hoang (hnh559) – HW2 ch2324 – fang – (87525) 1

This print-out should have 44 questions.

Multiple-choice questions may continue on 1. 1 − x
the next column or page – find all choices
before answering. 2. 1 − x2

001 (part 1 of 4) 10.0 points 3. 1 + x

As you work with Coulomb’s law, you will
often find you’d like to approximate expres- 4. 1 + x2
sions such as
1 003 (part 3 of 4) 10.0 points
for s ≪ r .
(r + s)2 s
1
Fortunately, there is an approximation f (x) =
method for this type of expression that is in- 1 + x2
credibly common and is used throughout the
sciences. We will call this method the small 1
argument approximation, and its statement is: 1. 1 + x2
2
1
(1 + ǫ)a ≈ 1 + aǫ for ǫ ≪ 1 , 2. 1 + x
2
(1 + ǫ)−a ≈ 1 − aǫ for ǫ ≪ 1 . 1
3. 1 − x2
Using this approximation method, 2
1 1 1
= (r + s)−2 = 2 (1 + s/r)−2 4. 1 − x
(r + s) 2 r 2
1 004 (part 4 of 4) 10.0 points
≈ 2 (1 − 2s/r) for s ≪ r , One may approximate more complex expres-
r
sions through successive application of the
where s/r = ǫ satisfies the condition that small argument approximation. Approximate
ǫ ≪ 1. the following expression by using the small
For each of the exercises below, assume argument approximation twice.
x ≪ 1 and apply the small argument approxi-
mation to determine the correct approximate 1
expression. f (x) =  2
1+ √2
1+x
1
f (x) =
(1 + x)2
 
1 2
1. 1+ x
2 9 3
1. 1 + x  
1 2
2. 1− x
2. 1 − x2 9 3
 
1 1
3. 1+ x
3. 1 − 2x 9 3
 
1 1
4. 1 + 2x 4. 1− x
9 3
002 (part 2 of 4) 10.0 points 005 (part 1 of 3) 10.0 points
A 1.85 µC charge is at the origin and a
1 −6.37 µC charge is 10 cm to the right, as
f (x) =
1 + x2 shown.
 hoang (hnh559) – HW2 ch2324 – fang – (87525) 2

I y II III mist is attracted to it, and the car is quickly

and uniformly painted.
What does the phenomenon of polarization
O
x have to do with this?
1.85 µC −6.37 µC
10 cm 1. The paint particles in the mist are polar-
ized and as such are attracted to the charged
Identify the direction of E~ in the re-
metallic body of the car.
gion II (0 < x < 10 cm, along the x-
axis). The value of the Coulomb constant 2. The air is polarized and makes the paint
is 8.98755 × 109 N · m2 /C2 . flow uniformly.
1. Right 3. The car is magnetic; with some polariza-
tion of the paint, it will be easier for the paint
2. Down to be attracted to the car.
3. Up 4. The car is polarized and easily attracts
paint particles.
4. All possibilities: right, left, or zero
009 10.0 points
5. None of these

6. Left

006 (part 2 of 3) 10.0 points

~ in region III (x >
Identify the direction of E
10 cm along the x-axis).

1. Down

2. Right
The center of the spherical metal ball of ra-
3. None of these dius R, carrying a negative charge −Q, is lo-
cated a distance r from the center of a short,
4. Up thin, neutral copper wire of length L. As-
sume that L ≪ r and that the sphere is far
5. Left enough away that it may be modeled as a
point charge. The induced charges at the two
6. All possibilities: right, left, or zero ends of the wire is ±q. Determine the polariz-
ability of the wire segment which has a length
007 (part 3 of 3) 10.0 points L = 0.013 m. The units of polarizability are
~ = 0.
Determine the x-coordinate where E C2 m/N.
Answer in units of cm. Your answer must be within ± 2.0%

008 10.0 points 010 10.0 points

When the metallic body of a car is moved
into a painting chamber, a mist of electrically You are familiar with the principle of su-
neutral paint is sprayed around the car. When perposition as applied to the electric fields
the car is given a sudden electric charge, the of a collection of point charges. We may
 hoang (hnh559) – HW2 ch2324 – fang – (87525) 3
apply this principle to extended charge distri- are non-zero)?
butions as well. For this problem, model each
charged object as a collection of many indi- 1. Configurations P and M only
vidual charges, then use symmetry arguments
in order to reason out your answer. 2. Configurations P and G only
y
+ − 3. Configurations G, S and M only
P.
− +
− +
− + 4. Configuration L only
x
5. Configuration P only
y
++++ 6. Configurations P, G and M only

