. - 1.33 × 10¹³ C)
6. How many mega coulombs of positive (or negative) charge are present in 2.0 mole of neutral hydrogen
(H₂) gas?
7. Estimate the total number of electrons present in 100 g of water. How much is the total negative charge
carried by these electrons? Avogadro's number = 6.02 × 10²³ and molecular mass of water = 18. (Ans.
5.35 × 10⁶ C)

Coulomb’s Law
1. Obtain the dimensional formula of ε₀. (Ans. M⁻¹L⁻³T⁴A²)
2. Calculate Coulomb force between two α-particles separated by a distance of 3.2 × 10 ⁻¹⁵ m in air. (Ans.
90 N)
3. Calculate the distance between two protons such that the electrical repulsive force between them is equal
to the weight of either. (Ans. 1.18 cm)
4. How far apart should the two electrons be, if the force each exerts on the other is equal to the weight of
the electron? Given that e = 1.6 × 10⁻¹⁹ C and mₑ = 9.1 × 10⁻³¹ kg. (Ans. 5.08 m)
5. A pith-ball A of mass 9 × 10⁻⁵ kg carries a charge of 5 μC. What must be the magnitude and sign of the
charge on a pith-ball B held 2 cm directly above the pith-ball A, such that the pith-ball A remains
stationary? (Ans. 7.84 pC, sign opposite to that of A)
6. Two identical metal spheres having equal and similar charges repel each other with a force of 10³ N
when they are placed 10 cm apart in a medium of dielectric constant 5. Determine the charge on each
sphere. (Ans. 23.9 × 10⁻⁶ C)
7. The distance between the electron and proton in hydrogen atom is 5.3 × 10 ⁻¹¹ m. Determine the
magnitude of the ratio of electrostatic and gravitational force between them. Given mₑ = 9.1 × 10 ⁻³¹ kg,
mₚ = 1.67 × 10⁻²⁷ kg, e = 1.6 × 10⁻¹⁹ C and G = 6.67 × 10⁻¹¹ Nm² kg⁻². (Ans. Fₑ / Fg = 2.27 × 10³⁹)
8. Two identical metallic spheres, having unequal, opposite charges are placed at a distance 0.90 m apart in
air. After bringing them in contact with each other, they are again placed at the same distance apart. Now
the force of repulsion between them is 0.025 N. Calculate the final charge on each of them. (Ans. 1.5 ×
10⁻⁶ C)
9. A small brass sphere having a positive charge of 1.7 × 10⁻⁸ C is made to touch another sphere of the
same radius having a negative charge of 3.0 × 10⁻⁹ C. Find the force between them when they are
separated by a distance of 20 cm. What will be t he force between them wh en they are
immersed in an oil of dielectric constant 3? (Ans. 1.1 × 10⁻⁵ N; 0.367 × 10⁻⁵ N)
10. The sum of two point charges is 7 µC. They repel each other with a force of 1 N when kept 30 cm apart
in free space. Calculate the value of each charge.
(Ans. 5 µC, 2 µC)
11. Two point charges q₁ = 5 × 10⁻⁶ C and q₂ = 3 × 10 ⁻⁶ C are located at positions (1 m, 3 m, 2 m) and (3
m, 5 m, 1 m) respectively. Find the forces F₁₂ and F₂₁ using vector form of Coulomb's law.
[Ans. F₁₂ = -5 × 10⁻³ (2î + 2ĵ - k̂ ) N, F₂₁ = 5 × 10⁻³ (2î + 2ĵ - k̂ ) N]
12. Three equally charged small objects are placed as shown in fig. The object A exerts an electric force on
object B equal to 3.0 × 10⁻⁶ N.

