Physics 203-NYB-05 Electricity & Magnetism 1

Problem Set 1: Electric Forces and Fields

Problem Set 1:
Electric Forces and Fields
CONCEPTUAL QUESTIONS
A. Consider two spheres A and B of equal positive charge, situated at a certain distance from each other.
They are far away from any other charges. Sketch the electric field in the region of space near the
spheres.

B. A light, uncharged metallic sphere hanging from a thin thread is attracted to another hanging metallic
sphere. After the spheres touch, they suddenly repel each other. Explain. Do you know anything about
the charges on the spheres after they have touched?

C. a) Why does clothing tend to stick together when removed from the dryer?
b) Would the effect be bigger or smaller if all your clothing was of the same material?
c) What is the source of sparks you hear when you remove a sweater in winter? (You can actually
see these sparks if you do so in the dark.)
d) Why are you less likely to get a similar effect on a humid day in summer (assuming, as an
experimental physicist, you were willing to wear one)?

D. A metal block B is connected to ground through a

switch S that is closed. A negatively charged sphere -Q
is brought nearby. While –Q is nearby, the switch S is
opened. Then the sphere is removed. The block B is
now:

a) positively charged
b) negatively charged
c) neutral (uncharged)
d) could be any of the above; not enough
information given.

E. Object A has charge +q; Object B has charge +3q. Which of the following is true?
a) 𝐹! !" ! = 𝐹! !" ! b) 𝐹! !" ! = −𝐹! !" !
c) 𝐹! !" ! = 3𝐹! !" ! d) 𝐹! !" ! = −3𝐹! !! !
e) 3𝐹! !" ! = 𝐹! !" ! f) 3𝐹! !" ! = −𝐹! !" !

Solutions available at http://departments.johnabbott.qc.ca/departments/physics/?target=solutions

Physics 203-NYB-05 Electricity & Magnetism 2

Problem Set 1: Electric Forces and Fields

F. Three charges, -q, +3q, and -3q, are placed at the corners of an equilateral triangle as shown at right.
The net force on –q due to the other charges is:

a) Up (+𝚥)
b) Down (−𝚥)
c) Left (−𝚤)
d) Right (+𝚤)
e) Zero

G. A negative charge is moving vertically upward when it

enters an electric field 𝐸 that is uniform and directed to the left. The charge will
a) continue to move with constant velocity
b) accelerate to the left
c) accelerate to the right
d) move with constant velocity to the left
e) move with constant velocity to the right

H. Sketch the path that the charge in question G will follow once it enters the electric field.

I. Suppose you have a dipole that's free to move in any way (including rotate - imagine it floating in space).
And there's an object with charge +Q a distance r away. That distance r would be much larger than d,
the distance between the charges of the dipole, so we draw the dipole small. At this instant, the 'upper'
charge on the dipole is positive, while the 'lower' charge is negative.

Consider the forces between the charge Q and the dipole. If the dipole is free to rotate:
• Would the dipole end up attracted to the charge, repelled, or neither?
• Would the charge Q be attracted, repelled, or neither to the dipole?
• Do your answers depend on the sign of Q?

Solutions available at http://departments.johnabbott.qc.ca/departments/physics/?target=solutions

Physics 203-NYB-05 Electricity & Magnetism 3

Problem Set 1: Electric Forces and Fields

PROBLEMS
QUESTION 1
An oil drop of mass 4.00 × 10-14 kg has three extra electrons on it. It is held in an electric field near the
Earth’s surface so that the net force on it is zero.
a) What is the magnitude and direction of the electric field at the location of the charge?
b) What is the magnitude and direction of the gravitational field at the location of the charge?

QUESTION 2
Suppose a proton and an electron are about 10-10 m apart in a hydrogen atom.
a) What is the electric force between them?
b) What is the gravitational force between them?
c) Suppose the electron was attracted by a helium nucleus (consisting of two protons and two
neutrons) and suppose also that the electron and the nucleus are separated by only half the distance
mentioned earlier (i.e. 5.00 × 10 -11 m). Answer a) and b) again, without using a calculator.

QUESTION 3
Each of two small spheres is charged positively, the combined charge being 5.00 × 10-5 C.
a) If each sphere is repelled from the other by a force of 1.00 N when they are placed 2.00 m apart
in air, how is the charge distributed between the two spheres?
b) How many electrons were removed from each sphere?
c) If the spheres each have mass 3.00 grams, what percentage of each sphere’s mass does this
removal represent?

