Question

CH –1 Bank – I B.P.QExercise - II Electric

Electric
Charges
Charges
And
And
Fields
Fields

Board Practice Questions (Subjective Questions)

Very Short Answer Questions [1 mark]

1. Is the force acting between two point charges q1 and q2 kept at some distance apart in air attractive or
repulsive when (i) q1q2> 0 (ii) q1q2< 0.
Ans. (i) Repulsive (ii) Attractive.
2. Two equal balls having equal positive charge ‘q’ coulombs are suspended by two insulating strings of
equal length. What would be the effect on the force when a plastic sheet is inserted between the two?
Ans. Force will decrease.
Reason: Force between two charges each ‘q’ is vacuum is
1 q2
F0  
4 0 r2
On inserting a plastic sheet (a dielectric K > 1)
1 q2 F
Then F  i.e., Force F  0

4 0 K r 2
K
The force between charged balls will decrease.
3. Define electric field strength. Is it a vector or a scalar quantity?
Ans. The electric field strength at a point in an electric field is defined as the electrostatic force acting on a unit
positive charge when placed at that point and its direction is along the direction of electrostatic force.
Electric field strength is a vector quantity.
4. Sketch the electric field lines for two point charges q1 and q2 for q1 = q2 and q1> q2 separated by a
distance d.
Ans. When the charges are equal, the natural point N lies at the centre of the line joining the charges.
However, when the charges are unequal, the point N is closer to the smaller charge

5. What is the angle between the directions of electric field at any axial point and equatorial point due to an
electric dipole?

Ans. The directions of electric field E1 at axial point P1 and electric field E 2 at equatorial point P2 are shown in

figure. Obviously, angle between E1 and E 2 is 180°.

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6. The distance of the field point, on the equatorial plane of a small electric dipole is halved. By what factor
does the electric field due to the dipole change?
1 p 1
Ans. For small dipole, Eequator   3
4 0 r 3
r
When r is halved, the electric field strength become 8-times of the original field.
7. Figure shows three point charges +2q, –q and +3q. The charges +2q and –q are enclosed within a
surface ‘S’. What is the electric flux due to this configuration through the surface ‘S’?

1
Ans. Electric flux =  (Net charge enclosed within the surface)
0
1 1
=  ( 2q  q )  q
0 0
8. Why must electrostatic field at the surface of a charged conductor be normal to the surface at every
point? Give reason.
Ans. The work done in moving a charge from one point to another on an equipotential surface is zero. If electric
field is not normal, it will have a non-zero component along the surface which would cause work to be
done in moving a charge on an equipotential surface.
9. Name the dielectric whose molecules have (i) non-zero and (ii) zero dipole moment.
Ans. (i) The dielectric having non-zero dipole moment is water or HCl.
(ii) The dipole having zero dipole moment is CH4 or H2.
10. How does the electric field inside a dielectric when it is placed in an external electric field?
Ans. When a dielectric is placed in an external field, the charges are induced on the faces of dielectric which
produce opposite dielectric field in the dielectric. Thus net electric field inside the dielectric is reduced.
Short Answer Questions [2 marks]
1. (a) Explain the meaning of the statement “electric charge of a body is quantized”.
Ans. (a)Quantisation of Charge: We know that the charge in a body is produced due to excess or deficiency
of electrons. Electron cannot be divided into further smaller parts. Therefore charge on a body is an
integral multiple of the charge on an electron.
The magnitude of charge on an electron is called the fundamental charge or elementary charge. Its value
is 1.6 × 10–19 coulomb and is denoted by ‘e’. Therefore, we may say that any physically existing charge is
always an integral multiple of fundamental charge ‘e’. this is called the principle of atomicity of charge or
principle of quantization of charge. According to this principle all the continuous values of charge are not
possible, but only the integral multiple of fundamental charge ‘e’ are possible. For example the possible
charge n a body may be e, 2e, 3e, … but 0.5e, 0.7e, 2.5e, … etc. are not allowed. If q is charge on a body
and n is positive or negative integral number, then mathematical form of quantization of charge is:
q = ± ne
where n is integer n = 1, 2, 3,… and e is a positive quantity equal to + 1.6 × 10 –19 coulomb. ‘e’ is also
called the quantum of charge.
To give 1 coulomb of positive charge to a neutral body, the number of electrons to be removed
q 1coulomb
n   6.25  1012
e 1.6  10 coulomb
19