G. 7. Configurations G and M only

x
8. Configuration S only
++++
9. Configuration G only
y
10. Configurations P, L and M only
+++++
+ − 011 10.0 points
+ −
S. + −
+ − x
+ −
+++++

y
++
++

++
++

M.
x
++
++

−−−−−−

y
++++

L.
x
−−−−
For which configuration(s) does the total
electric field vector at the origin have non-
zero components in the x direction as well as
the y direction (i.e., both x and y components
Consider a uniformly charged thin rod with
total charge Q and length L. It is aligned
along the y-axis and centered at the origin
(see fig 8-3hw). We wish to determine the
field at P due to the charges on the rod.
Because the rod is centered at the origin,
symmetry tells us the electric field at P must
point in the r̂ direction. Based on the differ-
 hoang (hnh559) – HW2 ch2324 – fang – (87525) 4
ential form is measured to be 5.2 × 105 N · m2 /C.
What is the electric field strength?
(Qdy/L) Answer in units of N/C.
dEr = k sin α ,
ρ2
determine the integrated expression for Er at 016 10.0 points
P. A cubic box of side a, oriented as shown, con-
tains an unknown charge. The vertically di-
{Hint: use the math identity dy/ρ2 = dα/r. rected electric field has a uniform magnitude
This identity can be derived using the geo- E at the top surface and 4 E at the bottom
metric relation tan α = r/(−y) (1), and the surface.
calculus identity d tan α/dα = sec2 α = ρ2 /y 2
(2).}
E
kQ
1. (cos α2 − cos α1 )
r
kQ
2. (cos α2 − cos α1 )
Lr a
kQ
3. (cos α1 − cos α2 )
Lr
kQ
4. (cos α2 − cos α1 ) 4E
L
kQ
5. (cos α1 − cos α2 ) How much charge Q is inside the box?
r
kQ E
6. (cos α1 − cos α2 ) 1. Qencl =
L ǫ0 a2
012 (part 1 of 3) 10.0 points 2. Qencl = 6 ǫ0 E a2
An electric field of magnitude 1570 N/C is
applied along the x axis. 3. Qencl = 2 ǫ0 E a2
Calculate the electric flux through a rect-
angular plane 0.373 m wide and 0.66 m long E
4. Qencl = 2
if the plane is parallel to the yz plane. ǫ0 a2
Answer in units of N · m2 /C.
5. Qencl = 0
013 (part 2 of 3) 10.0 points E
Calculate the electric flux through the same 6. Qencl = 3
ǫ0 a2
rectangle if it is parallel to the xy plane.
Answer in units of N · m2 /C. 7. Qencl = 3 ǫ0 E a2
1
014 (part 3 of 3) 10.0 points 8. Qencl = ǫ0 E a2
2
Calculate the electric flux through the same
rectangle if it now contains the y axis and its 9. Qencl = ǫ0 E a2
normal makes an angle of 55 ◦ with the x axis.
Answer in units of N · m2 /C. 10. insufficient information

015 10.0 points 017 10.0 points

A 76 cm diameter loop is rotated in a uniform A (4.76 m by 4.76 m) square base pyramid
electric field until the position of maximum with height of 4.49 m is placed in a uniform
electric flux is found. The flux in this position vertical electric field of 70 N/C.
 hoang (hnh559) – HW2 ch2324 – fang – (87525) 5

2. The electric field inside the box is the

4.49 m same strength everywhere.
b
3. The electric field outside the box is zero
4.76 m everywhere.
70 N/C 4. The electric field inside the box is zero.

Find the total electric flux which goes out
through the pyramid’s four slanted surfaces.
No charge is contained in the pyramid.
Answer in units of N · m2 /C.
018 10.0 points
A solid nonconducting sphere of radius R has
a charge Q uniformly distributed throughout
its volume. A Gaussian surface of radius r
with r < R is used to calculate the magnitude
of the electric field E at a distance r from the
center of the sphere.
Which equation results from a correct ap-
plication of Gauss’s law for this situation?
5. The electric field outside the box is the
same as if only the point charge (and not the
box) were there.
020 (part 1 of 2) 10.0 points
A closed surface with dimensions a = b =
0.445 m and c = 0.712 m is located as in
the figure. The electric field throughout the
region is nonuniform and defined by E ~ =
2
(α + β x )ı̂ where x is in meters, α = 2 N/C,
and β = 6 N/(C · m2 ).
y E
a

Q
1. E (4 π R2 ) =
ǫ0 a
Q r3
2. E (4 π r 2 ) =
ǫ0 R3
x
Q
3. E (4 π r 2 ) =
ǫ0 b
2
4. E (4 π r ) = 0 z c
Q 3 r3 What is the magnitude of the net charge
5. E (4 π r 2 ) = enclosed by the surface?
ǫ0 4 π R
Answer in units of C.
019 10.0 points
The point charge Q shown is at the center of 021 (part 2 of 2) 10.0 points
a metal box that is isolated, ungrounded, and What is the sign of the charge enclosed in the
uncharged. surface?

