Practice Final Exam

Physics 1B

Name:

ID number:

Lecture (1 or 2):
Section (A-F):

1. An electron is located in the center of a non-conducting sphere with

a uniform charge density . What is the period of oscillations of the
electron about the center of this sphere?
Solution
The electric field as a function of distance r from the center can be
computed using the Gauss Law:
4 3
r
4r E(r) = 4k
3
2

4
E(r) =
k r
3


The returning force acting on the electron is

4e
F = eE(r) =
k r,
3


where e = 1.6 1019 C. The oscillations with this returning force have
a period
s
s


4e
3me
T = 2 me
k = 2
,
3
4ke
where me is the mass of the electron.

2. A charge distribution that is spherically symmetric but not uniform

produces an electric field with magnitude E = bR7 , at distance R from
the center, directed radially outward from the center of the sphere.
What is the volume density of the charge distribution?
Solution Using the Gauss Law, one can relate the electric field and
the charge density:
1 ZR
4r2 (r)dr
E(R) 4R =
0 0
2

Next, one can substitute E(R) = bR7 and differentiate both sides with
respect to R. This yields
(r) = 9b0 r6
.

3. The electric potential in an xy plane is given by

V (x, y) = (2 V/m2 )x2 (3 V/m2 )y 2 . What is the magnitude of the
electric field at the point {3m, 2m}?
Solution The x component of the electric field is given by the derivative
with respect to x:






|Ex | =  V (x, y)
x

= 12 V/m
x=3m

The y component of the electric field is given by the derivative with

respect to y:





= 12 V/m
|Ey | =  V (x, y)

 y
y=2m

Then

~ =
|E|

Ex2 + Ey2 = 17 V/m

4. A C1 = 100 pF capacitor is charged to a potential difference of V1 =

50 V, and the charging battery is disconnected. The capacitor is then
connected in parallel with a second (initially uncharged) capacitor. If
the potential difference drops to V2 =35 V, what is the capacitance of
this second capacitor?
Solution When the second capacitor is connected, the total charge is
conserved, but the capacitance changes from C1 to C1 + C2 . Therefore,
C1 V1 = (C1 + C2 )V2 C2 = C1

V1 V 2
= 43 pF
V2

5. The potential difference V =

100 V is applied to the capacitor arrangement shown in the
figure. Here C1 = 10 F, C2 =
5 F, C3 = 4 F. If capacitor
C3 undergoes electrical breakdown (i.e. becomes equivalent
to a conducting wire), what is
the increase in (a) the charge
oon capacitor 1, and (b) the
potential difference across capacitor 1.
Solution Try to solve it yourself; its a much better way to prepare
for the exam than reading the solution! If necessary, ask the TA for a
hint. (The numerical answers are (a) 789 C, (b) 79 V.)

6. A 120 V potential difference is applied to a heater that dissipates 500 W

during operation. (a) What is the resistance of this heater? (b) At what
rate do electrons flow through this heater?
Solution Try to solve it yourself; its a much better way to prepare
for the exam than reading the solution! If necessary, ask the TA for a
hint. (The numerical answers are (a) 29 , (b) 2.6 1019 s1 .)

7. The switch is closed at time

t = 0, and the initially uncharged capacitor C = 15 F
begins to charge through resistor R = 20 . At what time
is the potential across the capacitor equal to that across the
resistor?
Solution Try to solve it yourself; its a much better way to prepare
for the exam than reading the solution! If necessary, ask the TA for a
hint. (The numerical answer is 0.2 ms.)

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