Physics 10163/10164 Spring 2008

Homework Problems for Chapter 15

15.3 An alpha particle (charge = +2.0e) is sent at high speed toward a gold nucleus
(charge = +79e). What is the electrical force acting on the alpha particle when it is
2.0 × 10−14 m from the gold nucleus?

k e ( 2 e ) ( 79 e )
F=
r2

N ⋅ m 2  ( 158 ) ( 1.60 × 10  C )
−19 2

=  8.99 × 10 9    = 91 N   ( repulsion )
( 2.0 × 10−14  m )
2
 C2 

15.5 The nucleus of 8Be, which consists of 4 protons and 4 neutrons is very unstable
and spontaneously decays into two alpha particles (helium nuclei), (a) What is the
electric force between two alpha particles when they are 5.00 × 10-15 apart, and
(b) what is the acceleration of the alpha particle due to this force ?

(a) Applying Coulomb’s law, with q(1) and q(2) = +2e

2e 2   4 ( 1.60 × 10 −19 ) 2 
e( )
k N ⋅ m  
2
 = 36.8 N
F= =  8.99 × 10 9 
r2  ( 5.00 × 10  m )
2 2
 C −15

(b) The mass of an alpha particle = 4.0026 amu (atomic mass units), where
u = 1.66 × 10 −27  kg . The acceleration of either alpha particle can be found by
applying Newton’s laws:

F 36.8 N
a= = = 5.54× 10 27   m s 2
m 4.002 6 ( 1.66 × 10 −27  kg )

15.8 An electron is released a short distance above the surface of the Earth. A second
electron directly below it exerts an electrostatic force on the first electron which
just cancels the gravitational force due to Earth. What is the separation of these
two electrons ?

This problem describes an electric balancing act. The magnitude of the repulsive
force between these two electrons must equal the weight of an electron,
 2
Thus, k e e r 2 = m e g - electric force = gravitational force. Note that me g =
me M Earth
G , because “little g” is the gravitational acceleration of the Earth.
R2

( 8.99 × 10   N ⋅ m C ) ( 1.60 × 10  C )
9 2 2 − 19 2
k e2
or r= e = = 5.08 m
me g ( 9.11 × 10  kg ) ( 9.80  m s )
−31 2

15.10 Calculate the magnitude and direction of the Coulomb force on each of the three
charges shown in this figure. There are two positive and one negative charge.

9 N ⋅ m (
k e q1 q2  2 6.00 × 10−6  C) ( 1.50 × 10−6  C )
F1 = 2 =  8.99 × 10    = 89.9 N
( 3.00 ×10­2  m)
2
r12  C2 

9 N⋅m (
k e q1 q3  2 6.00 × 10 −6  C ) ( 2.00 × 10 −6  C )
F2 = =  8.99 × 10    = 43.2 N
( 5.00 × 10­2  m )
2
r132  C2 

9 N ⋅ m (
k e q2 q3  2 1.50 × 10−6  C ) ( 2.00 × 10 −6  C )
F3 = =  8.99 ×10    =67.4 N
( 2.00 ×10­2  m)
2
r232  C2 

The net force on the  6 µ C  charge is  F6 = F1 − F2 = 46.7 N (to the left)

The net force on the  1.5 µ C  charge is  F1.5 = F1 + F3 = 157 N (to the right)

The net force on the  −2 µ C  charge is  F−2 = F2 + F3 = 111 N (to the left)

15.13 Three point charges are located at the corners of an equilateral triangle as seen
in the figure. Calculate the net electric force on the 7.00-μC charge.
 Remember that the forces must be added in vector form !

9 N⋅m  (
 2 7.00 × 10 −6  C ) ( 2.00 × 10−6  C )
F1 =  8.99 × 10   
( 0.500 m )
2
 C2 

= 0.503 N

9 N⋅m  (
 2 7.00 × 10 −6  C ) ( 4.00 × 10−6  C )
F2 =  8.99 × 10   
( 0.500 m )
2
 C2 

= 1.01 N

Thus, ΣFx = ( F1 + F2 ) cos 60.0° = 0.755 N

and ΣFy = ( F1 − F2 ) sin 60.0° = −0.436 N

The resultant force on the 7.00 C charge is

 ΣFy 
( )
2
= 0.872 N at θ = tan 
−1
( ΣFx )  = −30.0 °
2
FR = + ΣFy
 ΣFx 
r
or FR = 0.872 N   at 30.0°  below the +x  axis

15.19 An airplane is flying through a thundercloud at a height of 2000 meters. If there

are charge concentrations of +40.0 C at a height of 3000 meters and -40 C at a
height of 1000 meters, what is the electric field at the aircraft ?
 We can treat the charge concentrations as point charges. Then, the resulting
electric field consists of two contributions, one due to each “point” charge. One
may also consider the two charge concentrations as parallel sheets of charge.

