Electric Charges & Fields

Coulombs Law, Electrostatic Field & Electric Dipole

1 Mark Questions
1.Why do the electrostatic field lines not form closed loop?[All India 2014, Delhi 2012]
Ans.The electrostatic field lines do not form closed loop because no electric field lines exist
inside the charged body
2.Why do the electric field lines never cross each other?[All India 2014]
Ans
Ans.At the intersection point, there would be two directions of electric field which is not
possible so lines of forces never cross each other
3.Why must electrostatic field at the surface of a charge every point? Give reason. [Foreign
2014, Delhi 2012]

Ans.As, electric field inside a conductor is always zero. The electric lines of forces exert lateral
pressure on each other leads to explain repulsion between like charges. Thus, in order to
stable spacing, the lines are normal to the surface.

4.Two point charges gx and q 2 are placed at a distance d apart as shown in the figure. The
electric field intensity is zero at the point P on the line joining them as shown. Write two
conclusions that you can draw from this. [Delhi2014c]

Ans.(i)
Ans. The two point charges (q^ and q 2) should be of opposite nature.
(ii) Magnitude of charge q1 must be greater than magnitude of charge q2.

5.Define dipole moment of an electric dipole. Is it a scalar quantity or a vector quantity?

[Foreign 2012; All India 2011]
Ans
Ans.Electric dipole moment of an electric dipole is equal to the product of its charges and the
length of the electric dipole.It is denoted by p. Its unit is coulomb-metre.

It is a vector quantity and its direction is from negative charge towards positive charge

6.Draw a plot showing the variation of electric field (E) with distance r due to a point charge
Q. [Delhi 2012]
Ans.The
Ans. plot showing the variation of electric field and electric potential with distance r due to
a point charge q is shown as below
7.A proton is placed in a uniform electric field directed along the position X-axis. In which
direction will it tend to move? [Delhi 2011 c]
Ans.Proton
Ans. will tend to move along the X-axis in the direction of a uniform electric field.
8. In which orientation, a dipole placed in a uniform electric field is in (i) stable (ii) unstable
equilibrium?[Delhi 2011; All India 2008]
Ans.

9.Two point charges having equal charges separated by lm distance experience a force of 8
N. What will be the force experienced by them if they are held in water at the same distance?
(Given, Kwater = 80).[Ail India 2010 C]
Ans .Two point charges system is taken from air to water keeping other variable (e.g., distance,
magnitude of charge) unchanged. So, only factor which may affect the interacting force is
dielectric constant of medium

10.A metallic shpere is placed in a uniform electric field as shown in the figure. Which path is
followed by electric field lines and why?[HOTS; Foreign 2010]

Ans.Path d is followed by electric field lines. Electric field intensity inside the metallic sphere
will be zero, therefore, no electric lines of force exist inside the sphere, also lines fall normally
on the surface. Electric field lines are always perpendicular to the surface of the conductor.

11.Point out right or wrong for the following statement.The mutual forces between two
charges do not get affected by the presence of other charges.
Ans .Right, because mutual force acting between two point charges is proportional to the
product of magnitude of charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance
between them, i.e. independent of the other charges.

12.A dipole of dipole moment p is present in a uniform electric field E . Write the value of the
angle between p and E for which the torque experienced by the dipole, is minimum. [Delhi
2009 c]
Ans.Since, torque (x) on the dipole in electric field E is

13.Two small identical dipoles AB and CD, each of dipole moment p are kept at an angle of
120° as

shown in the figure. What is the resultant dipole moment of this combination? If this system
is subjected to electric field (E) directed along + X-direction, what will be the magnitude and
direction of the torque acting on this? [Delhi 2008]

Ans.
2 Marks Questions
14.An electric dipole of length 4 cm when placed with its axis making an angle of 60° with a
uniform electric field, experiences a torque of . Calculate the potential energy of the
dipole if it has charge ± 8 nC.[Delhi 2014]
Ans.

15.An electric dipole of length 2 cm when placed with its axis making an angle of 60° with a

uniform of electric field,experiences a torque of Calculate the potential energy of

the dipole if it has charge of ± 4 nC.[Delhi 2014]
Ans .Refer to ans. 14 (Ans. 8J).

