Class – XII Physics Assignment No.

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Electrostatics Electric Potential & Capacitance By INDER JEET

1. What is an equipotential surface?

2. Define capacitance of a capacitor.

3. Name the physical quantity which has its unit joule coulomb-1.

4. Draw an equipotential surface in a uniform electric field.

5. Draw an equipotential surface for a system consisting of two charges Q, -Q separated by a distance r in
air.

6. A 500 C charge is at the centre of a square of side 10 cm. Find the work done in moving the charge of
10 C between two diagonally opposite points on the square. (Ans. Zero)

7. Express dielectric constant in terms of capacitance.

8. What is the function of dielectric in a capacitor?

9. A man fixes outside his house one evening a 2 meters long high insulating slab carrying on its top a
large aluminium sheet of area 1 m2 . Will he get an electric shock if he touches the metal sheet next
morning? (Ans. Yes)

10. How the electric field inside a dielectric does decreases when it is placed in an external electric field?

11. Sketch the graph to show how charge Q given to a capacitor of capacitance C varies with the potential
difference.

12. A charged air capacitor has stored energy U0. What will be the energy stored when air is replaced by a
dielectric of dielectric constant K, charge Q remaining the same. (Ans. Reduce to 1/k times )

13. The graph shown here shows the variation of total energy (E) stored in a capacitor against the value of
the capacitance (C) itself. Which of the two : the charge on capacitor or the potential used to charge it
is kept constant for this graph?

(Ans. Q remain same)

14. In a parallel plate capacitor, the capacitance increases from 4 F to 80 F on introducing the dielectric
medium between the plates. What is the dielectric constant of the medium? (k = 20)
15. What should be the work done if a point charge +q is taken from a point A to the point B on the
circumference drawn with another point +q at the centre?

16. If a point charge +q is taken from A to C and then from C to B of a circle drawn with another point

Charge q at its centre, then along which path will more work be done?

17. A and B are two conducting spheres of the same radius, A being solid and B hollow. Both are charged
to the same potential. What will be the relation between the charges on the two spheres?

18. How much work is done in moving a 500 C charge between two points on an equipotential surface?
19. Show that electric field is always directed perpendicular to equipotential surface.
20. Derive an expression for the potential energy of an electric dipole of dipole moment P in an electric
field E?
21. A point charge q is placed at O as shown in fig. Is VP - VQ positive or negative when (i) q > 0 (ii) q < 0

Justify your answer.

22. A parallel plate capacitor with air between the plates has a capacitance of 8 pF, The separation between
the plates is now reduced by half and the space between them is filled with a medium of dielectric
constant 5. Calculate the value of the capacitance of the capacitor in the second case.
(Ans. 80 pF)

23. The given graph shows the variation of charge q versus potential difference V for capacitors C1 and C2.
The two capacitors have the same plate separation, but the plate area of C2 is doubled that of C1. Which
of the lines in the graph correspond to C1 and C2 and why?

23. A parallel plate capacitor with plate area A and separation‘d’ is charged to a potential difference V.
The battery used to charge it is then disconnected. A dielectric slab of thickness d and dielectric
Constant K is now placed between the plates. What change if any, will take place in

(i) charge on the plates

(ii) electric field intensity between the plates,
(iii) capacitance of the capacitor

Justify your answer in each case.

24. Define electric potential. What is its physical significance?

25. The distance between the plates of a parallel plate capacitor is d. A metal plate of thickness (d/2) is
placed between the plates; what will be the effect on the capacitance? (Ans. Doubled)

26. A very thin plate of metal is placed exactly in the middle of the two plates of a parallel plate
capacitor. What will be the effect on the capacitance of the system?

27. A parallel plate capacitor is charged by a battery, which is then disconnected. A dielectric slab is then
inserted in the space between the plates. Explain what changes, if any, occur in the values of

a. charge on the plates

b. capacitance

c. potential difference between the plates

d. electric field between the plates

e. the energy stored in the capacitor

28. A parallel plate capacitor with no dielectric has a capacitance of 0.05F. The space between the
plates is then filled with equal amounts of two dielectrics of dielectric constants 2 and 3 in the two
arrangements as shown below one by one. Find the ratio of capacitance CI and CII .

(Ans. 25/24)

29. Show that the electric potential can be expressed as the line integral of the electrostatic field.
30. Derive the expression for the electric potential due to an electric dipole at any point on its axis.
Mention the contrasting features of electric potential of a dipole at a point as compared to that due to a
single charge.
31. Briefly explain the principle of a capacitor. Derive an expression for the capacitance of a parallel plate
capacitor, whose plates are separated by a dielectric medium.
32. Find expression for equivalent capacitance of three capacitors when connected (i) in series and (ii) in
parallel.
33. Derive an expression for the energy stored in a parallel plate capacitor C, charged to a potential
difference V.
34. Two capacitors with capacitances C1 and C2 are charged to potentials V1 and V2 respectively and then
connected in parallel. Calculate the common potential across the combination, the charge on each
capacitor, the electrostatic energy stored in the system and the change in electrostatic energy from its
initial value. (Ans. V= C1V1 + C2V2 , Q’1 = C’2 , energy loss= C1C2(V1-V2)2
C1 + C 2 Q’2 = C’2 2(C1 + C2)
35. Explain the principle on which Van de Graff generator operates. Describe the construction and
working of a Van de Graff generator with the help of a labelled diagram.
36. A 600 pF capacitor is charged by a 200 V supply. It is then disconnected from the supply and is
connected the another uncharged 600 pF capacitor. How much electrostatic energy is lost in the
process? (Ans. 6x10-6 J)