Assignment I (Electrostatics) Electric charge and Coulomb’s Law

1. Calculate how many electrons would have to be removed from a copper penny to leave it with positive
charge of 10-15 C.
2. What is total charge in coulomb associated with 75 kg of electrons?
3. A polythene piece rubbed with wool is found to have a negative charge of 3 X 10 -7 C. estimate the number
of electrons transferred (from which to which). Is there a transfer of mass from wool to polythene?
4. It is now believed that protons and neutrons are themselves built out of more elementary units called
quarks. A proton and a neutron consist of three quarks each. Two types of quarks so called up quark
denoted by u having charge (+2/3)e and down quark denoted by d having charge (-1/3)e, together with
electrons build up ordinary mater. Suggest a possible quark composition of a proton and neutron.
5. If 109 electrons move out of a body to another body every second, how much time is required to get a total
charge of 1 C on the other body?
6. How much positive and negative charges are there in a cup of water?
7. What does q1 + q2 = 0 signify in electrostatics?
8. Given two point charge q1 and q2, such that q1q2 < 0. What is the nature of force between them?
9. If q1q2 > 0, what is the nature of force between the two charges?
10. State the limitations of coulomb’s law in electrostatics.
11. Two equal charges placed in air and separated by a distance of 1 m, repel each other with a force of 8.1 X
10-4 N. calculate the magnitude of charge on each. Find the force between them if the space between them
is filled with water K = 81. What will be the new force is the charge on each sphere is doubled and the
distance between them is halved.
12. The electrostatic force on a small sphere of charge 0.4 µC due to another small sphere of charge -0.8 µC is
air is 0.2 N. what is the distance of separation between them? What is the force on the second sphere due
to first?
13. The force between two point charges placed in a medium at a distance of 9 cm from each other is 16 dyne.
On increasing one of the charge by 56 stat-C, it is found that distance between the charges must be
changed by 3 cm in order to keep the force between them the same. Calculate the magnitude of charges
and the dielectric constant of the medium.
14. Distance between the centers of two charged spheres A and B is 40 cm. Each sphere is of negligible radius
and carries charge 12 µC. a third uncharged sphere C of same size is brought in contact with first, then with
second then removed finally. What is the force of repulsion between A and B now?
15. A charge Q is to be divided on two objects. What should be the value of charges on the object so that force
𝑑𝐹
between the objects can be maximum? (condition for maximum force, 𝑑𝑥 = 0)
16. Two point charges of +4µC and -10µC are placed 10 cm apart in air. A dielectric slab of thickness 5 cm is
placed between them. Calculate force of attraction between the charges if relative permittivity of dielectric
is 9.
17. In hydrogen atom an electron revolves round a proton in a circular orbit of radius 0.53 Å. Calculate the
linear velocity of electron.
18. Two free charges +q and +4q are placed at a distance 𝑙 apart. Find magnitude, sign and location of a third
charge, which makes the system in equilibrium.
19. What is the force between two small charged spheres having charges of 2 X 10 -7 C and 3 X 10-7 C placed 30
cm apart in air?
20. Check that the ratio Ke2/Gmemp is dimensionless. Look up a table of physical constants and determine the
value of this ratio. What does the ratio signify?
21. Two insulating charged copper spheres A and B have their centers separated by a distance of 50 cm. what is
the mutual electrostatic repulsion force if the charge on each is 6.5 X 10-7 C? The radii of A and B are
negligible compared to the distance of separation. What is the repulsion force if each sphere is charged
doubled the value amount, and the distance between them is halved?