1. Positive
a Q 2. Cannot be determined

Which of the following is true?
1. The net charge on the outside surface of
the box is Q.
3. Negative
022 (part 1 of 2) 10.0 points
A cylindrical shell of radius 9.7 cm and length
 hoang (hnh559) – HW2 ch2324 – fang – (87525) 6
271 cm has its charge density uniformly dis- is 8.8542 × 10−12 C2 /N · m2 and the volume
tributed on its surface. The electric field of a cylinder with radius r and length ℓ is
intensity at a point 28.1 cm radially outward V = π r2 ℓ .
from its axis (measured from the midpoint of Answer in units of N/C.
the shell ) is 36700 N/C.
What is the net charge on the shell? The 026 (part 1 of 3) 10.0 points
Coulomb constant is 8.99 × 109 N · m2 /C2 . Consider a solid insulating sphere of radius
Answer in units of C. b with nonuniform charge density ρ = a r,
where a is a constant.
023 (part 2 of 2) 10.0 points
What is the electric field at a point 4.39 cm b
from the axis? dr
Answer in units of N/C. b
r
O
024 10.0 points
A point charge 9.8 µC is located at the center
of a uniform ring having linear charge density
3.9 µC/m and radius 5.16 m. Find the charge contained within the radius
r < b as in the figure. The volume element dV
for a spherical shell of radius r and thickness
λ b R b dr is equal to 4 π r 2 dr.
q a
b b
1. Qr = 0

2. Qr = π a r 4
Find the total electric flux through a sphere a r4
centered at the point charge and having radius 3. Qr =
π
R < a. The value of the permittivity of a
vacuum is 8.8542 × 10−12 C2 /N · m2 . 4. Qr = π a r 3
Answer in units of N · m2 /C.
a r3
5. Qr =
025 10.0 points π
Consider a long, uniformly charged, cylindri- r4
6. Qr =
cal insulator of radius R with charge density πa
1.4 µC/m3 . aπ
7. Qr =
r2
r3
8. Qr =
πa
R a r2
9. Qr =
1 cm
π
10. Qr = π a r 2

027 (part 2 of 3) 10.0 points

If a = 5 × 10−6 C/m4 and b = 1 m, find E at
What is the magnitude of the electric field r = 0.8 m. The permittivity of a vacuum is
inside the insulator at a distance 1 cm < R 8.8542 × 10−12 C2 /N · m2 .
from the axis? The permittivity of free space Answer in units of N/C.
 hoang (hnh559) – HW2 ch2324 – fang – (87525) 7

length ℓ is V = π r 2 ℓ .
028 (part 3 of 3) 10.0 points Answer in units of N/C.
Find the charge Qb contained within the ra-
dius r, when r > b. 030 (part 1 of 6) 10.0 points
πa The figure shows a portion of an infinitely
1. Qb = long, concentric cable in cross section. The
b4
inner conductor carries a charge of 4.2 nC/m
a b4 and the outer conductor is uncharged.
2. Qb =
π
3. Qb = π a b2

4. Qb = π a b3

π b2 3.3 cm 8.5 cm 13.5 cm

5. Qb =
a
6. Qb = 0

π b3 What is the electric field 0.2 cm from the

7. Qb = central axis? The permittivity of free space is
a
8.85419 × 10−12 C2 /N · m2 .
8. Qb = π a b4 Answer in units of N/C.
a b3
9. Qb = 031 (part 2 of 6) 10.0 points
π
What is the electric field at 3.95 cm from the
a b2 central axis?
10. Qb =
π Answer in units of N/C.
029 10.0 points
Consider the long, hollow cylinder shown be- 032 (part 3 of 6) 10.0 points
low. It has an outer radius of Ro =4 cm and What is the direction of the electric field at
an inner radius of Ri = 0.4 cm. The hol- 4.55 cm from the central axis?
low cylinder is an insulator that is uniformly
charged throughout its volume with a charge 1. The electric field is not a vector, so it has
density 1.4 µC/m3 . no direction.
Ri 2. Undetermined, since the field is zero