QUESTION 4
A fixed charge of 3.00 µC is separated from a fixed 1.00 µC charge by 6.00 cm. Where can a 6.00 µC charge
be placed so that it would experience no net force due to the two charges?

QUESTION 5
A point charge of +4.00 µC is at the origin. What is the electric field 𝐸 at points X, Y, and Z? State your
answers in component form.
X: (0 cm, 3.00 cm)
Y: (-3.00 cm, 0)

Z: (4.00 cm, 3.00 cm)

QUESTION 6
Refer to the electric fields that you calculated in question 5 at locations three locations: P1, P2 and P3. What
is the electric force 𝐹 (in component form) on:
a) a point charge q = +2.00 × 10-8 C placed at point P1
b) a point charge q = + 2.00 × 10-8 C placed at P2
c) a point charge q = -2.00 × 10-8 C placed at P3

Solutions available at http://departments.johnabbott.qc.ca/departments/physics/?target=solutions

Physics 203-NYB-05 Electricity & Magnetism 4

Problem Set 1: Electric Forces and Fields

QUESTION 7
An electron enters a region where there exists a uniform electric field with a velocity of
! !
𝑣 = 2.00𝚤 + 3.00𝚥 ×10! ! . The electric field in the region is given by 𝐸 = 0𝚤 + 2.00×10! 𝚥 !
.
a) Determine the acceleration of the electron while in the field 𝐸.
b) If the electron enters the field at the point (0, 0), what will be its coordinates 2.00 × 10-7 seconds
after it has entered the field?
c) What will be its velocity at this time?

QUESTION 8
An electron is projected as shown in the figure with a velocity of 6.00 × 106 m/s at an angle 𝜃 = 45°. The
!
electric field between the plates is uniform and is given by 𝐸 = 2.00×10! 𝚥 ! .
a) Where does the electron strike the top plate?
b) What would be the minimum value of the electric field 𝐸 between the plates so that the electron
would just miss the top plate, and leaves the electric field at [4.0 cm; 2.0 cm]?

QUESTION 9
A certain electric dipole consists of an electron and a proton which are 0.400 nm apart, with the proton at
position angle 35° from the electron. It is in an electric field
!
𝐸 = 4.80×10!!" ! 𝑖 (N.B. Watch units.)
a) What is the electric dipole moment vector?
b) What is the torque (vector) on the dipole?

QUESTION 10
Two small metal spheres each with mass 2.00
grams are suspended by light strings 10.0 cm in
length. A uniform electric field is applied in the
positive X-direction. If the two spheres have
equal but opposite charges of magnitude 5.00
× 10-8 C as shown in the diagram, determine
the electric field that enables the spheres to be
in equilibrium at θ = 10°.

Solutions available at http://departments.johnabbott.qc.ca/departments/physics/?target=solutions

Physics 203-NYB-05 Electricity & Magnetism 5

Problem Set 1: Electric Forces and Fields

QUESTION 11
Our knowledge of electric forces between charges gives
us the opportunity to begin to understand the forces
that hold matter together. As a simple example, consider
a crystal of salt - Sodium Chloride (NaCl). Each
molecule of salt separates into a positive sodium ion
(Na+) and a negative chloride ion (Cl-). In a crystal of
salt, these ions are arrayed alternately in a three-
dimensional cubical array as shown in the figure at the
right. We ask whether or not the electrostatic forces
between the ions might be able to hold it together.
To simplify our analysis for the purpose of this problem, consider a
single plane of this 3D structure. Let's look at an edge of one of these
planes, shown in the figure at the left. We will analyze whether in the
indicated arrangement, the net electrostatic force on a charge on the
edge of the crystal is into the crystal (holding the crystal together) or
out of the crystal (tending to break the crystal up).

a) First consider the force between an ion on the edge and one of its
neighbours on the edge, for example, the sodium ion labeled A and
the chloride ion labeled B. If the charge on the ions each has a
magnitude e = 1.6 × 10-19 C and if the lattice spacing is d (the distance
between neighbouring ions along the indicated lines), write an
expression for the magnitude of the force between neighbouring ions
(that is from: B, C, D, E & F). Express your answer in terms of the
symbols e, d, and whatever constants you require.

b) We only considered nearest neighbours. Why do you think we did this? Do you think this is a reasonable
approximation? Give a brief justification for your answer.

Solutions available at http://departments.johnabbott.qc.ca/departments/physics/?target=solutions