(i) What electric force does C exert on B? (ii) What is the net electric force on B?
[Ans. (i) 12.0 × 10⁻⁶ N, along BA (ii) 9.0 × 10⁻⁶ N, along BA]
13. Two identical metallic spheres A and B, each carrying a charge q, repel each other with a force F. A
third metallic sphere C of the same size, but uncharged, is successively made to touch the spheres A and
B, and then removed away. What is the force of repulsion between A and B?
(Ans. 3F / 8)
14. Two point charges +9e and +e are kept at a distance a from each other. Where should we place a third
charge q on the line joining the two charges so that it may be in equilibrium?
(Ans. 3a / 4 from +9e charge)
15. Two point electric charges of values q and 2q are kept at a distance d apart from each other in air. A
third charge Q is to be kept along the same line in such a way that the net force acting on q and 2q is
zero. Calculate the position of charge Q in terms of q and d.
(Ans. At a distance of (√2 - 1) d from charge q)
16. A charge q is placed at the centre of the line joining two equal charges Q. Show that the system of three
charges will be in equilibrium if q = -Q/4.

Superposition of force
1. Ten positively charged particles are kept fixed on the x-axis at points x = 10 cm, 20 cm, 30 cm, ..., 100
cm. The first particle has a charge 1.0 x 10⁻⁸ C, the second 8 x 10 ⁻⁸ C, third 27 x 10 ⁻⁸ C, and so on. The
tenth particle has a charge 1000 x 10⁻⁸ C. Find the magnitude of the electric force acting on a 1 C charge
placed at the origin. (Ans. 4.95 x 10⁵ N)

2. Charges q₁ = 1.5 mC, q₂ = 0.2 mC and q₃ = -0.5 mC are placed at the points A, B and C respectively, as
shown in Fig. 1.32. If r₁ = 1.2 m and r₂ = 0.6 m, calculate the magnitude of resultant force on q₂. (Ans.
3.125 x 10³ N)
3. Two equal positive charges, each of 2 µC interact with a third positive charge of 3 µC situated as shown
in Fig. 1.33. Find the magnitude and direction of the force experienced by the charge of 3 µC. (Ans.
3.456 x 10⁻³ N, along OC produced)
Electric Field
1. Calculate the electric field strength required to just support a water drop of mass 10 ⁻³ kg and having a
charge 1.6 x 10⁻¹⁹ C. (Ans. 6.125 x 10¹⁶ NC⁻¹)
2. In Millikan's experiment, an oil drop of radius 10⁻⁴ cm remains suspended between the plates which are
1 cm apart. If the drop has charge of 5e over it, calculate the potential difference between the plates. The
density of oil may be taken as 1.5 gcm⁻³. (Ans. 770 V)
3. A proton falls down through a distance of 2 cm in a uniform electric field of magnitude 3.34 x 10³ NC ⁻¹.
Determine (i) the acceleration of the electron (ii) the time taken by the proton to fall through the distance
of 2 cm, and (iii) the direction of the electric field. Mass of a proton is 1.67 x 10 ⁻²⁷ kg. (Ans. 3.2 x 10¹¹
ms⁻², 3.54 x 10⁻⁷ s, vertically downwards)
4. A particle of mass 10⁻³ kg and charge 5 µC is thrown at a speed of 20 ms ⁻¹ against a uniform electric
field of strength 2 x 10⁵ NC⁻¹. How much distance will it travel before coming to rest momentarily?
(Ans. 0.2 m)
5. A α-particle of mass 6.4 x 10⁻²⁷ kg and charge 3.2 x 10 ⁻¹ ⁹ C is situated in an electric field of 1.6 x 10⁵
Vm⁻¹. If the particle starts from rest, find its velocity at the end of 2 x 10 ⁻² m path. (Ans. 4√2 x 10⁵
ms⁻¹)

