Electrostatics / Skills Practice Problems

1. Force in Electric Field

1.1 Force between two point charges

Two point charges, = 25 and = −75 , are separated by a distance = 3 . Find the
magnitude and direction of the electric force (a) that exerts on and (b) that exerts on .

1.2 Vector addition of electric forces on a line

Two point charges are located on the -axis of a coordinate system: = 1 is at = 2 and =
−3 is at = 4 . What is the total electric force exerted by and on a charge = 5 at =
0 ?

1.3 Vector addition of electric forces in a plane

Two equal positive charges = = 2 are located at = 0 , = 0.3 and = 0 , = −0.3 ,
respectively. What are the magnitude and direction of the total electric force that and exert on a
third charge = 4 at = 0.4 , = 0 ?

2. Electric Field

2.1 Electric-field magnitude of a point charge

What is the magnitude of the electric field vector at a field point 2m from a point charge =4 ?

2.2 Electric-field vector of a point charge

A point charge = −8 is located at the origin of the 2D coordinate system. Find the electric field vector
at the field point = 1.2 , = −1.6 .

2.3 Electron in a uniform field

When the terminals of a battery are connected to two parallel conducting plates with a small gap between
them, the resulting charges on the plates produce a nearly uniform electric field between the plates. If the
plates are 1.0 cm apart and are connected to a 100-volt battery, the field is vertically upward and has
magnitude = 10 !/ .

a) If an electron (charge −# = −1,6 ∙ 10% &

, mass = 9.11 ∙ 10% () ) is released from rest at the
upper plate, what is its acceleration?
b) What speed and kinetic energy does it acquire while traveling 1.0 cm to the lower plate?
c) How long does it take to travel this distance?

2.4 Field of an electric dipole

Point charges = 12 and 12 are 0.1m apart. Such pairs of point charges with equal
magnitude and opposite signs are called electric dipoles. Compute the electric fields caused by , the
fields caused by , and the total fields at points a, b and c in the figure below.

2.5a Field of a charged line segment

Positive charge Q is distributed uniformly along the y-axis between y = -a and y = +a. Find the electric field
at point P on the x-axis at a distance x from the origin.
2.5b Field of a charged line segment / infinite line
What is the electric field at the point P in the problem 2.5a when a charged line segment length is very long
(* → ∞)?

2.6 Field of two oppositely charged infinite sheets

Two infinite plane sheets with uniform surface charge densities -. and . are placed parallel to each
other with separation d. Find the electric field between the sheets, above the upper sheet, and below the
lower sheet.

3. Electric flux and Gauss’ Low

3.1 Electric flux through a disk

A disk of radius 0.1m is oriented with its normal unit vector /0 at 30° to a uniform electric field of
magnitude 2 2 10 !/ . (a) What is the electric flux through the disk? (b) What is the flux through the disk
0 is perpendicular to ? (c) What is the flux through the disk if /
if it is turned so that / 0 is parallel to ?

3.2 Electric flux through a cube

An imaginary cubical surface of side L is in a region of uniform electric field . Find the electric flux through
each face of the cube and the total flux through the cube when (a) it is oriented with two of its faces
perpendicular to and (b) the cube is turned by an angle 3 about a vertical axis.

3.3 Electric flux through a sphere

A point charge 3 is surrounded by an imaginary sphere of radius 0.2 centred on the charge.
Find the resulting electric flux through the sphere.

3.4 Electric flux and enclosed charge

Figure shows the field produced by two point charges +q and -q (an electric dipole). Find the electric flux
through each of the closed surfaces A, B, C, and D.
3.5 Field of a charged conducting sphere
We place a total positive charge q on a solid conducting sphere with radius R. Find Electric Field at any
point inside or outside the sphere.

3.6 Field of a uniform line charge

Electric charge is distributed uniformly along an infinitely long, thin wire. The charge per unit length is 4
(assumed positive). Find the electric field by using Gauss’s law.

3.7 Field of an infinite plane sheet of charge

Use Gauss’s law to find the electric field caused by a thin, flat, infinite sheet with a uniform positive surface
charge density ..

3.8 Field between oppositely charged parallel conducting plates

Two large plane parallel conducting plates are given charges of equal magnitude and opposite sign; the
surface charge densities are + . and - .. Find the electric field in the region between the plates.

3.9 Field of a uniformly charged insulating sphere

Positive electric charge Q is distributed uniformly throughout the volume of an insulating sphere with
radius R (polarization charges). Find the magnitude of the electric field at a point P a distance r from the
centre of the sphere (inside and outside of a sphere).

3.10 Charge on a hollow sphere

A thin-walled, hollow sphere of radius 0.25 m has an unknown charge distributed uniformly over its
surface. At a distance of 0.3 m from the centre of the sphere, the electric field points radially inward and
has magnitude 1.8 ∙ 10 !/ . How much charge is on the sphere?

3.11 A conductor with a cavity

A conductor with a cavity carries a total charge of +7 nC. Within the cavity, insulated from the conductor, is
a point charge of -5 nC. How much charge is on each surface (inner and outer) of the conductor?

