Document1

Chapter 12 Electrostatic Revision

12. 1 Coulomb’s Law
0. Three point charges P,Q and R are placed in a straight line as shown in the diagram below
+4C -2C -4C

P Q R
If PQ = BC = 5 mm, what is the force acting on Q
A 2.9 x 103 N towards P
B 2.9 x 103 N towards R
C 5.8 x 103 N towards R
D 5.8 x 103 N towards P

12.2 Electric Field

1. The electric field strength at a point P which is at a distance of 20 cm from a point charge is 0.40 V m-
1 . The electric potential at the point P is

A 0.02 V B 0.08 V C 0.20V D 0.80 V

2. Two bodies, each of mass 3 x 105 kg, are 200 km apart. The same amount and the type of charge is
placed on each body. What is the magnitude of the charge on each body so that the gravitational
attractive force is balanced by the electric force?
A 6.7 x 10-10 C B 1.0 x 10-9 C C 4.7 x 10-8 C D 2.6 x 10-5 C

3.The work done to bring two point charges q and -q from infinity to a separation r is
q2 q2 q2 q2
A C B D
40 r 20 r 40 r 20 r

4. The figure shows the electric field lines for positive point charge and a nearby negative, point charge
that are equal in magnitude.

The electric field strengths at P, Q and R are Ep, EQ and ER respectively. Which arrangement shows the
correct relative electric field strengths?
A Ep> EQ >ER B Ep> ER >EQ C EQ > Ep >ER D EQ > ER > Ep

12.3 Gauss’s law

5. The figure shows a spherical Gaussian surface of radius 20.0 cm enclosing a charge of +2 C.

34
 Document1

The electric flux through the Gaussian surface is

A 4.43 x 10-12 Nm2 C-1 B 1.77 x 10-11 N m2 C-1 C 2.26 x 1011 N m2 C-1 D 4.50 x 1011 N m2 C-1

12.4 Electric Potential

6. The electric potential V at different distances x from a point O along the x-axis is measured. The
results are shown in the table.
x (m) 0.020 0.030 0.040 0.050 0.060
V (V) 10 12 15 19 23
The electric field intensity along the x-axis at a point 0.050 m from O is
A 380 V m-1 in the negative x-direction B 380V m-1 in the positive x-direction
C 400 V m-1 in the negative x-direction D 400 V m-1 in the positive x-direction

7. A charge q is placed at a point P in an electric field of strength E acting in the x-direction. At P, the
electric potential is V, the force on q in the x-direction is F, and the electrostatic potential energy of the
charge is U. Which of the following sets of equations shows the correct relations between E, F, q, U and
V?
dV
A E=qF F  U=qV V    Edx
dx

dV
B F=qE E V=qU V    Fdx
dx
F dU
C E F  U=qV V    Edx
q dx

dU
D E=qF F  V=qU V    Fdx
dx

8. The figure shows a positively charged conductor sphere with its centre at O. The points N, O, P, Q,
and R are on a straight line.

The electric potential difference is greatest between the points

A P and O B P and Q C Q and R D N and R

35
 Document1

9. XYZ is a right-angled triangle. The electric potential and electric field intensity at X due to the charge
Q at Y are 120 V and 40 V m-1 respectively. The charge Q' at Z causes an electric potential of 60 V and
an electric field intensity of 30 V m-1 at X.

Which of the following gives the possible values of the electric potential and the electric field strength at
X due to the charges at Y and Z?
A B C D
Electric
60 135 180 180
potential (v)
Electric field
10 10 50 70
strength (V m-1)

Previous Question
10 Three charges q, Q and Q forming an equilateral triangle with sides r is shown in the diagram below.

Which expression represents the work done to remove charge q to infinity?

Q2 2qQ Q2 2qQ
A B C D
40 r 40 r 4 0 r 2 40 r 2
STPM 2012 P1/Q22
11 Three charged particles which are arranged in a straight line is shown in the diagram below.

What is the electrostatic force acting on Q3 due to the other two charges?
A 12.5 N in the negative-x direction
B 12.5 N in the positive-x direction
C 27.5 N in the negative-x direction
D 27.5 N in the positive-x direction
STPM 2013 P2/Q1

36
 Document1

12 The electric flux passing through a surface is maximum when the normal to the surface is
A parallel to the electric field
B not parallel to the electric field
C perpendicular to the electric field
D at an angle of 45° to the electric field
STPM 2012 P1/Q23
13 The variation of the electric potential V with distance r from the centre of a charge conducting sphere
of radius R is shown by the graph below.

Which graph shows the relationship between the electric field strength E with the distance r?