16.An electric dipole of length 1cm which placed with its axis making an angle of 60° with a

uniform electric field,experiences a torque of Calculate the potential energy of

the dipole if it has charge ± 2 nC. [Delhi 2014]
Ans .Refer to ans. 14 (Ans. -6J).

17.Two point charges q and – 2 q are kept d distance apart, find the location of the point
relative to charge to q at which potential due to this system is zero.[All India 2014]
Ans.

18.An electric dipole is placed in a uniform electric field E with its dipole moment p parallel to
the field. Find
(i)the work done in turning the dipole till its dipole moment points in the direction opposite to
E.
(ii)the orientation of the dipole for which the torque acting on it becomes maximum.[All India
2014 C]
Ans.
19.A small metal sphere carrying a charge +0 is located at the centre of a spherical cavity in
a large uncharged metallic spherical shell. Write the charges on the inner and outer surfaces
of the shell. Write the expression for the electric field at the point Px. [Delhi 2014 c]

Ans.

20.(i) Point charge (+Q) is kept in the vicinity of and uncharged conducting plate. Sketch
electric field lines between the charge and the plate.
(ii)Two infinitely large plane thin parallel sheets having surface charge densities sigma1 and
sigma2 (sigma1>sigma2) are shown in the figures. Write the magnitude and directions of net
fields on the marked II and III. [Foreign 2014]

Ans.
In region II
The electric field due to the sheet of charge A will be from left of right (along the positive
direction) and that due to the sheet of charge B will be from right to left (along the negative
direction). Therefore, in region II we have

In region II
The electric fields due to both the charged sheets will be from left to right, i.e, along the
positive direction. Therefore, in region III we have

21.Calculate the amount of work done in turning an electric dipole of dipole moment

from its position of unstable equilibrium to the position of stable equilibrium in a uniform
electric field of intensity 103 N/C. [Foreign 2011]
Ans.
Ans.

23.Two identical metallic spherical shells A and B having charges + 40 and -10Q are kept a
certain distance apart. A third identical uncharged sphere C is first placed in contact with
sphere A and then with sphere B, then spheres A and B are brought in contact and then
separated. Find the charge on the spheres A and B.[All India 2011 c]
Ans .When two identical conducting charged spheres are brought in contact, then
redistribution of charge takes place, i.e. the charge is equally divided on both the spheres.
When C and A are placed in contact, charge of A equally divides in two spheres. Therefore,
charge on each A and C = + 2Q
24.A dipole with a dipole moment of magnitude p is in stable equilibrium in an electrostatic
field of magnitude E. Find the work done in rotating this dipole to its position of unstable
equilibrium. [All India 2010c]
Ans.

25.A dipole is present in an electrostatic field of magnitude 10 6N/C. If the work done in
rotating it from its position of stable equilibrium to its position of unstable equilibrium is
2×10~23J, then find the magnitude of the dipole moment of this dipole.[All India 2010 C]
Ans.

26.Deduce the expression for the electric field E due to a system of two charges q x and q 2
with position vectors i1 and r2 at a point r with respect to common origin. [Delhi 2010c]
Ans.

27.The sum of two point charges is 7 microC. They repel each other with a force of 1 N when
kept 30 cm apart in free space. Calculate the value of each charge. [Foreign 2009]
Ans.

28.Figure shows two large metal plates and P2 tightly held against each other and placed
between two equal and unlike point charges perpendicular to the line joining them.
(i)What will happen to the plates when they are released?
(ii)Draw the pattern of the electric field lines for the system.[HOTS; Foreign 2009]

Ans.(i) By electrostatic induction, charge induces on the plates and opposite nature of charge
appears on the surface facing each other. Therefore, they start attracting towards each other.

Field lines must be perpendicular to the plates. Also, equispaced field lines exist between two
plates as electric field between, them is uniform.