The contribution due to the positive charge at 3000 m altitude is

9 N ⋅ m  ( 40.0 C )
q  2
E+ = k e =  8.99 × 10    = 3.60× 105   N C    ( downward)
r2  C2  ( 1 000 m ) 2

The contribution due to the negative charge at 1000 m altitude is

9 N ⋅ m  ( 40.0 C )
q  2
E− = k e =  8.99 × 10    = 3.60× 105   N C    ( downward )
r2  C2  ( 1 000 m ) 2

The resultant field, which lies just in the Y direction, is the sum of the components:
r r r
E = E + + E − = 7.20× 10 5   N C  ( downward )

15.24 Three charges are at the corners of an equilateral triangle, as shown in Figure
P15.24. Calculate the electric field at a point midway between the two charges
on the x-axis.

The height of the triangle is: h = ( 0.500 m ) sin 60.0 ° = 0.433 m

and the magnitudes of the fields due to each of the charges are

k e q1 ( 8.99 × 10   N ⋅ m C ) ( 3.00 ×10  C )

9 2 2 −9

E1 = 2 =
( 0.433 m )
2
h

= 144  N C

ke q2 ( 8.99 × 10   N ⋅ m C ) ( 8.00 × 10  C )
9 2 2 −9

E2 = 2 = = 1.15× 10 3   N C
( 0.250 m )
2
r2
 E3 =
ke q3
=
( 8.99 × 10 9
  N ⋅ m 2 C 2 ) ( 5.00 × 10 −9  C )
= 719  N C
and
( 0.250 m )
2
r32

15.29 Electric field lines. (a) Sketch the electric field lines around an isolated positive
point charge, and (b) sketch same around an isolated charge of −2q.

Note in the sketches at the right that

electric field lines originate on
positive charges and terminate on
negative charges. The density of
lines is twice as great for the −2q
charge in (b) as it is for the +1q
charge in (a).

15.31 Two point charges are located a small distance apart. Sketch the field lines if one
charge is 4 times the other and both are positive, and (b) Repeat for the case
where both charges are negative.

(a) The sketch for (a) is shown at

the right. Note that four times
as many lines should leave q
as emerge from q although, for
clarity, this is not shown in this
sketch.

(b) The field pattern looks the same

here as that shown for (a) with
the exception that the arrows
are reversed on the field lines.

15.38 A flat surface having an area of 3.2 m2 is rotated in a uniform electric field of
magnitude E = 6.2 × 105 N/C. Determine the electric flux through this area (a)
when the electric field is perpendicular to the surface, and (b) when the electric
field is parallel to the surface.

The flux through an area is Φ E = EA cosθ , where θ is the angle between the
direction of the field E and the line perpendicular to the area A.
 (a) Φ E = EA cos θ = ( 6.2× 10   N C )( 3.2 m ) cos 0° = 2.0× 10   N⋅ m C
5 2 6 2

(b) In this case, θ = 90° , cos(90) = 0, so Φ E = 0

15.42 A point charge of +5.0 µ C is located at the center of a sphere with radius 12.0
cm. Determine the electric flux through the surface of the sphere.

The E-field lines radiate outward and are all perpendicular to surface of the
sphere. Therefore the field lines are parallel to the normal of the surface. In this
case, θ = 0°. Using Gauss’s Law:

k q
            Φ E = EA cosθ = e 2 ( 4 π R2 ) cos 0 ° =4 π k e q
R 

Φ E = 4π ( 8.99× 10 9   N⋅ m 2 C 2 )( 5.00× 10 −6  C =
) 5.65× 105   N⋅ m2 C

15.43 A point charge of q is located at the center of a spherical shell of radius a,

which has a charge of −q uniformly distributed on its surface. Find the electric
field (a) for all points outside the shell, and, (b) for a point inside the shell at a
distance r from the center.

This shell has a charge −q on its surface, and a charge of +q at the center
We choose a spherical gaussian surface, concentric with the charged spherical
shell and of radius r. The electric flux through this surface is then:
Φ E = E • A cos(θ ) = E1 • A + E 2 • A

where the subscripts refer to the two charges. The E-field points radially, so θ =
0, and cos(θ ) = 1. Gauss’s Law states that

Qinside
ΦE = = ( E1 + E 2 ) A
ε0
(a) For r > a (locations outside the shell), the total charge enclosed by the
gaussian surface is Q = +q −q = 0. Thus, Gauss’s law gives Φ E = 0. Since A
is not zero, the electric field strength must be 0. The charges cancel each
other.

(b) Inside the shell, r < a, and the enclosed charge is = +q.

q q kq
Therefore, from Gauss’s law, 4π r E =
2
,    or   E = = e
∈0 4π ∈0 r 2
r2
r kq
The field for r < a is E = e2  directed radially outward .
r