Gauss Law & Electric Potential Numerical 1

Subjective Problems

Level – 1

1. If a point charge q is placed at the centre of a cube what is the flux linked
(a) With the cube. [q/ε0]
(b) With each face of the cube. [q/6ε0]
2. If a point charge +q is at a distance L/2 above a square of side L, what is the magnitude of the electric flux
through the square? [q/6ε0]
3. A loop of diameter d is rotated in a uniform electric field until the position of maximum electric flux is
found. The flux in this position is measured by Ф. What is the electric field? [4Ф/πd2]
4. A point charge q is placed at one corner of the cube of edge a. What is the flux through each of the cube
faces? [q/24ε0]
5. A hemisphere body is placed in a uniform electric field E. What is the fluxed linked with the curved
surface, if field is
(a) Parallel to the base
(b) Perpendicular to the base. [0, πR2E]
6. Positive charge has been uniformly sprayed over entire y-z plane of an infinite plane sheet of charge
having charge density σ. Find intensity on points on x-axis. [σ/2ε0]
7. What is the limitation of Gauss theorem?
8. How much electric flux emerged out from a closed surface? [q/ε0]
9. A sensitive instrument which is to be saved from external fields in its environment is covered fully by a
metallic surface. Why?
10. An isolated conductor of any shape has a net charge of +10μC. Inside the conductor is a cavity within
which a point charge is of +3μC. What is the charge on the cavity wall? On the outer surface of the
conductor? [-3μC, +13μC]
11. A sphere of metal has radii of 12 cm and carries a charge of 1.6× 10 -7 C distributed uniformly on its
surface. Calculate the electric field intensity at a point
(a) Inside the sphere.
(b) Just outside the sphere.
(c) 18 cm from the centre of sphere. [zero, 1.0 × 105 N/C, 4.4 × 104 N/C]
12. An infinite line charge produces a field of 9 × 10 4 N/C at a distance 4 cm. Calculate the linear charge
density. [2 × 10-7 C/m]
13. What is the electrostatic shielding?
14. Suppose a Gaussian surface does not include any net charge. Does it necessarily mean that E is equal to
zero for all points on the surface?
15. What is the use of Gaussian surface?
16. A conducting sphere of radius 10 cm has unknown charge. If the electric field 20 cm from the centre of
the sphere is 1.5 × 103 N/C and point radially inwards, what is the net charge on the sphere? [-6.67×10-9C]
17. Find electric through each face of a hollow cube of side 10 cm, if a charge of 8.854μC is placed at its
centre. [1.67 × 105 Nm2/C]
18. The radius of gold nucleus (Z = 79) is about 7.0 × 10-15 m. Assume that the positive charge is distributed
uniformly throughout the nuclear volume. Find the strength of electric field at
(a) The surface of the nucleus.
(b) At the middle point the radius. [2.32 × 1021 N/C, 1.16 × 1021 N/C]
19. A long cylindrical wire carries a positive charge of linear charge density 2.0 × 10 -8 C/m. An electron
revolves around it in a circular path under the influence of the attractive electrostatic force. Find the
kinetic energy of the electron. [9 × 105 J]