3.12 Testing Gauss’s law experimentally

Explain Faraday's ice pail experiment?

3.13 Van de Graaff electrostatic generator

Explain how this electrostatic generator works?
3.14 Electrostatic Shielding / Faraday cage
Suppose we have a very sensitive electronic instrument that we want to protect from stray electric fields
that might cause erroneous measurements. What we should do?

4. Electrostatic Energy / Work

Two point charges are located on the x-axis, q1 = -e at x = 0 and q2 = +e at x = a.
a) Find the work that must be done by an external force to bring a third point charge q3 = +e from
infinity to x = 2a.
b) Find the total potential energy of the system of three charges.

5. Electric Potential

5.1 Electric Potential due to two Point Charges

An electric dipole consists of point charges = +12 nC and = -12 nC placed 10.0 cm apart. Compute the
electric potentials at points a, b, and c.

5.2 Electric Potential due to two Point Charges

Compute the potential energy associated with a +4.0-nC point charge if it is placed at points a, b, and c in
the figure above.

5.3 Electric Potential from Electric Field

How to calculate potential if we know electric field of a point charge?

5.4 Electric Potential / A Charged Conducting Sphere

A solid conducting sphere of radius R has a total charge q. Find the electric potential everywhere, both
outside and inside the sphere.

5.5 Electric Potential of a Line of Charge

Positive electric charge Q is distributed uniformly along a line of length 2a lying along the y-axis between y
= -a and y = +a. Find the electric potential at a point P on the x-axis at a distance x from the origin.

5.6 Equipotential Surfaces

Explain why field lines are perpendicular to conducting surface in electrostatic problems?

5.7 Electric Field from Potential

6
The potential at a radial distance r from a point charge q is V = . Find the vector electric field from
789 :
this expression for V.

6. Force and Torque on an Electric Dipole

Figure below shows an electric dipole in a uniform electric field of magnitude 5 ∙ 10; !/ that is directed
parallel to the plane of the figure. The charges are <1.6 ∙ 10% & ; both lie in the plane and are separated
by 0.125 0.125 ∙ 10%& . Find:
a) the net force exerted by the field on the dipole;
b) the magnitude and direction of the electric dipole moment;
c) the magnitude and direction of the torque;
d) the potential energy of the system in the position shown.

7. Capacitance
7.1 Size of a 1-F Capacitor
The parallel plates of a 1.0-F capacitor are 1.0 mm apart. What is their area?

7.2 Properties of a Parallel-Plate Capacitor

The plates of a parallel-plate capacitor in vacuum are 5 mm apart and 2 in area. A 10kV potential
difference is applied across the capacitor. Compute:
a) the capacitance;
b) the charge on each plate; and
c) the magnitude of the electric field between the plates.

7.3 A Spherical Capacitor

Two concentric spherical conducting shells are separated by vacuum. The inner shell has total charge +Q
and outer radius = , and the outer shell has charge -Q and inner radius > . Find the capacitance of this
spherical capacitor. Hint: first find ?=> , and then find the capacitance = /?=>

7.4 An Infinite Line Charge or Charged Conducting Cylinder (prepare for 7.5)
Find the potential at a distance r from a very long line of charge with linear charge density (charge per unit
length) 4.

7.5 A Cylindrical Capacitor (use result from 7.4)

Two long, coaxial cylindrical conductors are separated by vacuum. The inner cylinder has radius = and
linear charge density +4. The outer cylinder has inner radius > and linear charge density −4. Find the
capacitance per unit length for this capacitor.

7.6 Capacitors in Series and in Parallel

Let = 6 @ and = 3 @ , and ?=> = 18?. Find the equivalent capacitance and the charge, and
potential difference for each capacitor when the capacitors are connected (a) in series and (b) in parallel.

7.7 A Capacitor Network

Find the equivalent capacitance of the five-capacitor network.
7.8 Transferring Charge and Energy Between Capacitors
We connect a capacitor = 8 @ to a power supply, charge it to a potential difference ?A 120? , and
disconnect the power supply. Switch S is open.
a) What is the charge A on ?
b) What is the energy stored in ?
c) Capacitor 4 @ is initially uncharged. We close switch S. After charge no longer flows, what is
the potential difference across each capacitor, and what is the charge on each capacitor?
d) What is the final energy of the system?

7.9 A Capacitor With and Without a Dielectric

Suppose the parallel plates each have an area of 2000 and are 1 cm apart. We connect the capacitor
to a power supply, charge it to a potential difference ?A 3(? , and disconnect the power supply. We
then insert a sheet of insulating plastic material between the plates, completely filling the space between
them. We find that the potential difference decreases to 1 kV while the charge on each capacitor plate
remains constant. Find:
a) the original capacitance A;

b) the magnitude of charge Q on each plate;

c) the capacitance C after the dielectric is inserted;
d) the dielectric constant K of the dielectric;
e) the permittivity B of the dielectric;
f) the magnitude of the induced charge C on each face of the dielectric;
g) the original electric field A between the plates; and
h) the electric field E after the dielectric is inserted.