Superposition of Electric field

1. An electron is separated from the proton through a distance of 0.53 Å. Calculate the electric field at the
location of the electron.(Ans. 5.1 x 10¹¹ NC⁻¹)
2. Determine the electric field produced by a helium nucleus at a distance of 1 Å from it.(Ans. 2.88 x 10¹¹
NC⁻¹)
3. Two point charges + q and + 4q are separated by a distance of 6a. Find the point on the line joining the
two charges where the electric field is zero. (Ans. At a distance 2a from charge + q)
4. Two point charges q₁ and q₂ of 2 x 10⁻⁸ C and -2 x 10 ⁻⁸ C respectively are placed 0.4 m apart.
Calculate the electric field at the centre of the line joining the two charges. (Ans. 900 NC ⁻¹, towards the
-ve charge)
5. Two point charges +q and -2q are placed at the vertices 'B' and 'C' of an equilateral triangle ABC of side
'a' as shown in Fig. 1.53. Obtain the expression for (i) the magnitude and (ii) the direction of the resultant
electric field at the vertex A due to these two charges.
6.
7. Find the magnitude and direction of electric field at point P in Fig.

7. Three charges, each equal to q are placed at the three corners of a square of side a. Find the electric field
at the fourth corner.

Charge Distribution
1. A uniformly charged sphere carries a total charge of 2π×10 −12 C. Its radius is 5 cm and is placed in
vacuum. Determine its surface charge density.
2. What charge would be required to electrify a sphere of radius 15 cm so as to get a surface charge density
of 7/11µC/m2? (Ans. 1.8×10−7 C)
3. A metal cube of length 0.1 m is charged by 12 µC. Calculate its surface charge density. (Ans. 2×10 −4
µC/m2)
4. Two equal spheres of water having equal and similar charges coalesce to form a large sphere. If no
charge is lost, how will the surface densities of electrification change? (Ans. σ1:σ2 = 22/3:2)

Electric dipole
1. An electric dipole of dipole moment 4 x 10⁻⁵ Cm is placed in a uniform electric field of 10 ⁻³ NC ⁻¹
making an angle of 30° with the direction of the field. Determine the torque exerted by the electric field
on the dipole. (Ans. 2 x 10⁻⁸ Nm)
2. A dipole consisting of an electron and a proton separated by a distance of 4 x 10 ⁻¹ ⁰ m is situated in an
electric field of intensity 3 x 10⁵ NC⁻¹ at an angle of 30° with the field. Calculate the dipole moment and
the torque acting on it. Charge on an electron = 1.602 x 10 ⁻¹ ⁹ C. (Ans. 6.41 x 10 ⁻² ⁹ Cm, 9.615 x 10 ⁻²⁴
Nm)
3. An electric dipole consists of two opposite charges of magnitude 2 x 10 ⁻⁶ C each and separated by a
distance of 3 cm. It is placed in an electric field of 2 x 10⁵ NC ⁻¹. Determine the maximum torque on the
dipole. (Ans. 1.2 x 10⁻² Nm)
4. Two point charges of + 0.2 μC and - 0.2 μC are separated by 10 ⁻⁸ m. Determine the electric field at an
axial point at a distance of 0.1 m from their midpoint. Use the standard value of ε₀. (Ans. 3.6 x 10⁹
NC⁻¹)
5. Calculate the field due to an electric dipole of length 10 cm and consisting of charges of ± 100 μC at a
point 20 cm from each charge. (Ans. 1.125 x 10⁷ NC⁻¹)

Electric Flux

1. If the electric field is given by E=8i +4j +3k NC ⁻¹, calculate the electric flux through a surface of area
100 m² lying in the X-Y plane. (Ans. 300 Nm² C⁻¹)
2. The electric field in a certain region of space is (5i + 4j − 4k)×105 NC⁻¹. Calculate electric flux due to
this field over an area of (2i − j)×10−2 m². (Ans. 6×103 Nm² C⁻¹)
3. Consider a uniform electric field E=3×103 i^ NC⁻¹. Calculate the flux of this field through a square
surface of area 10 cm² when (i) its plane is parallel to the y-z plane, and (ii) the normal to its plane
makes a 60° angle with the x-axis. [Ans. (i) 30 Nm² C⁻¹ (ii) 15 Nm² C⁻¹]
4. Given a uniform electric field E=5×103 i^ NC⁻¹, find the flux of this field through a square of 10 cm on a
side whose plane is parallel to the Y-Z plane. What would be the flux through the same square if the
plane makes a 30° angle with the X-axis? [Ans. (i) 50 Nm² C⁻¹ (ii) 25 Nm² C⁻¹]
5. A point charge of 17.7 μC is located at the centre of a cube of side 0.03 m. Find the electric flux through
each face of the cube. (Ans. 3.3×105 Nm² C⁻¹)
6. A spherical Gaussian surface encloses a charge of 8.85 x 10⁸ C. (i) Calculate the electric flux passing
through the surface. (ii) If the radius of the Gaussian surface is doubled, how would the flux change?
[Ans. (i) 10⁴ Nm² C⁻¹ (ii) No change]
7. A charge q is situated at the centre of an imaginary hemispherical surface, as shown in Fig. 1.93. Using
Gauss's theorem and symmetry considerations, determine the electric flux due to this charge through the
hemispherical surface. (Ans. q/2εo)

