Physics 222 Quiz 4 Spring 2014

Quiz 4A

A solid conducting sphere with radius 1 cm, that carries a charge of +5 nC, is concentric
with a very thin insulating shell of radius 2 cm that also carries a charge +5 nC, which is
distributed uniformly over the insulating shell. Find the electric field magnitude in each
of the following regions:

a.) 0 < r < 1 cm;

E = 0 in this region since r is inside the conducting sphere.




b.) 1 cm < r < 2 cm;

The charge enclosed is +5 nC; by Gausss Law, this will be equivalent to having
a +5 nC point charge at the origin. We will thus find that

E = kq/r
2

= (8.99 * 10
9
N m
2
/C
2
) * (5 * 10
-9
C) / r
2

= 44.95/r
2
N/C


c.) r > 2 cm.

Now the charge enclosed is double that of part (b), and the result is equivalent to
that of a 10 nC point charge at the origin. The result is thus twice that of part (b):
E = 89.9/r
2
N/C.
Physics 222 Quiz 4 Spring 2014

Quiz 4B

A solid conducting cylinder with radius 1 cm (and infinite length), that carries a charge
per unit length of +5 nC/m, is coaxial with a very thin insulating cylindrical shell of
radius 2 cm that also carries a charge per unit length +5 nC/m, which is distributed
uniformly over the insulating shell. Find the electric field magnitude in each of the
following regions, where r is the distance away from the central axis:

a.) 0 < r < 1 cm;

E = 0 in this region since r is inside the conducting cylinder.



b.) 1 cm < r < 2 cm;

For a 1 m long Gaussian cylinder, the charge enclosed is +5 nC; by Gausss
Law, this will be equivalent to having a +5 nC/m line charge on the central axis.
We will thus find (using the line charge formula) that:

E = k * 2!/r
= (8.99 * 10
9
N m
2
/C
2
) * 2 * (5 * 10
-9
C/m) / r
= 89.9/r N/C


c.) r > 2 cm.

Now the charge enclosed is double that of part (b), and the result is equivalent to
that of a 10 nC/m line charge on the central axis. This is twice the charge density
of part (b), so we expect that E = 179.8/r N/C.
Physics 222 Quiz 4 Spring 2014

Quiz 4C


A solid conducting sphere with radius 2 cm, that carries a charge of +3 nC, is concentric
with a very thin insulating shell of radius 4 cm that carries a charge !3 nC, which is
distributed uniformly over the insulating shell. Find the electric field magnitude in each
of the following regions:

a.) 0 < r < 2 cm;

E = 0 in this region since r is inside the conducting sphere.




b.) 2 cm < r < 4 cm;

The charge enclosed is +3 nC; by Gausss Law, this will be equivalent to having
a +3 nC point charge at the origin. We will thus find that

E = kq/r
2

= (8.99 * 10
9
N m
2
/C
2
) * (3 * 10
-9
C) / r
2

= 26.97/r
2
N/C


c.) r > 4 cm.

Here the total charge enclosed is again zero, so once more, E = 0.
Physics 222 Quiz 4 Spring 2014


Quiz 4D

A solid conducting cylinder with radius 2 cm (and infinite length), that carries a charge
per unit length of +3 nC/m, is coaxial with a very thin insulating cylindrical shell of
radius 4 cm that carries a charge per unit length !3 nC/m, which is distributed uniformly
over the insulating shell. Find the electric field magnitude in each of the following
regions, where r is the distance away from the central axis:

a.) r < 2 cm;

E = 0 in this region since r is inside the conducting cylinder.




b.) 2 cm < r < 4 cm;

For a 1 m long Gaussian cylinder, the charge enclosed is +3 nC; by Gausss
Law, this will be equivalent to having a +3 nC/m line charge on the central axis.
We will thus find (using the line charge formula) that:

E = k * 2!/r
= (8.99 * 10
9
N m
2
/C
2
) * 2 * (3 * 10
-9
C/m) / r
= 53.94/r N/C


c.) r > 4 cm.

Here the total charge enclosed sums to zero, so again E = 0.