Chapter 24.

The Electric Field

The Electric Field Intensity
24-1. A charge of +2 C placed at a point P in an electric field experiences a downward
force of 8 x 10-4 N. What is the electric field intensity at that point?
24-2. A 5 nC charge is placed at point P in Problem 24-1. What are the magnitude and
direction of the force on the 5 nC charge? (Direction of force F is opposite field E)
24-3. A charge of 3 C placed at point A experiences a downward force of 6 x 10-5 N.
What is the electric field intensity at point A?
24-4. At a certain point, the electric field intensity is 40 N/C, due east. An unknown
charge, receives a westward force of 5 x 10-5 N. What is the nature and magnitude of
the charge?
24-5. What are the magnitude and direction of the force that would act on an electron (q =
-1.6 x 10-19 C) if it were placed at (a) point P in Problem 24-1? (b) point A in Problem
24-3?
24-6. What must be the magnitude and direction of the electric field intensity between two
horizontal plates if one wants to produce an upward force of 6 x 10-4 N on a +60-C
charge? (The upward force on +q means E is also upward.)
24-7. The uniform electric field between two horizontal plates is 8 x 104 C. The top plate
is positively charged and the lower plate has an equal negative charge. What are the
magnitude and direction of the electric force acting on an electron as it passes
horizontally through the plates?
force on e is up.)

(The electric field is from + to -, i.e., downward;

24-8. Find the electric field intensity at a point P, located 6 mm to the left of an 8-C
charge. What are the magnitude and direction of the force on a 2-nC charge placed
at point P?

24-9. Determine the electric field intensity at a point P, located 4 cm above a 12-C
charge. What are the magnitude and direction of the force on a +3-nC charge placed
at point P?
Electric field will be downward, since that is the direction a positive charge would
move.

Calculating the Resultant Electric Field Intensity

24-10. Determine the electric filed intensity at the midpoint of a 70 mm line joining a 60C charge with a +40-C charge.
24-11. An 8-nC charge is located 80 mm to the right of a +4-nC charge. Determine the
field intensity at the midpoint of a line joining the two charges.
24-12. Find the electric field intensity at a point 30 mm to the right of a 16-nC charge and
40 mm to the left of a 9-nC charge.
24-13. Two equal charges of opposite signs are separated by a horizontal distance of 60
mm. If the resultant electric field at the midpoint of the line is 4 x 104 N/C. What is
the magnitude of each charge?

*24-14. A 20-C charge is 4 cm above an unknown charge q. The resultant electric

intensity at a point 1 cm above the 20-C charge is 2.20 x 109 N/C and is directed
upward? What are the magnitude and sign of the unknown charge?
*24-15. A charge of 20 C is placed 50 mm to the right of a 49C charge. What is the
resultant field intensity at a point located 24 mm directly above the 20-C charge?

*24-16. Two charges of +12 nC and +18 nC are separated horizontally by 28 mm. What is
the resultant field intensity at a point 20 mm from each charge and above a line
joining the two charges?

*24-17. A +4 nC charge is placed at x = 0 and a +6 nC charge is placed at x = 4 cm on an xaxis. Find the point where the resultant electric field intensity will be zero?