Ch.

15/16 – Electrostatics Problem Set

1. A 4.5 × 10–9 C charge is located 3.2 m from a –2.8

× 10–9 C charge. Find the electrostatic force exerted
by one charge on the other.

3. An alpha particle (charge = +2.0e) is sent at high

speed toward a gold nucleus (charge = +79e). What is
the electrical force acting on the alpha particle when
it is 2.0 × 10–14 m from the gold nucleus?

9. Two identical conducting spheres are placed with

their centers 0.30 m apart. One is given a charge of
12 x 10–9 C and the other a charge of –18 × 10–9 C.
(a) Find the electrostatic force exerted by one sphere 13. Three point charges are located at the corners of
on the other. (b) The spheres are connected by a an equilateral triangle as in Figure P15.13. Calculate
conducting wire. After equilibrium has occurred, find the net electric force on the 7.00-µC charge.
the electrostatic force between the two.
16. A charge of 6.00 × 10–9 C and a charge of –3.00
× 10–9 C are separated by a distance of 60.0 cm. Find
the position at which a third charge of 12.0 × 10–9 C
can be placed so that the net electrostatic force on it
is zero.

10. Calculate the magnitude and direction of the

Coulomb force on each of the three charges in Figure
P15.10.

18. (a) Determine the electric field strength at a point

1.00 cm to the left of the middle charge shown in
Figure P15.10. (b) If a charge of –2.00 µC is placed
at this point, what are the magnitude and direction of
the force on it?

21. A piece of aluminum foil of mass 5.00 × 10–2 kg

is suspended by a string in an electric field directed
vertically upward. If the charge on the foil is 3.00 µC,
11. Three charges are arranged as shown in Figure find the strength of the field that will reduce the
P15.11. Find the magnitude and direction of the tension in the string to zero.
electrostatic force on the charge at the origin.
22. An electron with a speed of 3.00 × 106 m/s moves
into a uniform electric field of 1 000 N/C. The field is
parallel to the electron’s motion. How far does the
electron travel before it is brought to rest?

23. A proton accelerates from rest in a uniform

electric field of 640 N/C. At some later time, its
speed is 1.20 × 106 m/s. (a) Find the magnitude of the
acceleration of the proton. (b) How long does it take
the proton to reach this speed? (c) How far has it
moved in this interval? (d) What is its kinetic energy
at the later time?
24. Positive charges are situated at three corners of a
rectangle, as shown in Figure P15.24. Find the
electric field at the fourth corner.

26. Two point charges lie along the y axis. A charge

of q1 = –9.0 µC is at y = 6.0 m, and a charge of q2 = – 50. A small 2.00-g plastic ball is suspended by a
8.0 µC is at y = –4.0 m. Locate the point (other than 20.0-cm-long string in a uniform electric field, as
infinity) at which the total electric field is zero. shown in Figure P15.50. If the ball is in equilibrium
when the string makes a 15.0° angle with the vertical
as indicated, what is the net charge on the ball?

Ch.16
1. A proton moves 2.00 cm parallel to a uniform
electric field with E = 200 N/C. (a) How much work
is done by the field on the proton? (b) What change
27. In Figure P15.27, determine the point (other than occurs in the potential energy of the proton? (c)
infinity) at which the total electric field is zero. Through what potential difference did the proton
move?
29. (a) Sketch the electric field lines around an
isolated point charge, q > 0. (b) Sketch the electric 2. A uniform electric field of magnitude 250 V/m is
field pattern around an isolated negative point charge directed in the positive x direction. A positive 12-µC
of magnitude –2q. charge moves from the origin to the point (x, y) = (20
cm, 50 cm). (a) What is the change in the potential
30. (a) Sketch the electric field pattern around two energy of this charge? (b) Through what potential
positive point charges of magnitude 1 µC placed difference does the charge move?
close together. (b) Sketch the electric field pattern
around two negative point charges of –2 µC placed 4. An ion accelerated through a potential difference
close together. (c) Sketch the pattern around two of 115 V experiences an increase in kinetic energy of
point charges of +1 µC and –2 µC placed close 7.37 × 10–17 J. Calculate the charge on the ion.
together.
6. To recharge a 12-V battery, a battery charger must
move 3.6 × 105 C of charge from the negative
terminal to the positive terminal. How much work is
done by the battery charger? Express your answer in
joules.

49. Three point charges are aligned along the x axis

as shown in Figure P15.49. Find the electric field at
the position x = +2.0 m, y = 0.

12. Find the potential at point P for the rectangular

grouping of charges shown in Figure P16.12.
13. (a) Find the electric potential, taking zero at
infinity, at the upper-right corner (the corner without
a charge) of the rectangle in Figure P16.13. (b)
Repeat if the 2.00- µC charge is replaced with a
charge of –2.00 µC. 31. (a) Find the equivalent capacitance of the group
of capacitors in Figure P16.31. (b) Find the charge on
14. Three charges are situated at corners of a and the potential difference across each.
rectangle as in Figure P16.13. How much energy
would be expended in moving the 8.00-µC charge to
infinity?

15. Two point charges Q1 = +5.00 nC and Q2 = –3.00

nC are separated by 35.0 cm. (a) What is the electric
potential at a point midway between the charges? (b)
What is the potential energy of the pair of charges?
What is the significance of the algebraic sign of your
answer?

