Sheet 3 Electric Potential
1- The two charges in Fig. are
separated by a distance
d = 2.00 cm, and Q = +5.00 nC.
Find (a) the electric potential at A,
(b) the electric potential at B, and
(c) the electric potential difference
between B and A.
2-The difference in potential between the accelerating plates in the electron gun of
a TV picture tube is about 25 000 V. If the distance between these plates is 1.50
cm, what is the magnitude of the uniform electric field in this region?
3- Over a certain region of space, the electric potential is V = 5x - 3x2y + 2yz2.
Find the expressions for the x, y, and z components of the electric field over this
region. What is the magnitude of the field at the point P that has coordinates (1, 0, -
2) m?
4- An electric field in a region of
space is parallel to the x axis.
The electric potential varies
with position as shown in Fig.
Graph the x component of the
electric field versus position in this region of space.
5- A hollow spherical conductor,
carrying a net charge +Q, has inner radius
r1 and outer radius r2 = 2 r1.
At the center of the sphere is a point
charge +Q/2. (a) Write the electric field
strength E in all three regions as function of r. Then determine the potential as a
function of r, the distance from the center, for (b) r > r2, (c) r1 < r < r2, and (d) 0 < r
< r1. Plot both V and E as a function of r from r = 0 to r = 2 r2.
6- Consider two thin, conducting, spherical
shells as shown in Fig. The inner shell has a
radius r1 = 15.0 cm and a charge of 10.0 nC.
The outer shell has a radius r2 = 30.0 cm and
a charge of -15.0 nC. Find (a) the electric
field E, (b) the electric potential V in regions A
, B, and C, with V= 0 at r = ∞.
7- Calculate the electric potential due to a dipole whose dipole is 4.8 x 10-30 C.m at
a point 1.1 x 10-9 m away if this point is far from the dipole, and: (a) along the axis
of the dipole nearer the positive charge; (b) 45º above the axis but nearer the
positive charge p = 4.8 x 10-30 C.m
8- In Fig., a plastic rod having a uniformly
distributed charge Q = -25.6 pC has been
bent into a circular arc of radius R =3.71 cm
and central angle φ = 120°. With V =0
at infinity, what is the electric potential
at P, the center of curvature of the rod?
9- Two particles, with charges of 20.0 nC and
-20.0 nC, areplaced at the points with
coordinates (0, 4.) and (0, -4), as shown.
A particle with charge 10.0 nC is located
at the origin. (a) Find the electric potential
energy of the configuration of the three fixed
charges. (b) A fourth particle, with a mass of
2*10-13 kg and a charge of 40.0 nC, is released from rest at the point (3, 0). Find
its speed after it has moved freely to a very large distance away
Exercises on Electric Potential
1- The potential difference between two points is 100V. If a particle with a charge of 2C is
transported from one of these points to the other, the magnitude of the work done is:
A. 200 J B. 100 J C. 50 J D. 100 J E. 2 J
2- Two conducting spheres, one having twice the diameter of the other, are separated by a
distance large compared to their diameters. The smaller sphere (1) has charge q and the larger
sphere (2) is uncharged. If the spheres are then connected by a long thin wire:
A. 1 and 2 have the same potential
B. 2 has twice the potential of 1
C. 2 has half the potential of 1
D. 1 and 2 have the same charge E. all of the charge is dissipated
3- Two conducting spheres are far apart. The smaller sphere carries a total charge Q. The larger
sphere has a radius that is twice that of the smaller and is neutral. After the two spheres are
connected by a conducting wire, the charges on the smaller and larger spheres, respectively, are:
A. Q/2 and Q/2 B. Q/3 and 2Q/3 C. 2Q/3 and Q/3
D. zero and Q E. 2Q and −Q
4- A hollow metal sphere is charged to a potential V . The potential at its center is: A. V B.
0 C. −V D. 2V E. πV
5- A total charge of 7×10-8 C is uniformly distributed throughout a non-conducting sphere with a
radius of 5 cm. The electric potential at the surface, relative to the potential far away, is about:
A. −1.3 × 104 V B. 1.3 × 104 V C. 7.0 × 105 V
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D. −6.3 × 10 V E. 0
6- If the electric field is in the positive x direction and has a magnitude given by E = Cx 2, where
C is a constant, then the electric potential is given by V =:
A. 2 C x B. −2 C x C. C x3/3 D. −C x3/3 E. −3 C x
7- A 9.0-V battery moves 20 mC of charge through a circuit running from its positive terminal to
its negative terminal. How much energy was delivered to the circuit?
A. 2.2 mJ B. 0.020 J C. 0.18 J D. 4.5 x 103 J
8- An electron is released from rest at the negative plate of a parallel-plate capacitor. If the
distance across the plate is 5.0 mm and the potential difference across the plate is 5.0 V, with
what velocity, does the electron hit the positive plate? (me = 9.1 x 10-31 kg, e = 1.6 x 10-19 C)
A. 2.6 x 105 m/s B. 5.3 x 106 m/s
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C. 1.0 x 10 m/s D. 1.3 x 106 m/s
9- Two point charges of values +3.4 and +6.6 mC, respectively, are separated by 0.20 m. What is
the potential energy of this 2-charge system?
A. +0.34 J B. -0.75 J C. +1.0 J D. -3.4 J
10- At what distance from a point charge of 8.0 mC would the electrical potential be 4.2 x 104
V?
A. 0.58 m B. 0.76 m C. 1.7 m D. 2.9 m
11- A solid conducting sphere of 10 cm radius has a net charge of 20 nC. If the potential at
infinity is taken as zero, what is the potential at the center of the sphere?
A. 36 mV B. 360 mV C. 1.8 x 103 V D. >1.8 ´ 104 V
12- There is a hollow, conducting, uncharged sphere with a negative charge inside the sphere.
Consider the electrical potential at the inner and outer surfaces of the sphere. Which of the
following is true?
A. The potential on the inner surface is greater.
B. The potential on the outer surface is greater.
C. The potentials on both surfaces are zero.
D. The potentials on both surfaces are equal but not zero.
13- Electrons in an x-ray machine are accelerated from rest through a potential difference of 50 000 V.
What is the kinetic energy of each of these electrons in eV?
A. 50 eV B. 80 eV C. 330 eV D. 50 keV
14- If the distance between two negative point charges is increased by a factor of three, the resultant
potential energy is what factor times the initial potential energy?
A. 3.0 B. 9.0 C. 1/3 D. 1/9
15- A 9.0-V battery moves 20 mC of charge through a circuit running from its positive terminal to its
negative terminal. How much energy was delivered to the circuit? A. 2.2 mJ B. 0.020 J C.
0.18 J D. 4.5 103 J
