Physics II

Exercises on conductors

Degree in Informatic, Mechatronic and Cinema &

Media Engineering
Politecnico di Torino
Lecturer: Alessandro Battaglia

Images in these slides are taken from the Young&Friedman textbook or

are provided by EdiSES (extracted from the reference text: Fisica II di
Mazzoldi, Nigro, Voci)

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Problem 4.1 Mazzoldi

Two conducting spheres S1 and S2 , of radii R1 and R2 , are placed in

the vacuum at a very large distance x compared to R1 and R2 . The
isolated sphere S1 has a charge of q1 and the sphere S2 is maintained
at the potential V2 with respect to infinity. Calculate the potential
V1 (x) of the sphere S1 , the charge q2 (x) of the sphere S2 and the
force F (x) between the spheres in function distance x.

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Solution 4.1 Mazzoldi

The potential is obtained by adding the contributions of the potential

associated with the two charges (superposition principle).
The charge q1 generates the same field outside R1 that would gen-
erate a point-like charge q1 (since we neglect induction we assume
that the charge is uniformly distributed on the sphere); thus on the
sphere the potential generated by q1 is q1 /(4πε0 R1 ). The potential
generated by q2 is that of a point charge and since x ≫ R1,2 it can
be assumed the same on all points of the sphere. So sphere 1, which
is an equipotential surface, has a potential:

 
1 q1 q2 (x)
V1 (x) = +
4πε0 R1 x
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Problem 4.1 Mazzoldi

Mutatis mutandis for sphere 2:

 
1 q2 (x) q1
V2 = +
4πε0 R2 x

Thus, by eliminating q2
 q1 
q2 (x) = R2 4πε0 V2 −
x
 
q1 1 R2 R2 V2
V1 (x) = − 2 +
4πε0 R1 x x
The force between the two spheres can also be approximated as the
central force between point charges:
q1 q2 (x) R 2 q1  q1 
F (x) = = 4πε 0 V2 − 4/21
4πε0 x 2 4πε0 x 2 x
Problem 4.3 Mazzoldi

A very extended and hollow conductive flat plate, with distance

d = 50 cm between the faces, is charged with a surface charge
density σ = 8.86 · 10−8 C/m2 .
Determine the minimum kinetic energy Ek,min that a proton must
have at point A to reach point B, passing through a small hole made
on one face. The distance of A from the plate is l = 20 cm (drawing
is not to scale).

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Solution 4.3 Mazzoldi

There is no field inside the plate (electrostatic shielding). Outside,

the field is that one outside an infinitely extended conductor with
surface charge density σ:
σ 8.8610−8 N
E= = −12
= 104
ϵ0 8.8510 C
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Solution 4.3 Mazzoldi

VB − VA = E l = 104 · 20 · 10−2 = 2000V

The proton must go up the equipotential surfaces and therefore its
minimum energy must be:
Ek min = UB − UA = e(VB − VA ) = 2000 eV = 2 keV = 3.2 · 10−16 J
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Solution 4.3 Mazzoldi

How long does it take for an electron, left free in B with kinetic
energy Ek, textmin , to arrive in A? l = 20 cm (drawing not to scale).

The initial velocity of the electron is

r
elettrone 2Ek min
Vi = = 2.65 · 107 m/s
me
and it will remain the same inside the cavity. Therefore to travel
through the cavity it takes t1 = d/vie = 1.87 · 10−8 s. 8/21
Solution 4.3 Mazzoldi

The electron is then decelerated by the electric

field and will arrive at with a kinetic energy in
A equal to 0 keV that is to say: vfelettrone = 0.

The motion is uniformly decelerated with deceleration:

eE 1.6 · 10−19 · 104
a=− =− = −1.76 · 1015 m/s 2
me 9.1 · 10−31

−v1 2.65 · 107

vf = vi + at ⇒ t2 = = = 1.51 · 10−8 s
a 1.76 · 1015

t = t1 + t2 = 2.28 · 10−8 s.

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Problem 4.4 Mazzoldi

Two concentric spherical metal sheets of negligible thickness, having

radii R1 = 2 cm and R2 = 5 cm, are connected with a thin wire
conductor. One charges q = 10−10 C is placed in the center of the
system and a q0 = q charge is placed in a point B at a distance
of d = 25 cm from the outer sheet. Calculate the force exerted
by q0 on each sheet and the work that needs to be done to get q0
from point B at point A distant x0 = 0.5 cm from the center of the
system.

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Solution 4.4 Mazzoldi

The charge q by complete induction induces −q on the remote face

R1 and +q on the remote face R2 .