22. (a) How much charge is on each plate of a 4.00-

µF capacitor when it is connected to a 12.0-V 33. Four capacitors are connected as shown in Figure
battery? (b) If this same capacitor is connected to a P16.33. (a) Find the equivalent capacitance between
1.50-V battery, what charge is stored? points a and b. (b) Calculate the charge on each
capacitor if a 15.0-V battery is connected across
29. A series circuit consists of a 0.050-µF capacitor, a points a and b.
0.100-µF capacitor, and a 400-V battery. Find the
charge (a) on each of the capacitors and (b) on each
of the capacitors if they are reconnected in parallel
across the battery.

30. Three capacitors C1 = 5.00 µF, C2 = 4.00 µF, and

C3 = 9.00 µF are connected together. Find the
effective capacitance of the group (a) if they are all in 34. Consider the combination of capacitors in Figure
parallel, and (b) if they are all in series. P16.34. (a) What is the equivalent capacitance of the
group? (b) Determine the charge on each capacitor.
43. A parallel-plate capacitor has 2.00-cm2 plates that
are separated by 5.00 mm with air between them. If a
12.0-V battery is connected to this capacitor, how
much energy does it store?

35. Find the charge on each of the capacitors in

Figure P16.35.
Spiral Review breaking  strength  of  1  000  N.  Does  he  make  it  safely  
across  the  river?  Justify  your  answer.  
2.  34.  A  record  of  travel  along  a  straight  path  is  as  
follows.  
  9.33.  An  empty  rubber  balloon  has  a  mass  of  0.012  0  
1.  Start  from  rest  with  constant  acceleration  of   kg.  The  balloon  is  filled  with  helium  at  a  density  of  
2.77  m/s2  for  15.0  s   0.181  kg/m3.  At  this  density  the  balloon  has  a  radius  
  2.  Constant  velocity  for  the  next  2.05  min   of  0.500  m.  If  the  filled  balloon  is  fastened  to  a  
3.  Constant  negative  acceleration  –9.47  m/s2  for   vertical  line,  what  is  the  tension  in  the  line?  
4.39  s  
(a)  What  was  the  total  displacement  for  the  
complete  trip?  
(b)  What  were  the  average  speeds  for  legs  1,  2,  
and  3  of  the  trip  as  well  as  for  the  complete  trip?  

3.  29.  A  brick  is  thrown  upward  from  the  top  of  a  building  at  an  
angle  of  25°  to  the  horizontal  and  with  an  initial  speed  of  15  m/s.  
If  the  brick  is  in  flight  for  3.0  s,  how  tall  is  the  building?  

12.10.  (a)  Determine  the  work  done  on  a  fluid  that  

expands  from  i  to  f  as  indicated  in  Figure  P12.10.  (b)  
How  much  work  is  done  on  the  fluid  if  it  is  
compressed  from  f  to  i  along  the  same  path?  

4.50.  A  2.00-­‐kg  block  is  held  in  equilibrium  on  an  

incline  of  angle  θ  60.0°  by  a  horizontal  force  F  
applied  in  the  direction  shown  in  Figure  P4.50.  If  the  
coefficient  of  static  friction  between  block  and  
incline  is  μs  =  0.300,  determine  (a)  the  minimum  
value  of  F  and  (b)  the  normal  force  of  the  incline  on   13.56.  A  500-­‐g  block  is  released  from  rest  and  slides  
the  block.   down  a  frictionless  track  that  begins  2.00  m  above  
the  horizontal,  as  shown  in  Figure  P13.56.  At  the  
5.42.  A  25.0-­‐kg  child  on  a  2.00-­‐m-­‐long  swing  is   bottom  of  the  track,  where  the  surface  is  horizontal,  
released  from  rest  when  the  ropes  of  the  swing  make   the  block  strikes  and  sticks  to  a  light  spring  with  a  
an  angle  of  30.0°  with  the  vertical.  (a)  Neglecting   spring  constant  of  20.0  N/m.  Find  the  maximum  
friction,  find  the  child’s  speed  at  the  lowest  position.   distance  the  spring  is  compressed.  
(b)  If  the  actual  speed  of  the  child  at  the  lowest  
position  is  2.00  m/s,  what  is  the  mechanical  energy   14.45.  The  human  ear  canal  is  about  2.8  cm  long.  If  it  
lost  due  to  friction?   is  regarded  as  a  tube  open  at  one  end  and  closed  at  
the  eardrum,  what  is  the  fundamental  frequency  
6.27.  A  railroad  car  of  mass  2.00  x  104  kg  moving  at   around  which  we  would  expect  hearing  to  be  most  
3.00  m/s  collides  and  couples  with  two  coupled   sensitive?  (Take  the  speed  of  sound  to  be  340  m/s.)  
railroad  cars,  each  of  the  same  mass  as  the  single  car  
and  moving  in  the  same  direction  at  1.20  m/s.  (a)  
What  is  the  speed  of  the  three  coupled  cars  after  the  
collision?  (b)  How  much  kinetic  energy  is  lost  in  the  
collision?  

7.26.  Tarzan  (m  =  85  kg)  tries  to  cross  a  river  by  
swinging  from  a  10-­‐m-­‐long  vine.  His  speed  at  the  
bottom  of  the  swing  (as  he  just  clears  the  water)  is  
8.0  m/s.  Tarzan  doesn’t  know  that  the  vine  has  a