3. Points radially outward

Ro
4. Points radially inward
1.7 cm

033 (part 4 of 6) 10.0 points

What is the electric field at 20.35 cm from the
central axis?
Answer in units of N/C.
What is the magnitude of the electric
field inside the insulator at a distance Ri <
034 (part 5 of 6) 10.0 points
1.7 cm < Ro from the axis? The permittivity
What is the surface charge density inside the
of free space is 8.8542 × 10−12 C2 /N · m2 and
hollow cylinder?
the volume of a cylinder with radius r and
 hoang (hnh559) – HW2 ch2324 – fang – (87525) 8

Answer in units of nC/m2 . Two uniformly charged conducting plates are

parallel to each other. They each have area
035 (part 6 of 6) 10.0 points A. Plate #1 has a positive charge Q while
What is the surface charge density outside the plate #2 has a charge −3 Q.
hollow cylinder? +Q −3 Q
Answer in units of nC/m2 .
y
036 (part 1 of 2) 10.0 points
A uniformly charged conducting plate with x
P
area A has a total charge Q which is positive.
The figure below shows a cross-sectional view
of the plane and the electric field lines due to
the charge on the plane. The figure is not #1 #2
drawn to scale. Using the superposition principle find the
+Q magnitude of the electric field at a point P in
E E the gap.

~Pk = 2Q
1. kE
ǫ0 A
P
~Pk = Q
2. kE
ǫ0 A
~Pk = Q
3. kE
Find the magnitude of the field at point P, 3 ǫ0 A
which is a distance a from the plate. Assume ~Pk = Q
4. kE
that a is very small when compared to the 2 ǫ0 A
dimensions of the plate, such that edge effects
~Pk = 5Q
5. kE
can be ignored. ǫ0 A
~ P k = ǫ0 Q a2
1. kE ~Pk = 3Q
6. kE
ǫ0 A
~Pk = Q
2. kE ~Pk = Q
7. kE
ǫ0 A ǫ0
~ P k = 4 π ǫ0 a2 Q
3. kE ~Pk = 0
8. kE

~ P k = 4 π ǫ0 a Q
4. kE ~Pk = 4Q
9. kE
ǫ0 A
Q
~Pk =
5. kE ~Pk = 3Q
10. kE
4 π ǫ0 a2 2 ǫ0 A
~Pk = Q
6. kE 038 10.0 points
4 π ǫ0 a
Two large, parallel, insulating plates are
~ P k = ǫ0 Q A
7. kE charged uniformly with the same charge den-
sity σ.
~ P k = 2 ǫ0 Q A
8. kE What is the magnitude of the resultant elec-
~
tric field E?
~Pk = Q
9. kE
2 ǫ0 A 1. zero everywhere
037 (part 2 of 2) 10.0 points
 hoang (hnh559) – HW2 ch2324 – fang – (87525) 9
σ
2. between the plates, zero outside
2 ǫ0
σ
3. everywhere
ǫ0
σ P2
4. between the plates, zero outside
ǫ0 P1
σ
5. zero between the plates, outside
2 ǫ0 b
26 cm
σ
6. zero between the plates, outside
ǫ0
4 cm
039 (part 1 of 2) 10.0 points 17 cm
A thin spherical shell of radius 4.52 m has a
total charge of 3 C distributed uniformly over
its surface.

~ Find the charge on the insulating sphere.

E
2 m+
+

Answer in units of C.
+
+

+ +
+ +
4. 5

+ 042 (part 2 of 4) 10.0 points

+
+ + Find the net charge on the conducting sphere.
+ + Answer in units of C.
+

+
+
+
+

043 (part 3 of 4) 10.0 points

Find the electric field 11.7 m from the cen-
ter of the shell. The Coulomb constant is
8.98755 × 109 N · m2 /C2 .
Answer in units of N/C.
040 (part 2 of 2) 10.0 points
Find the electric field 3.44 m from the center
of the shell.
Answer in units of N/C.
Find the total charge on the inner surface of
the hollow conducting sphere.
Answer in units of C.
044 (part 4 of 4) 10.0 points
Find the total charge on the outer surface of
the hollow conducting sphere.
Answer in units of C.

041 (part 1 of 4) 10.0 points

Consider an insulating sphere of radius 4 cm
surrounded by a conducting sphere of inner
radius 17 cm and outer radius 26 cm. Fur-
thermore, suppose that the electric field at a
point 10 cm from the center is measured to
be 1730 N/C radially inward while the elec-
tric field at a point 41 cm from the center is
240 N/C radially outward.