Electric Fields Worksheet

(a) Define electric field strength. Derive an expression for the electric field strength in the vicinity
of a single point charge.
(b) Find the electric field intensity at a distance of 10.0 cm from a point charge of 250 pC in
a vacuum.
(c) Find the electric field intensity at a point midway between two charges of +400 pC and -
500 pC situated 10 cm apart in a vacuum. (NB 1 pC = 10-12 C.)
2. If in the fig below A, B and C are 23 cm
A B
each positive charges of 8.0 x 10-12
Coulomb,
(a) Find the electric field intensity at a 1 cm
point C 2.0 cm from A and 2.0 cm 2 cm 2 cm
from B.
(b) Hence, find the force acting on the C
charge C.

3. Find the point between charges of +8.00 C and +6.00 C, which are situated 4.00 m apart in
a vacuum, where the electric field strength is zero.

4. A Uranium nucleus can be regarded as a spherical object of radius 2 x 10-14m containing 92

protons as well as neutrons. The electric field around the nucleus is the same as a point charge
concentrated at the centre of the nucleus.
(a) Estimate the electric field strength at the surface of the nucleus
(b) If an alpha particle (this is an helium nucleus containing two protons) is close to the
uranium nucleus estimate the size of the electric force acting on it.
(c) Hence estimate the initial acceleration of the helium nucleus away from the uranium
nucleus.
5 (a) How are lines used to represent the electric field strength in an electric field?
(b) Draw diagrams and sketch on each the electric field lines that correspond to each situation.
(i) Single Point Positive Charge (ii) Single Point Negative Charge
(iii) Two equal magnitude positive charges (iv) Two equal magnitude negative charges
(v) Two equal magnitude but opposite sign charges
(vi) Oppositely charged parallel plates (vii) A positively charged hollow sphere
(viii) Negatively charged hollow sphere
(ix) Equally charge co-axial cylinders (similar to parallel plate).
Application is to a co-axial cable

(x) Point charge and a parallel plate. Similar to the electrode system
of an electron gun.

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