Tutorial

Chapter 18

Chapter 18, Problem 03

Four identical metallic objects carry the following charges: +1.60, +6.20, -4.80, and -
9.40 C. The objects are brought simultaneously into contact, so that each touches the
others. Then they are separated. (a) What is the final charge on each object? (b) How
many electrons (or protons) make up the final charge on each object?

3. REASONING

a. Since the objects are metallic and identical, the charges on each combine and
produce a net charge that is shared equally by each object. Thus, each object ends up
with one-fourth of the net charge.

b. The number of electrons (or protons) that make up the final charge on each object is
equal to the final charge divided by the charge of an electron (or proton).

SOLUTION

a. The net charge is the algebraic sum of the individual charges. The charge q on each
object after contact and separation is one-fourth the net charge, or

q  14 1.6 C  6.2 C  4.8 C  9.4 C   1.6 C

b. Since the charge on each object is negative, the charge is comprised of electrons.
The number of electrons on each object is the charge q divided by the charge e of a
single electron:

q 1.6 106 C
Number of electrons =  
 1.0 1013
e 1.60  10 19
C

Chapter 18, Problem 05

Consider three identical metal spheres, A, B, and C. Sphere A carries a charge of +5q.
Sphere B carries a charge of -q. Sphere C carries no net charge. Spheres A and B are
touched together and then separated. Sphere C is then touched to sphere A and
separated from it. Lastly, sphere C is touched to sphere B and separated from
it. (a) What is the ratio of the final charge on sphere C to q? What is the ratio of the
final total charge on the three spheres to q (b) before they are allowed to touch each
other and (c) after they have touched?

AP10001 Introduction to Physics 1 Dr. S.H. Choy

5. REASONING Identical conducting spheres equalize their charge upon touching. When
spheres A and B touch, an amount of charge +q, flows from A and instantaneously
neutralizes the –q charge on B leaving B momentarily neutral. Then, the remaining amount
of charge, equal to +4q, is equally split between A and B, leaving A and B each with equal
amounts of charge +2q. Sphere C is initially neutral, so when A and C touch, the +2q on A
splits equally to give +q on A and +q on C. When B and C touch, the +2q on B and the +q on
C combine to give a total charge of +3q, which is then equally divided between the spheres B
and C; thus, B and C are each left with an amount of charge +1.5q.

SOLUTION Taking note of the initial values given in the problem statement, and
summarizing the final results determined in the REASONING above, we conclude the
following:

a. Sphere C ends up with an amount of charge equal to +1.5q .

b. The charges on the three spheres before they were touched, are, according
to the problem statement, +5q on sphere A, –q on sphere B, and zero charge on sphere C.
Thus, the total charge on the spheres is 5q – q  0  4q .

c. The charges on the spheres after they are touched are +q on sphere A, +1.5q
on sphere B, and +1.5q on sphere C. Thus, the total charge on the spheres is
q 1.5q 1.5q  4q .

Chapter 18, Problem 13

Two point charges are fixed on the y axis: a negative point
charge q1 = -25 μC at y1 = +0.22 m and a positive point
charge q2 at y2 = +0.34 m. A third point charge q = +8.4 μC is fixed at
the origin. The net electrostatic force exerted on the charge q by the
other two charges has a magnitude of 27 N and points in the
+y direction. Determine the magnitude of q2.

AP10001 Introduction to Physics 2 Dr. S.H. Choy

13. REASONING Let F2 and F1 represent the forces exerted on the charge q at the origin by
the point charges q1 and q2, respectively. According to Equation 18.1, the magnitudes
of these forces are given by

y
q1 q q2 q
F1  k and F2  k (1)
r12 r22 q2

q1 = −25 C
where r1 is the distance between q1 and q, r2 is the distance

between q2 and q, and k = 8.99×109 N·m2/C2. The directions F1

of the forces are determined by the signs of each charge-pair.
q = +8.4 C
The sign of q1 is opposite that of q, so F1 is an attractive force,
pointing in the positive y direction. The signs of q2 and q are F2
both positive, so F2 is a repulsive force, pointing in the
negative y direction (see the drawing). Because the net force
F = F1 + F2 acting on q points in the positive y direction, the force F1 must have a greater
magnitude than the force F2. Therefore, the magnitude F of the net electric force
acting on q is equal to the magnitude of the attractive force F1 minus that of the
repulsive force F2:

F  F1  F2 (2)

SOLUTION Substituting Equations (1) into Equation (2) yields

q1 q q2 q
F  F1  F2  k k (3)
r12 r22

Solving Equation (3) for |q2|, we obtain

q2 q q1 q q F 
k k F or q2  r22  12  
r22 r12 r kq
 1 

Substituting the given values, we find that

AP10001 Introduction to Physics 3 Dr. S.H. Choy

  25 106 C 
27 N
q2   0.34 m 2     1.8 105 C
  0.22 m 

2
 9 2 2

8.99 10 N  m /C 8.4 10 C 
6


Chapter 18, Problem 21

The drawing shows three point charges fixed in place. The charge at the coordinate
origin has a value of q1 = +8.00 C; the other two have identical magnitudes, but
opposite signs: q2 = -5.00 C and q3 = +5.00 C.
(a) Determine the net force exerted on q1 by the other two charges.
(b) If q1 had a mass of 1.50 g and it was free to move, what would be its acceleration?