29.Two charges + Q and -Q are kept at points (-x 2,0) and (x t, 0) respectively, in the XY-plane.
Find the magnitude and direction of the net electric field at the origin (0,0). [All India 2009 C]
Ans.
30.Two point charges 4Q and Q are separated by 1 m in air. At what point on the line joining
of charges, is the electric field intensity zero? [All India 2008]
Ans.
3 Marks Questions
31.Two point charges + q and -2q are placed at the vertices B and C of an equilateral triangle
ABC of side a as given in the figure. Obtain the expression for (i) the magnitude and (ii) the
direction of the resultant electric field at the vertex A due to these two charges.

Ans.

32.Define the term electric dipole moment. Is it a scalar or vector? Deduce an expression for
the electric field at a point on the equatorial plane of an electric dipole of length 2a.[All India
2013; Foreign 2009]
Ans .For electric dipole moment
Electric dipole moment of an electric dipole is equal to the product of its charges and the
length of the electric dipole.It is denoted by p. Its unit is coulomb-metre.

It is a vector quantity and its direction is from negative charge towards positive charge
Consider an electric dipole AB consists of two charges +q and -q separated by a distance 2a.
We have to find electric field at point P on equipotential line separated by a distance

33.Sketch the pattern of electric field lines due to

(i) a conducting sphere having negative charge on it.
(ii) an electric dipole.[All India 2011 C]
Ans.(i) Electric field lines due to a conducting sphere are shown in figure

(ii) Electric field lines due to an electric dipole are shown in figure
34.A positive point charge (+ q) is kept in the vicinity of an uncharged conduction plate.
Sketch electric field lines originated from the point on to the surface Of the plate. [All India
2009; HOTS]
Ans .Equal charge of opposite nature induces in the surface of conductor nearer to the source
charge

4 Marks Questions
35.Deduce the expression for the torque acting on a dipole of dipole moment p in the
presence of a uniform electric field E.[All India 2014; Delhi 2008]
Ans.Torque on an Electric Dipole in a Uniform Electric Field Consider an electric dipole
consisting of two charges – q and + q placed in a uniform external electric field of intensity
The length of the electric dipole is 21.The dipole moment p makes an angle 0 with the
direction of the electric field.
Two forces F and – F which are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction act on the dipole.

The net force is zero. Since, the two forces are equal in magnitude opposite in direction and
act at different points, therefore, they constitute a couple.
A net torque x acts on the dipole about an axis passing through the mid-point of the dipole
36.While travelling back to his residence in the car, Dr. Pathak was caught up in a
thunderstorm. It became very dark. He stopped driving the car and waited for thunderstorm
to stop. Suddenly, he noticed a child walking alone on the road. He asked the boy to come
inside the car till the thunderstorm stopped Dr.Pathak dropped the boy at his residence. The
boy insisted that Dr. Pathak should meet his parents. The parents expressed their gratitude
to Dr. Pathak for his concern for safety of the child.
Answer the following questions based on the above information
(i)Why is it safer to sit inside a car during a thunderstorm?
(ii)Which two values are displayed by Dr. Pathak in his action?
(iii)Which values are reflected in parents response to Dr. Pathak?
(iv)Give an example of similar action on your part in the past from everyday life.[Delhi 2013;
VBQ]
Ans.(i)It
Ans is safer to be set inside a car during thunderstorm because the car acts like a Faraday
cage. The metal in the car will shield you from any external electric fields and thus prevent the
lightning from travelling within the car.
(ii) Awareness and humanity
(iii) Gratitude and obliged
(iv) I once came across to a situation where a puppy was stuck in the middle of a busy road
during rain and was not able to go cross due to heavy flow, so I quickly rushed and helped him.

37.An electric dipole moment p is held in a uniform electric field E.

(i)Prove that no translation force acts on the dipole.
(ii)Hence, prove that the torque acting on the dipole is given by pE sin 0 indicating the
direction along which it acts. [Foreign 2008]
Ans .(i)When dipole is placed in a unifrom electric field, then force on +q charge due to electric
field E
(ii)It is safer to be set inside a car during thunderstorm because the car acts like a Faraday
cage. The metal in the car will shield you from any external electric fields and thus prevent the
lightning from travelling within the car.
(a) Awareness and humanity
(b) Gratitude and obliged
(c) I once came across to a situation where a puppy was stuck in the middle of a busy road
during rain and was not able to go cross due to heavy flow, so I quickly rushed and helped him.
 Gauss’sLaw

1 Mark Questions

1.Consider two hollow concentric spheres S 1 and S2 enclosing charges 20 and 40

respectively, as shown in the figure, (i) Find out the ratio of the electric flux through them, (ii)
How will the electric flux through the spheres S1 change if a medium of dielectric constant er
is introduced in the space inside S1 in place of air? Deduce the necessary expression. [All
India 2014]

Ans.
2.Two charges of magnitudes –20 and + O are located at points (a, 0) and (4a, 0),
respectively. What is the electric flux due to these charges through a sphere of radius 3a with
its centre at the origin? [All India 2013]
Ans.