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2. Two insulated charged copper spheres A and B of identical size have charges q A and qB respectively. A
third sphere C of the same size but uncharged is brought in contact with the first and then in contact with
the second and finally removed from both. What are the new charges on A and B?
qA q  2q B
Ans. New charge on A is and New charge on B is A .
2 4
3. Define electric field intensity. Write its SI unit. write the magnitude and direction of electric field intensity
due to an electric dipole of length 2a at the midpoint of the line joining the two charges.
Ans. Electric Field Intensity: The electric field intensity at any point in an electric field is defined as the
electric force per unit positive test charge placed at the point i.e.,

F
E  lim
q 0 q
0
0

The test charge q0 has to be vanishingly small so that it does not affect the electric field of the main
charge.
The SI unit of electric field intensity is newton/coulomb.
Electric Field Strength at midpoint of dipole: The electric field strength at mid point C due to charge +
q is – q is along the same direction.
1 q 1 q 1 2q
E  E1  E 2   
4 0 a 2 4 0 a 2 4 0 a 2

Its direction is from +q to – q

4. Draw the electric field lines due to a uniformly charged thin spherical shell when charge on the shell is (i)
positive and (ii) negative.
Ans. The electric field lines are shown in the figure. For a positively charged shell, the field lines are directed in
radially outward direction and for negatively charged shell, these are directed in radially inward direction.

5. The force between two point charges kept at a distance r apart in air is F. If the same charges are kept in
water at the same distance, how does the force between them change?
1 q1 q 2
Ans. The force in air Fa 
4 0 r 2

1 q1 q 2 Fw 1
The force in water Fw  ∴ 
4 0 K r 2 Fa K

1
Dielectric constant of water is 81, so the force in water reduces to times.
81

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Short Answer Questions [3 marks]

1. (a) An electrostatic field line is a continuous curve. That is, a field line cannot have sudde n breaks.
Why is it so?
(b) Explain why two field lines never cross each other at any point.
Ans. (a) An electrostatic field line is the path of movement of a positive test charge (q 0→ 0).
A moving charge experience a continuous force in an electrostatic field, so an electrostatic field line is
always a continuous curve.
(b) Two electric lines of force can never cross each other because if they cross, there will be two directions
of electric field at the point of intersection (say A); which is impossible.

2. (a) Define electric flux. Write its SI unit.

(b) A spherical rubber balloon carries a charge that is uniformly distributed over its surface. As the balloon
is blown up and increases in size, how does the total electric flux coming out of the surface change? Give
reason.
Ans. (a) Total number of electric field lines crossing a surface normally is called electric flux.
Its SI unit is Nm2C–1.

q
(b) Total electric flux through the surface =
0

As charge remains unchanged when size of balloon increases, electric flux through the surface remains
unchanged.
3. A proton and an electron are placed freely in an electric field. Which of the particles will have greater
acceleration and why?
Ans. Force on a charged particle in an electric field
F = qE
for an electron or proton q = e
F = eE (same for electron and proton but oppositely directed)
If m is mass of particle

F eE
∴ Acceleration a = 
m m
As mass of electron is smaller than that of proton, the acceleration of electron will be greater than that of
proton.

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4. A charge q is placed at the centre of the line joining two equal charges Q. Show that the system of three

Q
charges will be in equilibrium if q   .
4
Ans. Charge q is in equilibrium since charges A and B exert equal and opposite forces on it.
For equilibrium of charge Q at B;

FBC + FAB = 0
1 qQ 1 Q.Q
⇒  0
40 (l / 2) 2
40 l 2

1 Q Q
⇒ (4q + Q) = 0 ⇒ q
40 l 2 4
5. The given figure shows the electric field lines around three point charges A, B and C.

(a) Which charges are positive?