21. REASONING

a. There are two electrostatic forces that act on q1; that due to q2 and that due
to q3. The magnitudes of these forces can be found by using Coulomb’s law. The magnitude
and direction of the net force that acts on q1 can be determined by using the method of
vector components.

b. According to Newton’s second law, Equation 4.2b, the acceleration of q1 is

equal to the net force divided by its mass. However, there is only one force acting on it, so
this force is the net force.

+y q2

SOLUTION F13 F12

1.30 m
23.0 23.0
a. The magnitude F12 of the force exerted +x
q1
on q1 by q2 is given by Coulomb’s law, Equation 18.1, 1.30 m
q3
where the distance is specified in the drawing:

AP10001 Introduction to Physics 4 Dr. S.H. Choy

 F12 
k q1 q2

 8.99  109 N  m2 /C2 8.00  106 C  5.00  106 C 
 0.213 N
r122 1.30 m 2

Since the magnitudes of the charges and the distances are the same, the magnitude of F13 is
the same as the magnitude of F12, or F13 = 0.213 N. From the drawing it can be seen that the
x-components of the two forces cancel, so we need only to calculate the y components of
the forces.

Force y component

F12 +F12 sin 23.0 = +(0.213 N) sin 23.0 = +0.0832 N

F13 +F13 sin 23.0 = +(0.213 N) sin 23.0 = +0.0832 N

F Fy = +0.166 N

Thus, the net force is F   0.166 N (directed along the +y axis) .

b. According to Newton’s second law, Equation 4.2b, the acceleration of q1 is equal to

the net force divided by its mass. However, there is only one force acting on it, so this force
is the net force:

F 0.166 N
a  
 111 m /s 2
m 1.50  10 kg
3

where the plus sign indicates that the acceleration is along the +y axis .

Chapter 18, Problem 33

Four point charges have the same magnitude of 2.4 × 10-12 C and are fixed to the
corners of a square that is 6.0 cm on a side. Three of the charges are positive and one
is negative. Determine the magnitude of the net electric field that exists at the center
of the square.

AP10001 Introduction to Physics 5 Dr. S.H. Choy

33. REASONING Each charge creates an electric field at the center of the square, and the
four fields must be added as vectors to obtain the net field. Since the charges all have
the same magnitude and since each corner is equidistant from the center of the square,
the magnitudes of the four individual fields are identical. Each is given by Equation 18.3
kq
as E  . The directions of the various contributions are not the same, however.
r2
The field created by a positive charge points away from the charge, while the field
created by a negative charge points toward the charge.

SOLUTION The drawing at the right shows B + + C

each of the field contributions at the center
of the square (see black dot). Each is
ED
directed along a diagonal of the square.
Note that ED and EB point in opposite
directions and, therefore, cancel, since they EA
EB
have the same magnitude. In contrast EA EC
and EC point in the same direction toward
corner A and, therefore, combine to give a A  + D
net field that is twice the magnitude of EA or
EC. In other words, the net field at the center
of the square is given by the following vector
equation:

E  EA  EB  EC  ED  EA  EB  EC  EB  EA  EC  2EA

Using Equation 18.3, we find that the magnitude of the net field is

kq
 E  2 EA  2
r2

In this result r is the distance from a corner to the center of the square, which is one half
of the diagonal distance d. Using L for the length of a side of the square and taking
advantage of the Pythagorean theorem, we have r  12 d  12 L2  L2 . With this
substitution for r, the magnitude of the net field becomes

AP10001 Introduction to Physics 6 Dr. S.H. Choy

E  2
kq

4k q


4 8.99  109 N  m2 / C2  2.4 1012 C  24 N/C
   0.060 m 2
2
L2
1
2
L L
2 2

Chapter 18, Problem 43

A small object has a mass of 3.0 × 10-3 kg and a charge of -26 C. It is placed at a
certain spot where there is an electric field. When released, the object experiences an
acceleration of 2.9 × 103 m/s2 in the direction of the +x axis. Determine the electric
field, including sign, relative to the +x axis.

43. REASONING The electric field is given by Equation 18.2 as the force F that acts on a test
charge q0, divided by q0. Although the force is not known, the acceleration and mass of
the charged object are given. Therefore, we can use Newton’s second law to determine
the force as the mass times the acceleration and then determine the magnitude of the
field directly from Equation 18.2. The force has the same direction as the acceleration.
The direction of the field, however, is in the direction opposite to that of the
acceleration and force. This is because the object carries a negative charge, while the
field has the same direction as the force acting on a positive test charge.

SOLUTION According to Equation 18.2, the magnitude of the electric field is

F
E
q0

According to Newton’s second law, the net force acting on an object of mass m and
acceleration a is F = ma. Here, the net force is the electrostatic force F, since that
force alone acts on the object. Thus, the magnitude of the electric field is

E
F

ma


3.0  103 kg 2.9  103 m/s 2 
 3.3  105 N/C


q0 q0 26  10 C
6

AP10001 Introduction to Physics 7 Dr. S.H. Choy

 The direction of this field is opposite to the direction of the acceleration. Thus, the field
points along the x axis .

AP10001 Introduction to Physics 8 Dr. S.H. Choy