3.A charge q is placed at the centre of a cube of side L. What is the electric flux passing
through each face of the cube? [All India 2010; Foreign 2010]
Ans.
4.Figure shows three point charges,+ 2q, – q and + 3q. Two charges + 2q and – q are
enclosed within a surface S. What is the electric flux due to this configuration through the
surface S? [Delhi 2010]

Ans.

5.If the radius of the Gaussian surface enclosing a charge is halved, how does the electric
flux through the Gaussian surface change?[All India 2009,2008]
Ans .Total charge enclosed by the Gaussian surface remains same even when radius is halved.
Therefore, total electric flux remains constant as per Gauss’ theorem. There will not be any
change in electric flux through the Gaussian surface.

2 Marks Questions
6.Given a uniform electric held E =5 x 10 3 i N/C, find the flux of this held through a square
of 10 cm on a side whose plane is parallel to the YZ-plane. What would be the flux through
the same square if the plane makes an angle of 30° with the X-axis? [Delhi 2014]
Ans.

7.Given a uniform electric held E =2 x 10 3 i N/C, find the flux of this held through a
square of side 20 cm, whose plane is parahel to the YZ-plane. What would be the flux
through the same square if the plane makes an angle of 30° with the X-axis? [Delhi 2014,
HOTS]
Ans.Refer to ans. 6. (Ans 40 Nm 2/C)

8.Given a uniform electric held E = 4 x 103 i N/C. Find the flux of this field through a
square of 5 cm on a side whose plane is parallel to the YZ-plane. What would be the flux
through the same square if the plane makes an angle of 30° with the X-axis? [Delhi 2014,
HOTS]
Ans .Refer to ans 6. (Ans. 5 Nm 2/C)

9.A sphere St of radius q enclosed a net charge Q. If there is another concentric sphere S 2 of
radius r2(r2 > q) enclosing charge 20, hnd the ratio of the electric hux through S 1 and S2. How
will the electric flux through sphere Sj change if a medium of dielectric constant K is
introduced in the space inside S2 in place Of air? [All India 2014]

Ans.

Ans.A thin straight conducting wire will be a uniform linear charge distribution.
Let q charge be enclosed by the cylindrical surface.
11.Two charged conducting spheres of radii r t and r2 connected to each other by a wire. Find
the ratio of electric fields at the surfaces of the two spheres. [Delhi 2011 c]
Ans.
Ans.

13.A spherical conducting shell of inner radius R1 and outer radius R 2 has a charge Q. A
charge q is placed at the centre of the shell. [All India 2010c]
(i)What is the surface charge density on the (a) inner surface, (b) outer surface of the shell?
(ii)Write the expression for the electric field at a point to x>R2 from the centre of the shell.
Ans .Here, two points are important
(i) Charge resides on the outer surface of spherical conductor (skin effect).
(ii) Equal charge of opposite nature induces in the surface of conductor nearer to source
charge.
14.Define electric flux. Write its SI unit. A charge gis enclosed by a spherical surface of
radius [All India 2009]
Ans.The total electric flux linked with a surface is equal to the total number of electric lines of
force passing through the surface when surface is held normal to the direction of electric field.

15.Draw the shapes of the suitable Gaussian surfaces while applying Gauss’ law to calculate
the electric field due to
(i)a uniformly charged long straight wire.
(ii)a uniformly charged infinite plane sheet. [Delhi 2009 C]
Ans.The surface that we choose for application of Gauss’ theorem is called Gaussian surface.
We usually choose a spherical Gaussian surface.
Ans.
Ans.
Ans.