STPM 2013 P2/Q2

14 A charge Q of  125 C is fixed at the centre of a square of length 0.64 m is shown in the diagram
below.

37
 Document1

If a charge P of  7.0 C is moved from X to Y, what is the work done to the charge Q?
A 0J B 12.3J C 17.5J D 24.6J
STPM 2013 P2/Q4
15 Two point charges +35 µC and Q are placed 300 cm apart. If they attract each other with a force
of 0.525 N, what is the charge of Q?
A +167 µC B +15 µC C -15 µC D -167 µC
STPM 2014 P2/Q1
16 A dust particle of mass 2.0 x 10-18 kg carries a charge of -1.60 x 10-19 C. It is placed in a uniform
downward electric field strength of 200 N C-1 and a uniform gravitational field strength of 9.81 N kg-1.
What is the magnitude and direction of the resultant force of the dust particle?
A 1.24 x 10-17 N, upwards
B 1.24 x 10-17 N, downwards
C 5.16 x 10-17 N, upwards
D 5.16 x 10-17 N, downwards
STPM 2014 P2/Q2

17 Which diagram shows the resultant electric field when a conducting plate is placed in between two
parallel metal plates which are connected to a constant voltage supply?

STPM 2013 Q1/U2

STRUCTURED QUESTIONS
1. (a) What is the electric potential at point
(i) 10 cm and
(ii) 50 cm from a point charge of 2 C?
(iii) Draw the diagram of Electric Potential in a(i) and a(ii)
(b) Find the work done to move a charge of 0.05 C from a point 50 cm from the point charge
2 C to point 10 cm from the point charge.

2. Two parallel metal plates are connected to a 120 V battery as shown in the figure.

38
 Document1

Calculate
(a) the electric field intensity between the plates
(b) the force on an electron in between the plates
(c)the loss in electric potential energy by an electron that moves from plate B to plate A. What
happens to the electric potential energy that is lost?

3. The figure shows a metal sphere of radius a and charge +Q inside another concentric sphere of
radius b which is connected to earth. The points X and Y are at distances of x and y respectively from
O.

Use Gauss' law to deduce expressions for the electric field intensity at the points (a) O, (b) X and (c) Y.

4. Two metal spheres X and Y which are far apart are joined by a wire. The radius of sphere X is r1 and
that of sphere Y is r2 . The charge densities on the surface of the sphere X and Y are  1 and  2
respectively.
(a) Find, in terms of  1 and  2
(i) the ratio of the electric field intensity on the surface of sphere to that on the surface
of sphere Y
(ii) the ratio of the electric potential the surface of X to that of Y.
1
(b) Hence find the ratio of , in terms of r1 and r2 .
2

5. (a) State Gauss' law. [2 Marks]

(b) Use Gauss' law to show that the electric field strength E between two parallel
conducting plates is /, where  is the charge density and r is the permittivity of the medium
between the plates.

39
 Document1

[4 Marks]

6 (a) By using Gauss's law, derive an expression for an electric field which is due to a uniformly charged
conducting plate of area A in a free space. The total charge on the plate is Q. [4 marks]
(b) A charged particle of 40.0 µC is placed in a uniform electric field of 2.82 x 105 N C-1. Determine
(i) the force exerted on the charged particle, [2 marks]
(ii) the work which is required to move the charged particle to a distance 5.00 cm against
the direction of the electric field. [2 marks]

STPM 2014 P2/Q16

ESSAY QUESTIONS
1. (a)Write equations to represent Coulomb's law in electrostatics, and Newton's law of
gravitation. Identify the symbols used in the equations.
(b) (i) Explain what is meant by the electric potential at a point in an electric field.
(ii) Use Coulomb's law to deduce an expression for the electric potential on the
surface of a charged conducting sphere.
(c) Electrons escape from the surface of a star. Consequently. the star becomes positively
charged. The charging process of a star stops when the total gravitational potential energy and
electric potential energy of a proton on the surface of the star is zero.
(i) Write an equation to relate the two forms of potential energy.
(ii) Show that, at the steady state, the maximum charge on a star that has a fixed
mass is independent of its radius.
(iii) Calculate the maximum charge on the Sun which has a mass of 2.0 x 1030 kg.

2. (a) (i) State Coulomb's law.

(ii) Define electric field strength, and use Coulomb's law to derive an
expression for the electric field strength E due to a point charge.
(b) The figure shows two point charges, one of +8Q at A, and another of -2Q at B The distance
between A and B is a. At the points X and Y along the line AP, the magnitude of the electric
field strength due to the charge +8Q is the same as that due to the charge -2Q.

(i) Find, in terms of a, the distances of the point X and the point Y from the point A.
(ii) At which of the points, X or Y, is the electric field strength zero? Explain your
answer.
(iii) Sketch the electric field pattern produced by the charges +8Q and -2Q.
(iv) Describe the motion of a free positive charge when it is at points between B and
P.
(v) Derive an expression, in terms of Q and a, for the work done to bring a charge of
+q from infinity to the point Y.

40
 Document1

5. (a) What is meant by

(i) the electric field strength and
(ii) the electric potential at a point in an electric field? How are the two quantities
related?
(b) (i) Write the expression for the electric potential V at a distance x from a point charge
+Q. Hence explain what is meant by an equipotential surface.
(ii) Draw a figure to show the equipotential lines of 2000 V, 3000 V and 4000 V
around a point charge of +Q. Label the lines clearly.
(iii) In the same figure, draw the electric field lines due to the point charge of +Q.
(iv) From the figure, explain how you can deduce that the electric field strength
decreases as the distance from the point charge +Q increases.

41