SIGMA PHYSICS, Jhansi, D. K. Tiwari Mo. No. : 9889819986, 8400434391

 2 Gauss Law & Electric Potential Numerical
20. Two hollow conductors are charged positively; the smaller is at 50 V and bigger is at 100V. How should
they be arranged such that the charged flow from smaller to bigger conductor when connected by a wire?
21. A proton moves with a velocity of 7.45× 10 5 m/s directly towards a free proton originally at rest. Find the
distance of closest approach for the two protons. [10-12 m]
22. Can a charge of 1 coulomb be given to a metallic sphere of radius 1 cm.?
23. A positive charge Q is located at a point. What is the work done if a unit positive charge is carried once
completely around this charge alone a circle of radius r about this point? [zero]
24. A metal sphere A of radius a is charge to a potential V. What will be its potential if it is enclosed by a
spherical conductor shell B of radius b and the two are connected by a wire? [aV/b]
25. A spherical liquid drop has a diameter 2 mm and is given a charge 5× 10 -6 coulomb.
(a) What is the potential at the surface of the drop?
(b) If eight such drops coalesce to form a single drop, what is the potential at the surface of the bigger
drop so formed? [4.5 × 107, 1.8 × 108]
26. An alpha particle with kinetic energy 10 MeV is heading towards a stationary tin nucleus of atomic no 50.
Calculate the distance of closest approach. [14.4 fm]
27. Three point charges 1C, 2C and 3C are placed at the corner of equilateral triangle of side 1 m. Calculate
the work required to move this charges to the corner of another equilateral triangle of side 0.5 m.
[ 9.9 × 1010 J ]
28. Charges of +6, +12, and +24μC are placed at three corners of a square. What charge should be placed at
remaining corner in order to have zero potential at the centre of the square? [-42μC]
29. The distance between two protons is 1.0 × 10-10 m. If they made free, what will be the kinetic energy of
each when they are away at a very large distance from each other? If one proton is kept fixed and only
other is free then what will be the kinetic energy? [1.15 × 10-18 J, 2.30 × 10-18 J]
30. Two electrons are released towards each other with equal velocities 10 6 m/s. What will be the closest
approach between them? If they are initially infinite distance apart. [2.56 × 10-10 m]
31. 27 identical drop of a mercury are charged to same potential 10 V. What be the potential if all the drops
are made to combine to form a large drop. Assume the drops to the spherical. [90 V]
32. Eight charged drops of water, each of radius 1 mm and having a charge 10 -10 C, combine to form a bigger
drop. Determine the potential of bigger drop. [3600 V]
33. Three point charges 1μC, 2μC and -4μCare placed at the vertices of an equilateral triangle of side 10 cm.
Find the potential energy of the system. [-0.9 J]
34. What is the work done by the electric field of a nucleus in a complete circular orbit of the electron around
it? What if the orbit is elliptical?
35. An electron is circulating around the nucleus of hydrogen atom in a circular orbit of radius 5.3× 10-11 m.
Calculate the electric potential at this radius and electric potential energy of the atom in eV. What would
be the electric potential due to a helium nucleus at the same radius? [27.2 V, 27.2 eV, 54.4 eV]
36. Two point – charges +2e and – 2e are situated at a distance of 2.4 A from each other and constitute an
electric dipole. This dipole is placed in a uniform electric field if 4.0 × 10 5 V/m. Calculate
(a) Electric dipole moment.
(b) Potential energy of dipole in equilibrium position.
(c) Work done in rotating the dipole through 180˚ from the equilibrium position.
37. A charge of 20μC produced an electric field. Two points are 10 cm and 15 cm from this charge. Find the
values of potentials and also find the amount of work done to take an electron from one point to another.
[1.8 × 108 V, 3.6 × 108V, 2.88 × 10-13J]
38. Three point charges q, 2q, 8q are to be placed on a 0.09m long straight line. Find the positions, where the
charges should be placed such that the potential energy of the system is minimum? In this configuration,
what is the electric field at the charge q due to the other two charges? [0.03m, 0]
39. A charge of 2C moves between two plates maintained at the potential difference of 1 volt. What is the
energy required by the charge? [2 J]
40. What is the shape of equipotential surface for a given point charge?

SIGMA PHYSICS, Jhansi, D. K. Tiwari Mo. No. : 9889819986, 8400434391

 Gauss Law & Electric Potential Numerical 3
41. Can we obtain zero potential due to two charges placed at the some separation of same nature at any
place? Of any magnitude?
42. An infinite plane sheet of charge density 10-8 C/m2 is held in air. In the vicinity of the sheet, how far apart
are two equipotential surfaces whose potential difference is 5 volt? [8.85 mm]
43. Does the electric potential increase or decrease along an electric lines of force? [Decrease]
44. A spherical oil drop of radius 10-4 cm has on it at a certain time a charge of 40 electrons. Calculate the
energy that would be required to placed an additional electron on the drop. [9.22 × 10-21 J]
45. Four point charges 16 μC, -16 μC, 16 μC and -16 μC are located at the corners of a square of each side 10
cm. Find the value of electric potential at the centre of square. [zero]
46. Three charges –q, Q and –q are placed at equal distances on a straight line. If the potential energy of the
system of three charges is zero, then what is the ratio of Q:q. [1:4]
47. Two charges 2 µC and -2 µC are placed at points A and b, a short distance apart. Identify an equipotential
surface of the system.
48. The charges –q and + q od a dipole are located at points (0, 0, -a) and (0, 0, a). How much work is done in
moving a small test-charge from point (5, 0, 0) to (-7, 0, 0) along the x-axis. Does the answer change if the
path of the test-charge is not along x-axis?
49. Is the electrostatic potential necessarily zero at a point, where the electric field strength is zero? Give an
example to illustrate your answer.
50. A small metallic sphere is placed at the centre of large charged spherical shell and the two are connected
by a wire. Will any charge flow on the inner sphere? [No]
51. Work done in moving a test charge between two points in an electric field is independent of the path
followed. Comment.
52. In a certain 0.1 m3 of space, electric potential is found to be 5 V. what is the electric potential in this
region?
53. What would be the work done, if a point charge is taken from a
point A to a point B on the circumference of a circle as shown in fig.

54. If a point charge +q is taken first from A to C

and then from C to B of a circle drawn with
another point charge +q as centre [fig.], then
along which path more work will be done.

SIGMA PHYSICS, Jhansi, D. K. Tiwari Mo. No. : 9889819986, 8400434391