3 Marks Questions
19.A hollow cylindrical box of lenght 1 m and area of cross-section 25 cm 2 is placed in a
three-dimensional coordinate system as shown in the figure.

Ans.
20.State Gauss’ law in electrostatics. A cube which each side a is kept in an electric field
given by E = as shown in the figure, where C is a positive dimensional constant. Find out

(i)the electric flux through the cube

(ii)the net charge inside the cube.[Foreign 2012]
Ans.
21.Using Gauss’ law, obtain the expression for the electric field due to uniformly charged
spherical shell of radius R at a point outside the shell. Draw a graph showing the variation of
electric field with r, for r > R and r < R.[All India 2011]
Ans .Let us consider charge +q is uniformly distributed over a spherical shell of radius R. Let £
is to be obtained at P lying outside of spherical shell.

Eat any point is radially outward (if charge q is positive) and has same magnitude at all points
which lie at the same distance r from centre of spherical shell such that r> R.
Ans.
23.State Gauss’ law in electrostatics. Using this law, derive an expression for the electric
field due to a uniformly charged infinite plane Sheet. [Delhi 2009]
Ans.
Let us consider a large plane sheet of charge having surface charge density sigma
Ans.(i)
4 Marks Questions
25.Using Gauss’ law, deduce the expression for the electric field due to a uniformly charged
spherical conducting shell of radius R at a point
(i)outside the shell
(ii)inside the shell
Plot a graph showing variation of electric field as a function of r > R and r < R.{r being the
distance from the centre of the shell) [All India 2013]
Ans.
26.(i) Define electric flux. Write its SI unit.
(ii) A small metal sphere carrying charge + Q is located at the centre of a spherical cavity
inside a large uncharged metallic spherical shell as shown in the figure.Use Gauss’ law to
find the expressions for the electric field at points Pl and P 2.

(iii)Draw the pattern of electric field lines in this arrangement.[Delhi 2012 C]

Ans.

(iii) The electric field lines due to arrangement is shown as below:

Charges will be uniformly distributed on all the surfaces hence, all field lines will be uniformly
separated.

27.Define electric flux. Write its SI unit, (ii) Using Gauss’ law, prove that the electric field at a
point due to a uniformly charged infinite plane sheet is independent of distance from it.
How is the field directed if
(a)the sheet is positively charged
(b)negatively charged? [Delhi 2012]
Ans .(i) Electric flux Electric flux over an area in an electric field represents the total number of
electric lines of force crossing the area in a direction normal to the plane of the area. The SI
unit of electric flux is N-m2/C
(ii)
Let us consider a large plane sheet of charge having surface charge density sigma
The field directed

Normally away from the sheet when sheet is positively charged.

Normally inward towards the sheet when plane sheet is negatively charged.

28.(i) State Gauss’ law. Use it to deduce the expression for the electric field due to a
uniformly charged thin spherical shell at points

inside the shell and

outside the shell.

(ii) Two identical metallic spheres A and B having charges +40 and – 10O are kept a certain
distance apart. A third identical uncharged sphere C is first placed in contact with sphere A
and then with sphere B. Then, spheres A and Bare brought in contact and then separated.
Find the charges on the spheres A and B.[All India 2011C]
Ans .(i)
(ii)
29.(i) Define electric flux. Write its SI unit, (ii) The electric field components due to a charge
inside the cube of side 0.1 m are shown below.

Ans.(i)Electric flux Electric flux over an area in an electric field represents the total number of
electric lines of force crossing the area in a direction normal to the plane of the area. The SI
unit of electric flux is N-m2/C
(ii) The electric field is directed along +X-axis. Therefore, angle between E and A for left face is
180°, whereas for right face is 0°. The angle between E and A on four non-shaded faces is 90°.
Therefore, flux linked with these four faces is zero.

Ans .(i)Electric flux Electric flux over an area in an electric field represents the total number of
electric lines of force crossing the area in a direction normal to the plane of the area. The SI
unit of electric flux is N-m2/C
Ans.The electric lines of force emerge from the positive charge and comes into the negative
charge.
(i)
Electric field lines due to positive and negative charged spherical shell are as given below in
figures (a) and (b) I respectively