PHYLEETS 1

UMABELLE REIGN A. ARCIAGA | 12-6 GREGORIO

CONCEPTUAL AND ESTIMATION QUESTIONS

1. Bits of paper are attracted to an electrified comb or rod, even though
they have no net charge. How is this possible?

The interaction between the paper and the comb or rod induces a charge separation
effect. Even objects with no charge can be subject to forces from a charged object.
Even in an insulator, the electric charges can shift back and forth a little when there is
charge nearby. For instance, a positively-charged comb/rod displaces the negative
charge in the paper. This would cause the molecules in the positively-charged comb/rod
to develop induced charges, an effect called polarization. Even though the bits of paper
have no net charge, they will nevertheless be attracted to a charged comb/rod because
the atoms in the paper lead it to become polarized, forming dipoles.

8. If an electric dipole is placed in a uniform electric field, what is the net

force on it? Will the same thing necessarily be true if the field is not
uniform?

Due to the forces acting on the two charges that make up a dipole being equal and
opposite, there is no net force acting on a dipole that is put in a uniform electric field,
thus the net force is zero. The direction of the electric force depends on the nature of
charge. If the charge is positive, then the direction would be the same. If the charge is
negative, then the direction of the electric force will be opposite. Although the net
electric force on the dipole is zero, the dipole is not in equilibrium. The two electric forces
will create a torque on the dipole. Therefore, the dipole will not have translational motion,
and will only have a rotational motion.

9. Why do electric field lines point away from positive charges and toward
negative charges?

The direction of the field is defined to be the direction of the force on a positively
charged test particle. These pattern of lines, also known as electric field lines, indicate
the direction in which a positive test charge would accelerate if it were applied on the
line. As such, the lines are pointed away from positively charged source charges and
toward negatively charged sources.
 PHYLEETS 1
UMABELLE REIGN A. ARCIAGA | 12-6 GREGORIO

MULTIPLE-CHOICE PROBELMS
1. Just after two identical point charges are released when they are a
distance (D) apart in outer space, they have an acceleration (a). If you
release them from a distance D/2 instead, their acceleration will be?

A. a/2 B. a/2 C. 2a D. 4a

Letter D. It is because the electrostatic force between two point charges is inversely
proportional to the square of the distance between them. Hence, when the distance (D) is
changed from D to D/2, the force increases by a factor of 2^2 = 4. The acceleration is
proportional to force. Therefore, acceleration also increases by a factor of 4. That is
why the acceleration will be 4a.

7. A hollow conductor carries a net charge of +3Q. A small charge of -2Q is

placed inside the cavity in such a way that it is isolated from the
conductor. How much charge is on the outer surface of the conductor?

A. +Q B. -Q C. +5Q D. -5Q

Letter A. As no electric field can exist inside a conductor, if we apply Gauss' Law to the
surface with a radius a bit larger than the distance of the inner surface, but less than the
distance of the outer surface, the net flux through this surface (E) must be zero. In
addition, as the net flux must be proportional to the charge enclosed by the surface, it
follows that Q is also equal to zero. So, if the net charge of the conductor is +3Q, which
must remain constant, and no charge can exist within the conductor, we have the
following equation:

Qnet = Qin + Qou = +3Q ⇒ +2Q + Qou = +3Q ⇒ Qou = +Q

where Qnet = net charge, Qin = inner surface, Qou = outer surface