MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

ESG Physics

8.02 with Kai Spring 2003

Problem Set 3 Solution

Problem 1: 25.14
An insulating rod having linear charge density and linear mass density µ = 0.100 kg/m is
released from rest in a uniform electric field E = 100 V/m directed perpendicular to the
rod (Fig. P25.14).

Fig. P25.14

(a) Determine the speed of the rod after it has traveled 2.00 m.
(b) How does your answer to part (a) change if the electric field is not perpendicular
to the rod? Explain.

Solution:

(a) When the rod is moving along the electric field, it is moving from a high potential
point to a low potential point, so the rod is going to lose potential energy. And by
conservation of energy, the lost in potential energy is the same as the gain in kinetic
energy. Thus

PElost = KEgain (1.1)

If the rod travels a distance s along the electric field, the potential difference from the
starting point to the end point would be

∆V = Es (1.2)

Suppose the rod has its length l, then the charge of the rod is given by

Qrod = λ l (1.3)

2003 Spring 8.02 with Kai 1

Problem Set 3 Solution
Therefore

PElost = Qrod ( ∆V ) = λ lEs (1.4)

If the rod has its mass density µ , then it has a mass

mrod = µ l (1.5)

Thus, according to equation (1.1), we have

1
λlEs = ( µl ) v2 (1.6)
2

which gives

2λ Es
v= (1.7)
µ

Substituting the value that we have, we obtain

v = 0.400 m/s (1.8)

(b) The speed would be the same as part (a), since the electric field is a conservative field,
that the work done by the field (the potential energy) does not depend on the path that it
takes.

2003 Spring 8.02 with Kai 2

Problem Set 3 Solution
Problem 2: 25.15
A particle having charge q = +2.00 µ C and mass m = 0.0100 kg is connected to a string
that is L = 1.50 m long and is tied to the pivot point P in Figure P25.15.

Fig. P25.15

The particle, string, and pivot point all lie on a horizontal table. The particle is released
from rest when the string makes an angle θ = 60.0° with a uniform electric field of
magnitude E = 300 V/m . Determine the speed of the particle when the string is parallel
to the electric field (point a in Fig. 25.15).

Solution:

The potential difference between the initial point and the end point would just be the
product of the electric field and the “perpendicular distance” between the two points,
therefore,
∆V = − E ( L − L cos θ ) (2.1)

Thus, having the charge q, the charge would lose a potential energy of magnitude

PEloss = q∆V = qEL (1 − cos θ ) (2.2)

And by conservation of energy, this would be the gain in kinetic energy, thus

1 2
mv = qEL (1 − cos θ ) (2.3)
2

which would gives

2qEL (1 − cos θ )
v= (2.4)
m

and the answer should be

0.300 m/s (2.5)

2003 Spring 8.02 with Kai 3

Problem Set 3 Solution
Problem 3: 25.30
Two point charges of equal magnitude are located along the y axis equal distances above
and below the x axis, as shown in Figure P25.30.

Fig. P25.30

(a) Plot a graph of the potential at points along the x axis over the interval
kQ
−3a < x < 3a . You should plot the potential in units of e .
a
(b) Let the charge located at − a be negative and plot the potential along the y axis
over the interval −4a < y < 4a .

Solution:

For any point in x axis, its potential would be

kQ kQ k (Q ) ke ( Q )
ϕ ( x) = e 1 + e 2 2 = e + (3.1)
r1 r x2 + a2 x 2 + ( −a )
2

which gives
ϕ ( x) 2
= (3.2)
 ke Q  2
 x
    +a
 a  a

and should be in the form

2003 Spring 8.02 with Kai 4

Problem Set 3 Solution
(b) For the points in the y axis and if one of the charge is changed to negative charge, we
have
kQ kQ
ϕ ( y) = e − e (3.3)
y−a y+a

which gives

ϕ ( y) 1 1
= − (3.4)
ke Q y y
−1 +1
a a a

which would gives

2003 Spring 8.02 with Kai 5

Problem Set 3 Solution
Problem 4: 25.31

In Rutherford’s famous scattering experiments that led to the planetary model of the atom,
alpha particles (charge +2e , mass = 6.64 × 10−27 kg ) were fired at a gold nucleus (charge
+79e). An alpha particle, initially very far from the gold nucleus, is fired with a velocity
of 2.00 ×107 m/s directly toward the center of the nucleus. How close does the alpha
particle get to this center before turning around? Assume the gold nucleus remains
stationary.