(b) Which charge has the largest magnitude? Why?
(c) In which region or regions of the picture could the electric field be zero? Justify your answer.
(i) near A (ii) near B (iii) near C (iv) nowhere.
Ans. (a) Charges A and C are positive since lines of force emanate from them.
(b) Charge C has the largest magnitude since maximum number of field lines are associated with it.
(c) (i) near A. There is no neutral point between a positive and a negative charge. A neutral point may
exist between two like charges. From the figure we see that a neutral point Exists between charges A and
C. Also between two like charges the neutral point is closer to the charge with smaller magnitude. Thus,
electric field is zero near charge A.
Long Answer Questions [ 5 marks]
1. Find the expression for the electric field strength at a distant point situated (i) on the axis and (ii) along the
equatorial line of an electric dipole.
Ans. Consider an electric dipole AB. The charges –q and +q of dipole are situated at A and B respectively as
shown in the figure. The separation between the charges is 2l.
Electric dipole moment, p = q.2l
The direction of dipole moment is from –Q TO Q+.
(i) At axial or end-on position: Consider a point P on the axis of dipole at a distance r from mid-point O
of electric dipole.

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The distance of point P form charge +q at B is

BP = r – l
and distance of point P from charge –q at A is
AP = r + l
Let E1 and E2 be the electric field strengths at point P due to charges +q and –q respectively. We know
that the direction of electric field due to a point charge is away from positive charge and towards the
negative charge. Therefore,
1 q 1 q
E1  (from B to P) and E2  (from P to A)
40 (r  1) 2
40 (r  1) 2

Clearly the directions of electric field strengths E1 and E 2 are along the same line but opposite to each

other and E1> E2 because positive charge is nearer.

∴ The resultant electric field due to electric dipole has magnitude equal to the difference of E 1 and E2 and
direction from B to P i.e.,
1 q 1 q
E  E1  E2  
40 (r  l ) 2
40 (r  l ) 2

q  1 1  q  (r  l ) 2  (r  l ) 2 
  
4 0  (r  l ) 2 (r  l ) 2  4 0  (r 2  l 2 ) 2 


q 4rl 1 2(q.2l )r
 
40 (r  l )
2 2 2
40 (r 2  l 2 ) 2

But q.2l = p (electric dipole moment)

1 2 pr
∴ E …(i)
40 (r  l 2 ) 2
2

If the dipole is infinitely small and point P is far away from the dipole, then r >> l, therefore equation (i)
may be expressed as
1 2 pr 1 2p
E or E  …(ii)
40 r 4
40 r 3

This is the expression for the electric field strength at axial position due to a short electric dipole.
(ii) At a point of equatorial line: Consider a point p on broad side on the position of dipole formed of
charges +q and – q at separation 2l. The distance of point P form mid point (O) of electric dipole is r. Let

E1 and E 2 be the electric field strengths due to charges +q and – q of electric dipole.

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From figure AP = BP = r2  l2
1 q
∴ E1  along B to P
40 r  l 2
2

1 q
E2  along P to A
40 r  l 22

Clearly E1 and E 2 are equal in magnitude i.e., | E1 | = | E 2 | or E1 = E2

To find the resultant of E1 and E 2 , we resolve them into rectangular components.

Component of E1 parallel to AB = E1 cos θ, in the direction to BA

Component of E1 perpendicular to AB = E1 sin θ along OP

Component of E2 parallel to AB = E2 cos θ, in the direction BA

Component of E2 perpendicular to AB = E2 sin θ along PO

Clearly, components of E1 and E2 perpendicular to AB : E1 sin θ and E2 sin θ being equal to opposite

cancel each other, while the components of E1 and E2 parallel to AB : E1cos θ and E2 cos θ, being in the

same direction add up and give the resultant electric field whose direction is parallel to BA .
∴ Resultant electric field at P is E = E1 cos θ + E2 cos θ
1 q
But E1  E2 
40 (r  l 2 )
2

OB l l
From the figure, cos θ =  
PB r l 2 2 ( r  l 2 )1 / 2
2

1 q l
∴ E = 2E1 cos θ = 2  . 2 2 1/ 2
40 (r  l ) (r  l )
2
2

1 2ql

40 (r  l 2 ) 3 / 2
2

But q.2l = p = electric dipole moment

1 p
∴ E …(iii)
40 (r  l 2 ) 3 / 2
2

If dipole is infinitesimal and point P is far away, we have l << r, so l2 may be neglected as compared to r2
and so equation (iii) gives
1 p 1 p
E 
40 (r ) 2 3/ 2
40 r 3

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i.e., electric field strength due to a short dipole at broadside on position

1 p
E , in the direction parallel to BA …(iv)
40 r 3
Its direction is parallel to the axis of dipole from positive to negative charge.
It may be noted clearly from equations (ii) and (iv) that electric field strength due to a short dipole at
any point is inversely proportional to the cube of its distance from the dipole and the electric field
strength at axial position is twice that at broad-side on position for the same distance.
1 1
Important: the electric field due to a dipole at large distances falls off as 3
and not as 2 as in the case of a point
r r
charge.

