Physics 112

Practice problems Covering Materials from Weeks 1 and 2

To the student:
Stars reflect the kind of the challenge you are likely to meet in each question, once you have
carefully reviewed your class notes and read the relevant sections of the textbook. Questions with one
star emphasize using physical laws to find their solutions, but it ought to be relatively clear which
physical laws are useful. On the other end of the spectrum, questions with three stars emphasize figuring
out which physical laws you can profitably use to find the solution, and how they apply.

1. Two identical -1 C charges are held 1 cm apart. How strong is the repulsive force between
them?

2. How many electrons are in the Earth? The mass of Earth is 6 ´10 24 kg, and you may assume
that, on average, every electron is accompanied by one proton and one neutron. One reliable
reference for the masses of subatomic particles is on-line at http://hyperphysics.phy-
astr.gsu.edu/hbase/tables/funcon.html. You are welcome to round all masses to 2 significant
figures.

3.  In one common model of the hydrogen atom, a single electron revolves around a single
proton in an orbit of radius 5.3´10-11 m. What is the speed of the orbiting electron?

4.  Two identically charged balls are suspended by 30 cm wires from a

common point, as shown, in a configuration known as "Coulomb's
pendulum". Coulomb's pendulum works in much the same way as an
electroscope. In this case, both balls have masses of 500 g. If the balls repel
one another so that the wires make an angle of 5° from the vertical, how much
5°
charge must each ball carry?

5.  Electric charges are arranged in such a way so that whenever an

electron is placed at the origin, it speeds off to the right with an acceleration of
1´1012 m s-2 and leaves the system. What would be the acceleration of a
calcium ion (Ca++) placed at the origin?
Problem 4
6. A sodium ion (Na+) is held 500 pm to the left of a chlorine ion (Cl—). What
is the electric field vector midway between the two charges?

7.  The hydrogen chloride molecule has equal and opposite charges separated from one
another, with product of charge and separation (i.e., qs) being 3.3´10-30 C m. If such a molecule
lies along the x-axis, centered at the origin with the H+ ion to the left of the Cl—, what is the electric
field vector 10 nm away along the y-axis?

8.  Two parallel plates have equal and opposite charges. You measure the attractive force
between them when they are held 1 cm apart. How much weaker will the force be when they are
held 4 cm apart? Give your answer as a multiplicative factor, e.g., "20 times weaker."

9.  A negatively charged macromolecule drifts through a gel electrophoresis apparatus with

a constant speed of 1 mm s-1. The drag force it feels due to the gel is 10 nN. The electric field at its
location has a magnitude of 100 N C-1. How many excess (i.e., unbalanced) electrons does the
molecule have?
10.  The intracellular fluid, like other ionic solutions, is
a good conductor, with many mobile charges. Suppose a
large protein molecule, which we can think of as a spherical
ball of charge, carries 10−15 𝐶 of positive charge and is 8 nm 8 nm
outside a cell. Some positive or negative charges from
within the cell (shown in the sketch at right) must
redistribute themselves on the cell membrane. What will be
protein
the density of charge (i.e., charge per unit area) on the
membrane near the protein? Give magnitude and sign.

e
bran
11. What is the potential energy of repulsion when a proton

mem
and a helium nucleus (two protons and two neutrons) are 1

cell 
nm apart? inside the cell

12.  An electron is released from rest at a point in space Problem 10

where the electric potential is 5 V. How fast will it be
moving when it reaches a point in space where the electric potential is 9 V?

13.  Ernest Rutherford discovered the atomic nucleus in an experiment in which he shot
helium nuclei at a gold foil, and saw that some of the projectiles bounced directly backwards. You
set out to re-do the experiment, shooting helium nuclei with a fixed speed at the gold. Your
projectiles reach a certain minimum distance from the gold nuclei before being repelled back. How
much nearer would they get if you tripled the speed of your projectiles?

14. Water molecules are electric dipoles, with dipole moment 6.0 ´10-30 C m. Cr+++
What is the potential energy (relative to infinite separation) when a
chromium ion (Cr+++) is 2 nm away from a water molecule, on the side
nearer the (negative) oxygen, as shown. Also, is the interaction attractive or
O 2 nm
repulsive?
H
15.  Neutral carbon atoms have polarizability of 2.0 ´10-40 C2 m N-1 . H
An ion is brought near a neutral carbon atom and polarizes it, so that the ion Problem 14
and the atom attract one another. When the ion is 3 nm away from the
atom, the attractive force has a magnitude of 3 fN (i.e., 3´10-15 N). What is the magnitude of the
attractive force when the ion is moved back to 6 nm away from the carbon?

16. Potassium bromide (KBr) is a dipolar molecule, with dipole moment 3.4 ´10-29 C m . In an
electric field of magnitude 100 N C-1, how much more potential energy would a KBr molecule have
if it were antialigned with the field than if it were aligned?