Due to the electrostatic shield action q0 exerts a repulsive force only

on the outer sheet which is equal and opposite to the force that the
outer sheet exerts on the charge:
q0 q 10−20 · 9 · 109
F = = = 10−9 N
4πϵ0 (R2 + d)2 0.32

N.B.: we have neglected any inductive effect of q0 on q (d ≫ R2 ).11/21

Solution 4.4 Mazzoldi

The potential generated by the two metal sheets is:

 q
 4πε0 r
 r > R2
q
V (r ) = 4πε R R1 < r < R2
 q0 2
 q q
4πε0 r + 4πε0 R2 − 4πε0 R1 r < R1

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Solution 4.4 Mazzoldi

 
q 1 1 1 1
VA − VB = + − −
4πε0 x0 R2 R1 R2 + d
VA − VB = 0.9[200 + 20 − 50 − 3.33] = 150V
Wext = q0 (VB − VB ) = 1.5 · 10−8 J
positive because it is necessary to work against the electrostatic field
which tends to push the charge q0 away from q.
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Problem 4.5 Mazzoldi

Five spherical metal sheets of negligible thickness, all concentric,

having radii respectively equal to 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 cm, are connected
with thin conducting wires as in the figure. The system is initially
discharged. One charges q = 10−10 C it is deposited on the in-
nermost surface. Calculate the charge present on each spherical
surface and the electrostatic energy Ue of the entire system. Also
determine how the electrostatic field and electrostatic energy vary
when: sphere 1 is placed in contact with sphere 2, sphere 3 is placed
in contact with sphere 4, sphere 5 is connected to earth.

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Solution 4.5 Mazzoldi

Indicated with q = q1 the charge on the inner sphere because of

complete induction:
q2 = −q, q3 = +q,
q4 = −q, q5 = +q 15/21
Solution 4.5 Mazzoldi

To calculate the electric field use

Gauss’s law and the spherical sym-
metry of the problem

Φ(E ) = E (r ) · 4πr 2 = Qint /ϵ0

Calling I the region of space with r < 1 cm, II the one with 1
cm < r < 2 cm, etc. we have that
EI = EIII = EV = 0,
q
EII = EIV = EVI =
4πϵ0 r 2 16/21
Solution 4.5 Mazzoldi

The electrostatic energy Ue of the

system can be calculated from its def-
inition:
Z Z
1
Ue = dUe = ε0 E 2 dτ
τ τ 2

the integral can be broken up on the

various regions whose field has al-
ready been calculated.
In each region with electric field different from zero we have:
Z R
q2 q2 1
Z  
1 2 1
Ue = dUe = ε0 2 2 4
4πr dr = −
τ 2 r 16π ε0 r 8πε0 r R

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Solution 4.5 Mazzoldi

q2
 
1 1 1 1 1
Ue = UeII + UeIV + UeVI = − + − +
8πε0 R1 R2 R3 R4 R5

Ue = 2.2 · 10−9 + 0.36 · 10−9 + 0.90 · 10−9 = 3.5 · 10−9 J

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Solution 4.5 Mazzoldi

When connecting (in addition to the spheres

2 and 3, 4 and 5 already connected) also the
sphere 1 to the 2 we have:

EI = EII = EIII = EV = 0,

EIV = EVI = q/(4πϵ0 r 2 )

Therefore, compared to the initial situation, the energy contribution
of the II region is zeroed.The variation of electrostatic energy turns
out to be:

q2
 
1 1
∆Ue = − = −2.2 · 10−9 J
8πϵ0 R2 R1

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Solution 4.5 Mazzoldi

By connecting instead (in addition to the

spheres 2 and 3, 4 and 5 already connected)
also the sphere 3 to the 4 we have:

EI = EIII = EIV = EV = 0,

EII = EVI = q/(4πϵ0 r 2 )

Therefore, compared to the initial situation, the energy contribution
of the IV region is now zeroed. The change in electrostatic energy
turns out to be:
q2
 
1 1
∆Ue = − = −3.7 · 10−9 J
8πϵ0 R4 R3

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Solution 4.5 Mazzoldi

Finally, when only grounding the sphere 5

(but keeping the configuration as the initial
one) all the charge on the outer sphere will
migrate to the ground. Thus we have:

EI = EIII = EV = EVI = 0,

EII = EIV = q/(4πϵ0 r 2 )

Therefore, by calculating the energy, with respect to the initial
situation, the contribution of the VI region is zeroed. The
variation of electrostatic energy turns out to be:
q2
∆Ue = [−1/R5 ] = −0.9 · 10−9 J
8πϵ0

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