Paramount Physic Cafe A small oil drop at P carries one excess

electron.
Teaching A2 Physics skills
What is the magnitude of the electrostatic
Physics force acting on the oil drop due to the
electric field between the plates?
Advanced Level
Quantitative Questions
6. A potential difference V is applied
between two parallel plates a small
Chapter @ Electric Field distance d apart, and produces an electric
field of strength E between the plates.
Short Questions :
1. A charged particle is in the electric field
between two horizontal metal plates
connected to a source of constant potential
difference, as shown. There is a force F on
What is the electric field strength between
the particle due to the electric field.
the plates when both V and d are doubled ?

7. In the circuit below, the distance

between the two parallel plates is
2.0 × 10–3 m. An electron is situated
between the plates.
The separation of the plates is doubled.
What will be the new force on the particle?
What is the force
2.The electric field at a certain distance
on the electron ?
from an isolated alpha particle is 3.0 × 107
NC–1. What is the force on an electron
when at that distance from the alpha
particle ?
8. Two parallel plates, a distance 25 mm
–19 apart, have a potential difference between
3. A particle has a charge of 4.8 × 10 C.
them of 12 kV.
The particle remains at rest between a pair
What is the force on an electron when it is
of horizontal, parallel plates having a
in the uniform electric field between the
separation of 15 mm. The potential
plates ?
difference between the plates is 660 V.
What is the weight of the particle ?
9. The diagram shows an electron, with
charge e, mass m, and velocity v, entering
4. Four point charges, each of charge Q, a uniform electric field of strength E.
are placed on the edge of an insulating disc
of radius r. The frequency of rotation of the
disc is f.

What is the equivalent

electric current at the
edge of the disc ?
The direction of the field and the electron’s
motion are both horizontal and to the right.
Which expression gives the distance x
5. Two large parallel plates X and Z are
through which the electron travels before it
placed 5.0 mm apart and connected as
stops momentarily ?
shown to the terminals of a 200 volt d.c.
supply.
10. The diagram shows an oil droplet that Structure Questions:
has become charged by gaining five
electrons. The droplet remains stationary 1. The diagram shows two parallel, horizontal plates
between charged plates. separated by a vertical distance of 3.0 cm. The
potential difference between the plates is 600 V.

What is the magnitude and direction of the

electrostatic force on the oil droplet ?

11. The diagram shows a thundercloud a Calculate the magnitude and direction of the electric
whose base is 500 m above the ground. field between the plates.
b Describe the electric field between the plates.
c An oil droplet of weight 6.4 × 10−15 N is held
stationary between the two plates.
i .State whether the charge on the droplet is positive or
negative. Explain your answer.
ii .Determine the charge on the oil droplet.

2. Two horizontal metal plates are separated by

distance d in a vacuum. A potential difference V is
applied across the plates, as shown in Fig. 2.1.

The potential difference between the base

of the cloud and the ground is 200 MV. A
raindrop with a charge of 4.0 x 10–12 C is in
the region between the cloud and the
ground. What is the electrical force on the
raindrop ?

12. The diagram shows two metal plates P

and Q between which there is a potential A horizontal beam of α-particles from a radioactive
difference of 700 V. Plate Q is earthed. source is made to pass between the plates.
(a) State and explain the effect on the deflection of the
α-particles for each of the following changes:

(i) The magnitude of V is increased.

(ii) The separation d of the plates is decreased.

What is the magnitude and direction of the (b) The source of α-particles is replaced with a source
of β-particles. Compare, with a reason in each case, the
electric field at point R ?
effect of each of the following properties on the
13. The diagram shows two point charges. Calculate deflections of α- and β-particles in a uniform electric
the distance x of point P from charge +Q where the field:
net electric field strength is zero.
(i) charge (ii) mass (iii) speed

(c) The electric field gives rise to an acceleration of the

α-particles and the β-particles. Determine the ratio
 (ii) For the particle in the region between the plates,
3. (a) Define electric field strength. state expressions, in terms of E, m, q, v and L, as
appropriate, for
(b) Two horizontal metal plates are 20 m m apart in a 1. the force F on the particle,
vacuum. A potential difference of 1.5 kV is applied 2. the time t for the particle to cross the region between
across the plates, as shown in Fig. 3.1. the plates.

(b) (i) State the law of conservation of linear

momentum.

(ii) Use your answers in (a)(ii) to state an expression

for the change in momentum of the particle.

5.A pair of parallel metal plates has a potential

difference of 5000 V across them. The electric field
A charged oil drop of mass 5.0 ×10–15 kg is held strength between them is 400 kN C−1. Calculate:
stationary by the electric field. a the separation between the plates
b the force on a dust particle between the plates
(i) On Fig. 3.1, draw lines to represent the electric field which carries a charge of 1.6  10−19 C.
between the plates.
6. The diagram shows a point charge +q placed in the
(ii) Calculate the electric field strength between the electric field of a charge +Q.
plates.

(iii) Calculate the charge on the drop.

(iv) The potential of the upper plate is increased.

Describe and explain the subsequent motion of the
drop.

4.Two oppositely-charged parallel metal plates are

situated in a vacuum, as shown in Fig. 4.1.

The plates have length L. The uniform electric field

between the plates has magnitude E. The electric field
outside the plates is zero.
The force experienced by the charge +q at point A is F.
Calculate the magnitude of the
force experienced by this charge when it is placed at
points B, C, D and E. In each case,
explain your answer.

7.The diagram shows two point charges. The point X

is midway between the charges.

A positively-charged particle has mass m and charge

+q. Before the particle reaches the
region between the plates, it is travelling with speed v
parallel to the plates.
The particle passes between the plates and into the aCalculate the electric field strength at point X due
region beyond them. to:
(a) (i) On Fig. 4.1, draw the path of the particle i the +20 μC charge
between the plates and beyond them. ii the +40 μC charge.
b Calculate the resultant electric field strength at
point X.