Solution:

We apply the law of energy conservation again. The alpha particles have kinetic energy
at the beginning. So if the direction is head on, that means that the alpha particle would
stop at the point where it loses all its kinetic energy in order to gain the potential energy
required for it to reach that point. We know that for a point charge, the potential at a point
r away from the gold nucleus is

keQgold
Vr = (4.1)
r

Thus, for the alpha particle to reach a point R away from the gold nucleus,

keQgold
PE = qalpha (4.2)
R

Therefore, this would equal to the initial kinetic energy, which is

1 2 Q q
mv = ke gold alpha (4.3)
2 R

Rearranging, we have
2keQgold qalpha
R= (4.4)
mv 2

which gives
Rmin = 2.74 ×10−14 m (4.5)

2003 Spring 8.02 with Kai 6

Problem Set 3 Solution
Problem 5: 25.40
When an uncharged conducting sphere of radius a is placed at the origin of an xyz
coordinate system that lies in an initially uniform electric field E = E0k , the resulting
electric potential is
E0 a 3 z
V ( x, y, z ) = V0 − E0 z + 3
(5.1)
(x + y + z )
2 2 2 2

for points outside the sphere, where V0 is the (constant) electric potential on the
conductor. Use this equation to determine the x, y, and z components of the resulting
electric field.

Solution:

We know that, since this a conducting sphere, there is no charge inside the sphere, and
thus the electric field inside the sphere is zero, according to Gauss’s Law.

For x, y, z > a , we can obtain the electric field in the three coordinate by taking the
partial derivative of the potential respect to the according coordinate, that is

∂V ∂V ∂V
Ex = − , Ey = − , Ez = − (5.2)
∂x ∂y ∂z

which gives
 
3E0 a 3 xz 3E0 a 3 yz  E0 a 3 ( 2 z 2 − x 2 − y 2 ) 
E = Ex i + E y j + Ez k = 5
i+ 5
j +  E0 + 5  k (5.3)
(x 2
+y +z
2
)
2 2
(x 2
+y +z
2
)
2 2

 ( x + y + z ) 
2 2 2 2

2003 Spring 8.02 with Kai 7

Problem Set 3 Solution
Problem 6: 25.45
Calculate the electric potential at point P on the axis of the annulus shown in Figure
P25.45, which has a uniform charge density σ .

Fig. P25.45

Solution:

This arrangement of charges would be equal to as if we have a uniformly charged disc

with a radius b with charge density σ , superimposed with another uniformly charged
disc with radius a with charge density −σ . So, by what we have done in class, the
potential due to a charged disc with radius r at x away is given by

Vdisc = 2πσ ke x 2 + r 2 (6.1)

Therefore, the potential due to above arrangement is given by

V = Vdisk a + Vdisk b = 2πσ ke ( x 2 + b2 − x 2 + a 2 ) (6.2)

2003 Spring 8.02 with Kai 8

Problem Set 3 Solution
Problem 7: 25.46
A wire of finite length that has a uniform linear charge density λ is bent into the shape
shown in Figure P25.46. Find the electric potential at point O.

Fig. P25.46

Solution:

So we use the formula

dq
dϕ = (7.1)
r

to calculate the potential at that point, that is we want to know what is the contribution to
the potential at point O by each small bit of charge dq along the line of charge. As shown
above, the line of charge can be divided into three parts, and each part would have
different representation of the formula (7.1). Consider the straight part, which is the part
on the left and on the right, we have

dq λ dx
dϕ = = (7.2)
r x

while for the middle curved part, we have

dq λ dl λ R dθ
dϕ = = = = λ dθ (7.3)
r R R

Therefore, we have
−R λ dx 0 3R λ dx
ϕ=∫ + ∫ λ dθ + ∫ (7.4)
−3 R x −π R x

which gives

ϕ = ke λ (π + 2 ln 3) (7.5)

2003 Spring 8.02 with Kai 9

Problem Set 3 Solution
Problem 8: 25.50
Two concentric spherical conducting shells of radii a = 0.400 m and b = 0.500 m are
connected by a thin wire, as shown in Figure P25.50. If a total charge Q = 10.0 µ C is
placed on the system, how much charge settles on each sphere?

Fig. 25.50

Solution:

Since this is a conductor, and we know that charge only resides on the surface. Since the
two shells are connected by a wire, the charge would go as outside as possible, so the
charge would just go to the outer sphere. As a result, there would be no charge on the
inner sphere, and 10.0 µ C on the outer sphere.

2003 Spring 8.02 with Kai 10

Problem Set 3 Solution
Problem 9: 25.68
The thin, uniformly charged rod shown in Figure P25.68 has a linear charge density λ .
Find an expression for the electric potential at P.

Solution:

Consider a bit of charge dq which situates at x away from the origin, then it would have a
distance x 2 + b 2 to the point P. We know that

dq λ dx
dϕ = = (9.1)
r x2 + b2

and the limit of integration should be from a to a + l , thus

a +l λ dx
ϕ=∫ (9.2)
a
x2 + b2

which gives
 a + l + ( a + l )2 + b 2 
ϕ = ke λ ln   (9.3)
 a + a 2 + b2 
 

2003 Spring 8.02 with Kai 11

Problem Set 3 Solution