CHAPTER 1 ELECTRIC CHARGES AND FIELDS

1. A glass rod held in hand can be charged by rubbing it with silk but a copper rod cannot be charged like
this. why?
2. Is the force acting between two point charges q1 and q2 kept at some distance in air, attractive or
repulsive when: i) q1 q2› 0 ii) q1 q2‹ 0?
3. What does q1+q2 =0 signify in electrostatics.
4. Name any two basic properties of charges.
5. What do you understand by quantization of electric charges? State the principle of conservation of
charge.
6. A point charge +q is kept in the vicinity of uncharged conducting plate. Sketch electric field lines between
the charge and the plate.
7. Force between two point charges kept at a distance d apart in air is F. If the charges are kept at the same
distance in water how does the electric force between them change?
8. Define dielectric constant of a medium in terms of force between electric charges.
9. Why it is necessary that the field lines from a point charge placed in the vicinity of a conductor must be
normal to the conductor at every point.
10. Is electric field a scalar or vector? Give its unit.
11. Name the physical quantity whose SI unit is Newton coulomb-1.
12. Why does the electric field inside di electric decreases when it placed in an external field.
13. A metal sphere is placed in a uniform electric field. Which path is followed by electric lines and why?
14. Draw the electric field lines to represent a uniform electric field.
15. A small test charge is released at rest at a point in an electrostatic field configuration. Will it travel along
the field line passing through that point.
16. Draw the pattern of electric field around a charge i)q›0 ii) q‹0
17. Sketch the electric field lines due to two equal positive charges place near each other.
18. Explain why two field lines never cross each other.
19. A dipole moment p is present in a uniform electric field E. For what value of angle between p and E the
torque experienced by the dipole is minimum.
20. Write an expression for the torque acting on a dipole of dipole moment p ,placed in an electric field.
21. Electric dipole moment is a scalar or vector quantity.
22. What orientation of an electric dipole in an uniform electric field corresponds to its stable and unstable
equilibrium.
23. what is the angle between the directions of electric field at any axial point and equatorial point. Due to
the dipole.
24. The electric field strength at a distance r on the equatorial line of a dipole is E. If the distance of the point
from the dipole is doubled, how will the electric field intensity be affected.
25. A metallic spherical shell has an inner radius R and outer radius r . A charge Q is placed at the centre of
the spherical cavity . What will be the surface charge density on the inner and the outer surface.
26. Define the term electric flux write its SI unit.
27. Is electric flux scalar or vector.
28. Name the physical quantity whose unit is Vm.
 29. Two charges of magnitude -2Q and +Q are located at points (a,0)and (4a,0) respectively. What is the
electric flu due to these charges through a sphere of radius 3a with its centre at origin.
30. A charge q is placed at the centre of a cube of side l. What is the electric flux passing through each face of
the cube.
31. What is the electric flux through a cube of side 1cm which encloses an electric dipole.
32. The figure shows three charges +2q.-q and +3q . Two charges +2q and -2q are enclosed within a surface S.
What is the electric flux due to this configuration through the surface.
33. An arbitrary surface encloses a dipole. what is the electric flux through this surface.
34. If the radius of the Gaussian surface enclosing a charge q is halved how does the electric flux through the
Gaussian surface change.
35. State Gauss theorem in electrostatics.
36. Calculate the amount of work done in rotating a dipole of dipole moment 3x10 -8 Cm, from its position of
stable equilibrium to the position of unstable equilibrium in a uniform electric field of intensity 10 4N/C
37. Obtain coulombs law of electrostatics using gauss theorem.
38. State coulombs theorem.
39. Obtain the formula for the electric field due to a long thin wire of uniform linear charge density.
40. A spherical conductor of radius 12cm has a charge of 1.6x10-7C distributed uniformly on its surface. What
is the electric field a) in the sphere b) just outside the sphere c) at a point 18cm from the centre of the
sphere.

