Physics 9 Fall 2010

Midterm 1 Solutions For the midterm, you may use one sheet of notes with whatever you want to put on it, front and back. Please sit every other seat, and please dont cheat ! If something isnt clear, please ask. You may use calculators. All problems are weighted equally. PLEASE BOX YOUR FINAL ANSWERS! You have the full length of the class. If you attach any additional scratch work, then make sure that your name is on every sheet of your work. Good luck! 1. A point particle that has charge +q and unknown mass m is released from rest in a region that has a constant electric eld E that is directed vertically downward. The particle hits the ground at a speed v = 2 gh, where h is the initial height of the particle. Find m in terms of E , q , and g . Solution When the particle starts out at height h, it has two forces acting on it, both pointing downward: gravity, Fg = mg , and the electric force FE = qE . So, Fnet = qE + mg , . For a constant and is constant. So, the constant acceleration is a = Fnet /m = g + qE m acceleration, the particle travels a distance h in time t, such that 1 h = at2 t = 2 2h . a

h So, after this time, the particle is moving at velocity v = at = a 2a = 2ha. But, were told that it hits the ground with speed v = 2 gh, and so 2 gh = 2ha, or a = 2g . Since a = g + qE/m, we see that qE qE =gm= . m g (You could gure out the form of this expression just by looking at the units.)

2. A nonconducting solid sphere of radius 10.0 cm has a uniform volume charge density. The magnitude of the electric eld 20.0 cm from the spheres center is 1.88 103 N/C. (a) What is the spheres volume charge density, ? (b) Find the magnitude of the electric eld at a distance of 5.00 cm from the spheres center. (Hint : use Gausss law to gure out the eld at this position.) Solution (a) As weve discussed many times, the eld outside the sphere is just that of a point charge, E = 4Q 2 . We can determine the charge on the sphere by solving for 0r 2 Q = 4 0 r E . Plugging in the numbers gives Q = 4 0 r2 E = 1 (.200)2 (1.88 103 ) = 9.36 109 C. 9 109
4 3 R , 3

For a constant charge density = Q/V , and for a sphere of radius R, V = so 3 9.36 109 3Q = = 2 106 C/m3 . = 3 3 4R 4 (.1 )

(b) Now we want the eld inside the sphere. We need Gausss law, E dA = Qencl / 0 . Taking our Gaussian surface as a sphere of radius r the spherical symmetry of the charge distribution tells us that the eld is constant on the Gaussian surface, and so, as always, E dA = EA, where A = 4r2 is the surface area. Now, because the charge density is uniform, the total charge enclosed in the Gaussian surface 3 3Q 4r3 = Qr , and so Gausss law gives is Vencl = 4R 3 3 R3 E (4r2 ) = Plugging in the numbers gives E= Q 9 109 (9.36 109 ) r = (.05) = 4212 N/C. 4 0 R3 .13 Q Qr3 E = r. 3 4 0 R3 0R

3. A radioactive 210 Po nucleus emits an particle that has a charge +2e. When the particle is a large distance from the nucleus, it has a kinetic energy of 5.30 MeV. Assume that the particle had negligible kinetic energy as it left the surface of the nucleus. The daughter (or residual) nucleus 206 Pb has a charge of +82e. Determine the radius of the 206 Pb nucleus. (Neglect the radius of the particle and assume the 206 Pb nucleus remains at rest.) Express your answer in terms of fermis (1 fm = 1015 meters). Solution The particle starts o at the edge of the 206 Pb nucleus, say at a distance R. If the particle starts with no kinetic energy, then the initial energy is purely potential, so e2e . The particle is repelled from the 206 Pb nucleus, and picks up Ei = P E = 82 4 0 R speed. When its far away all the energy is kinetic, since the potential goes to zero at large distances. The nal energy is KE = 5.30 MeV, and so equating the two energies 164e2 gives 4 = 5.30 MeV. Solving for R gives 0R R= 164e2 4 0 (5.30 MeV)

Now, 1 MeV = 106 1.602 1019 = 1.602 1013 joules, and so 5.30 MeV = 8.51013 joules. Thus, R= 164 (1.602 1019 )2 164e2 = 9 109 = 4.45 1014 m, 4 0 (5.30 MeV) 8.5 1013

or about 45 fm.

4. Consider the circuit in the gure to the right. (a) What is the equivalent resistance between points a and b? (b) How would adding a fth resistor that has resistance R between point c and d aect the equivalent resistance between point a and b? (Hint : what is the potential dierence between points c and d?) Solution

(a) This circuit is equivalent to a par allel circuit with two resistors in series on each side, as we see in the a gure to the right. The equivalent resistance of each side of the paral lel circuit is R + R = 2R. Now we have an equivalent parallel circuit with just two resistors, each of resistance 2R, as seen in the next gure. Since this is a parallel circuit, the equivalent resistance is 1 Requiv = 1 1 1 + = , 2R 2R R

and so the equivalent resistance of the entire circuit is Requiv = R.

(b) Because all of the resistors are identical, the points c and d are at the same potential. This means that if we connected a wire between points c and d, then no current would ow along it. Thus, if we added a resistor between these two points, it would do nothing, and so the equivalent resistance of the entire circuit would still be R.

     
R

2R

2R

Extra Credit Question!!

The following is worth 10 extra credit points!

A charge q sits at the back corner of a cube, as shown in the gure. What is the ux of E through the shaded side ? If the charge was in the center, the ux would be E = 6Q0 (the total ux divided evenly into six cube faces), but the charge is in the corner. (Hint : Think of the symmetry of the problem - you dont have to do any complicated integrals!)

Solution We could try to gure out the components of the electric eld, and integrate it over the surface of the cube, but theres a much easier and more clever way. Suppose that we imagine stacking other boxes around the cube, keeping the charge at the center, as seen in the gure to the right. The net ux of the electric eld through a volume doesnt depend on the shape of the volume, and so the net ux of E through the whole set of boxes is just q/ 0 . We only want to know the ux through the shaded side. Since the charge is at the center, each face of the cube has 1/6 of the ux passing through it. The shaded side is one quarter of the face of the cube, and so the net ux passing through there is 1/4 of 1/6, or 1/24 of the total ux. So, the net ux passing through q . the shaded face is E dA = 24 0

Some Possibly Useful Information

Some Useful Constants. Coulombs Law constant k
1 4 0 N m2 . C2 N . A2

= 8.99 109

The magnetic permeability constant 0 = 4 107 Speed of Light c = 2.99 108 m/s. Newtons Gravitational Constant G = 6.672 1011 The charge on the proton e = 1.602 1019 C The mass of the electron, me = 9.11 1031 kg . The mass of the proton, mp = 1.673 1027 kg . Boltzmanns constant, kB = 1.381 1023 J/K . 1 eV = 1.602 1019 Joules 1 MeV = 106 eV . 1 A = 1010 meters.

N m2 . kg 2

Plancks constant, h = 6.63 1034 J s = 4.14 1015 eV s. The reduced Plancks constant,
h 2

= 1.05 1034 J s = 6.58 1016 eV s.

Some Useful Mathematical Ideas. x dx =

dx a2 +x2 x dx a2 +x2 n

n = 1, ln (x) n = 1. = ln x + a2 + x2 . = a2 + x 2 .

xn+1 n+1

Other Useful Stu. The force on an object moving in a circle is F =

mv 2 . r

1 Kinetmatic equations x(t) = x0 + v0x t + 2 ax t2 , y (t) = y0 + v0y t + 1 a t2 . 2 y

The binomial expansion, (1 + x)n 1 + nx, if x

1.