2. State Gauss theorem in electrostatic. Apply this theorem to obtain the expression for the electric field at a
point due to infinity long, thin, uniformly charged straight wire of linear charge density  C m–1.
Ans. Gauss Theorem: refer to point 11 of Basic Concepts. Electric field due to infinitely long, thin and uniformly
charged straight wire: Consider an infinitely long line charge having linear charge density  coulomb
metre–1 (linear charge density means charge per unit length). To find the electric field strength at a
distance r, we consider a cylindrical Gaussian surface of radius r and length l coaxial with line charge. The
cylindrical Gaussian surface may be divided into three paths:
(i) Curved surface S1 (ii) Flat surface S2 and (iii) Flat surface S3.

By symmetry, the electric field has the same magnitude E at each point of curves surface S 1 and is
direction radially outward.
We consider small elements of surfaces S1, S2 and S3. The surface element vector d S 1 is directed along

the direction of electric field (i.e., angle between E and d S 1 id zero); the element d S 2 and d S 3 are

directed perpendicular to field vector (i.e., angle between d S 2 and E is 90° and so also angle between

d S 3 and E ).
Electric flux through the cylindrical surface
    
  
E  dS  E  d S1  E  d S2  E  d S3
S S1 S2 S3

  E dS cos 0   E dS2 cos 90o  

o
1 E dS3 cos 90o
S1 S2 S3

  E ds  0  0
S
1

 E dS1  (since electric field E is the same at each point of curved surface)

= E 2πrl (since area of curved surface = 2πrl)

As  is charge per unit length and length of cylinder is l, therefore, charge enclosed by

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assumed surface = (l)

 1

∴ By Gauss’s theorem E  d S   charged enclosed
0
1 
⇒ E.2rl  ( l ) ⇒ E
0 2 0 r
Thus, the electric field strength due to a line charge is inversely proportional to r.
3. (a) Define electric flux. Write its SI unit.
(b) Using Gauss’s law, prove that the electric field at a point due to a uniformly charged infinite plane
sheet is independent of the distance from it.
(c) How is the field directed if (i) the sheet is positively charged, (ii) negatively charged?
Ans. (a) Electric flux: It is defined as the total number of electric field lines passing through an area normal to
its surface.
 
Also,  =  E.d s

The SI unit is Nm2/C or volt-metre.

(b) Let electric charge be uniformly distributed over the surface of a thin, non-conducting infinite sheet. Let
the surface charge density (i.e., charge per unit surface area) be σ. We need to calculate the electric field
strength at any point distance r from the sheet of charge.

To calculate the electric field strength near the sheet, we now consider a cylindrical Gaussian surface
bounded by two plane faces A and B lying on the opposite sides and parallel to the charged sheet and the
cylindrical surface perpendicular to the sheet (figure). By symmetry the electric field strength at every
point on the flat surface is the same and its direction is normal outwards at the points on the two plane
surfaces and parallel to the curved surface.
Total electric flux
       
 S 
E  d S  E  d S1 
S1 
S2
E  d S2   S3
E  d S 2 or
 
 Ed S   E dS cos 0   E dS2 cos 0o   E dS3 cos 90 o  E  
dS1  E dS2  Ea  Ea  2Ea
o
1
S S1 S2 S3

∴ Total electric flux = 2E a.

As σ is charge per unit area of sheet and a is the intersecting area, the charge enclosed by Gaussian
surface = σa
1
According to Gauss’s theorem : Total electric flux =  (total charge enclosed by the surface)
0
1 
i.e., 2 Ea  (a) ∴ E
0 2 0
Thus electric field strength due to an infinite flat sheet of charge is independent of the distance of the point
and is directed normally away from the charge. If the surface charge density σ is negative the electric field
is directed towards the surface charge.
(c) (i) Away from the charged sheet. (ii) Towards the plane sheet.

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