CHAPTER 1 : ELECTRIC CHARGES AND FIELD

A. 2MARKS QUESTIONS
1. A force F is acting between two charges placed some distance apart in vacuum. If a brass rod is
placed between these two charges how does the force change?

Ans. For any metal ,K=∞. Fbrass =fvac /K . F/∞= 0 i ,e in the presence of brass rod the force between
the two charges becomes zero

2. Two dipoles made charges + q and + Q respectively have equal dipole moments. Give the (i) ratio
between the separation of these two pairs of charges (ii) angle between the dipole axes of these two
dipoles.

Ans. As the two dipoles have equal dipoles moments so

3. A metallic spherical shell has an inner radius R1 and outer radius R2. A charge Q is placed at the
center of the spherical cavity. What will be the surface charge density on (i) the inner surface and (ii)
the outer surface?

Ans. Change -Q is induced on the inner surface and charge +Q is induced on the surface of the cavity
. Therefore surface charge density on the inner surface = -Q /4πR2 Surface charge density on the
outer surface =Q /4πR2

4. Explain the meaning of the statement ‘electric charge of a body is ‘quantized’.

Ans. Electric charge of a body is quantized. This means that only integral (1, 2, ...., n) number of
electrons can be transferred from one body to the other. Charges are not transferred in fraction.
Hence, a body possesses total charge only in integral multiples of electric charge

5. Why can one ignore quantization of electric charge when dealing with macroscopic i.e., large scale
charges?

Ans. In macroscopic or large-scale charges, the charges used are huge as compared to the magnitude
of electric charge. Hence, quantization of electric charge is of no use on macroscopic scale.
Therefore, it is ignored and it is considered that electric charge is continuous.

6. When a glass rod is rubbed with a silk cloth, charges appear on both. A similar phenomenon is
observed with many other pairs of bodies. Explain how this observation is consistent with the law of
conservation of charge.

Ans. When two bodies are rubbed with each other transfer of charge takes place. One body receives
charge and other loses, becoming negatively and positively charged respectively. In the whole
process no new charge is created or destroyed. This implies that in an isolated system the total charge
is always conserved.
7. Why do the electric field lines never cross each other?

Ans. The tangent at a point on the line of force gives the direction of electric field at that point. If
two lines of force intersect each other at a point, then electric field at that point will have two
directions. As the same cannot be true, two lines of force can never intersect each other.

8. When is the torque acting on an electric dipole maximum, when placed in uniform electricfield?

Ans. The torque is maximum, when the electric dipole is placed perpendicular to the direction of
electric field.

9. What is the angle between the directions of electric dipole moment and electric field at any, (i) axial
point and (ii) equatorial point due to an electric dipole?

Ans. (i) The electric field at a point on the axial line of an electric dipole is same as that of electric
dipole moment and hence angle between them is zero.
(ii) The electric field at a point on the equatorial line of an electric dipole is opposite to that
of electric dipole moment and hence angle between them is 180°.

10. What is the importance of Gauss’s theorem?

Ans. Gauss’ theorem is of great importance. Those situations, in which the calculation of electric
field by applying Coulomb’s law or the principle of superposition of electric fields becomes very
difficult, the results can be obtained by applying Gauss’ theorem with great ease.

B. 3MARKS QUESTIONS

1. Three-point charges q, – 4q and 2q are placed at the vertices of an equilateral triangle ABC of side ‘l’
as shown in the figure. Obtain the expression for the magnitude of the resultant electric force acting
on the charge q.

Ans.
 \

2. Two charges q and –3q are placed fixed on x-axis separated by distance ‘d’. Where should a third
charge 2q be placed such that, it will not experience any force?

Ans.

3. A small metal sphere carrying charge +Q 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 P1 .

Ans. Electric field at a point outside the shell : (a) (i) To find out electric field at a point outside a
spherical charged shell we imagine a symmetrical Gaussian surface in such a way that the point lies
on it.
 Graph of electric field E(r) :

C. 5MARKS QUESTIONS :
1. State Gauss theorem in electrostatics. Using it, prove that the electric field at a point due to a
uniformly charged infinite plane sheet is independent of the distance. (b) How is the field directed if
(i) the sheet is positively charged, (ii) negatively charged?

Ans. It states, “The net electric flux through any Gaussian surface is equal to 1ε0 times the net
electric charge enclosed by the surface.

Consider an infinite plane sheet of charge. Let a be the uniform surface charge density, i.e. the
charge per unit surface area. From symmetry, we find that the electric field must be perpendicular to
the plane of the sheet and that the direction of E on one side of the plane must be opposite to its
direction on the other side as shown in the figure below. In such a case let us choose a Gaussian
surface in the form of a cylinder with its axis perpendicular to the sheet of charge, with ends of area
A. The charged sheet passes through the middle of the cylinder’s length so that the cylinder’s ends
are equidistant from the sheet. The electric field has a normal component at each end of the cylinder
and no normal component along the curved surface of the cylinder. As a result, the electric flux is
linked with only the ends and not the curved surface.
 This gives the electric field due to an infinite plane sheet of charge which is independent of the
distance from the sheet.

(b) (i) directed outwards (ii) directed inwards.

2. Use Gauss’s law to derive the expression for the electric field (E ) due to a straight uniformly
charged infinite line of charge λ Cm-1 .

Ans.

E . 2πrl = λlε0 ⇒ E = 1/2πε0λr This is the expression for the electric field due to an infinitely long
thin wire.

The graph is as shown

Ans.
Electric Flux is the dot product of the electric field and area vector.

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