41. Derive an expression for the electric field intensity at a point on the equatorial line of an electric dipole of
dipole moment p and length 2a. What is the direction of this filed.
42. Obtain an expression for electric field intensity at a point on the axis of an electric dipole.
43. Show that the force acting on an electric dipole placed in a uniform electric filed in zero. Also obtain an
expression for torque acting on this dipole.
44. Two infinitely large plane thin parallel sheets having surface charge densities σ 1 and σ2 (σ1› σ2) are shown .
Write the magnitudes and directions of the net fields in the regions marked II and III.
45. A POINT CHARGE +10µc is at a distance 5cm directly above the centre of a square of side 10cm as shown
in the figure. What is the magnitude of the electric flux through the square.
46. Given the components of an electric fields as Ex=ἁx, Ey=0 and Ez=0 where ἁ is a dimensional constant.
Calculate the flux through each face of the cube of side ‘a’ as shown in the figure and the effective charge
inside the cube.
47. Using gauss law obtain the electric flux due to a point charge ‘q’ enclosed in a cube of side ‘a’.ii) Show
that the electric field due to a uniformly infinite charged plane sheet at any point distant x from it, is
independent of x.
48. Find the electric field intensity due to a uniformly charged spherical shell at a point i)outside the shell ii)
Inside the shell . Plot the graph of electric field with distance from the centre of the shell.
49. Obtain an expression for the electric for electric field at a point due to an infinite line charge distribution
using Gauss theorem.
Show the variation of electric field with distance r.

52.Obtain an expression for electric field at a points A, B and C due to two charged thin , infinitely long plane
parallel sheets.
53. Obtain an expression for electric field A, B and C due to two oppositely charged thin, infinitely long
parallel plates.
54. A hollow cylindrical box of length 1m and area of cross section 25cm 2 is placed in a three dimensional
coordinate system as shown in the figure. The electric field in the region is given by E =50xi where E is
in NC-1 and x is in metre. Find i)net flux through the cylinder ii) charge enclosed by the cylinder.
55. An electric dipole moment p consists of point charges –q separated by a distance 2a apart. Deduce the
expression for the electric field E due to the dipole at a distance x from the centre of the dipole on its
axial line in terms of the dipole moment p. Hence show that in the limit x››a, E=2p/4πϵ 0x3
56. Given the electric field in the region E= 2xi. Find the net electric flux through the cube and charge
enclosed by it if the side of the square is ‘a’.
57. A hollow cylindrical box of length 0.5mand area of cross section 20cm 2 is placed in a three dimensional
coordinate system as shown in the figure. The electric field in the region is given by E= 20xi where E is
NC-1 and x is in metres.
58. Define electric flux .write its unit. Using gauss law deduce an expression for electric filed intensity due
to infinitely long straight charged wire.
59. Derive an expression for electric field at a point on the equatorial line of an electric dipole.
60. Obtain the expression for the torque ɀ experienced by an electric dipole of dipole moment p in an
uniform electric field. What will happen if the field is not uniform.
61. Two parallel uniformly charge infinite plane sheets , 1 and 2 have charge densities +σ and -2σ
respectively. Give the magnitude and direction of the net electric field at a point i) in between the two
sheets and ii) outside near the sheet 1.
62. Two infinitely large plane thin parallel sheets having surface charge densities σ 1 and σ2 (σ1 > σ2) . write
the magnitudes and directions of the net fields in the region outside and between the plates.
63. Given a uniform electric filed E = 5x103 I N/C, find the flux of this field through a square of 10 cm on a
side whose plane is parallel to the y-z plane. What would be the flux through the same square if the
plane makes and angle of 30° with the axis.
64. Given a uniform electric filed E = 2x103 I N/C, find the flux of this field through a square of 20 cm on a
side whose plane is parallel to the y-z plane. What would be the flux through the same square if the
plane makes and angle of 30° with the axis.
65. Given a uniform electric filed E = 4x103 I N/C, find the flux of this field through a square of 5 cm on a
side whose plane is parallel to the y-z plane. What would be the flux through the same square if the
plane makes and angle of 30° with the axis.
66. Two charges of magnitude -3Q and +2Q are located at points (a,0)and (4a,0) respectively. What is the
electric flu due to these charges through a sphere of radius 5a with its centre at origin.
67. A hollow cylindrical box of length 0.5m and area of cross section 20cm 2 is placed in a three dimensional
coordinate system as shown in the figure. The electric field in the region is given by E =20xi where E is
in NC-1 and x is in metre. Find i)net flux through the cylinder ii) charge enclosed by the cylinder.
68. A charge q is placed at the centre of the line joining two charges Q . Show that the system of three
charges will be in equilibrium.
69. Two equal positive charges each of 2 micro coulomb situated at a distance of 6 m interact with a third
charge of 3 micro coulomb situated at equatorial point situated at 4 m .calculate the magnitude and
force on the 3 micro coulomb charge.
70. Two fixed charges 4e and e are seperatd by distance ‘a’ .where should be the third point charge be
placed for it to be in equilibrium.
71. What are the magnitude and direction of electric field at the centre of the square .if q= 10 -8 C and a=
5cm.