8. A hollow cylindrical box of length 1 m and area of cross-section 25 cm² is placed in a three-dimensional
coordinate system as shown in Fig. 1.94. The electric field in the region is given by E = 50x i^ , where E is
in NC⁻¹ and x is in metres.

Find (i) net flux through the cylinder, (ii) charge enclosed by the cylinder.
9. The electric field in a region is given by E=E ox/b i^ . Find the charge contained in the cubical volume
bounded by the surfaces x = 0, x = a, y = 0, y = a, z = 0 and z = a. Take E 0=5×103 NC⁻¹, a = 1 cm and b
= 2 cm. (Ans. 2.2×10−12 C)
10. The electric field components due to a charge inside the cube of side 0.1 m are as shown. E x= αx, where
α = 400 N/C-m , Ey=0, Ez=0. Calculate (i) the flux through the cube, and (ii) the charge inside the cube.
[Ans. (i) ϕE = 0.1 Nm⁻²C⁻¹ (ii) q = 8.854 × 10⁻¹³ C]

11. A uniform electric field E=Ex i^ N/C for x > 0 and E=−E x i^ N/C for x < 0 are given. A right circular
cylinder of length l cm and radius r cm has its centre at the origin and its axis along the x-axis. Find out
the net outward flux. Using Gauss's law write the expression for the net charge within the cylinder.

Gauss’s theorem

1. An infinite line charge produces a field of 9×10 4 NC⁻¹ at a distance of 4 cm. Calculate the linear charge
density. (Ans. 2×10−7 Cm⁻¹)
2. A cylinder of large length carries a charge of 2×10 −8 Cm⁻¹. Find the electric field at a distance of 0.2 m
from it. (Ans. 1800 Vm⁻¹)
3. An infinitely long wire is stretched horizontally 4 metre above the surface of the earth. It carries a charge
1 μC per cm of its length. Calculate its electric field at a point on the earth's surface vertically below the
wire. (Ans. 4.5×105 Vm⁻¹)
4. Two large metal plates each of area 1 m² are placed facing each other at a distance of 10 cm and carry
equal and opposite charges on their faces. If the electric field between the plates is 100 NC ⁻¹, find the
charge on each plate. (Ans. 8.85×10−10 C)
5. An electron is revolving around a long line charge having charge density 2×10 −8 Cm⁻¹. Find the kinetic
energy of the electron, assuming that it is independent of the radius of electron's orbit. (Ans. 2.88×10 −17
J)
6. A particle of mass 5×10−6 g is kept over a large horizontal sheet of charge density 4×10 −6 Cm⁻². What
charge should be given to this particle, so that if released, it does not fall down. How many electrons
should be removed to give this charge? (Ans. 2.16×10−13 C, 1.355×106)
7. A spherical shell of metal has a radius of 0.25 m and carries a charge of 0.2 µC. Calculate the electric
field intensity at a point (i) inside the shell, (ii) just outside the shell and (iii) 3.0 m from the centre of the
shell. [Ans. (i) 0 (ii) 2.88 x 10⁴ NC⁻¹ (iii) 200 NC⁻¹]
PYQs