MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Department of Physics
8.02

Spring 2013

Exam One Solutions

Name ______________________________________________
Table ______________
Check Section
____L01 Conrad

MW 10-12 am

____L06 Dourmashkin

TR 1-3 pm

____L02 Paus

MW 12 -2 pm

____L07 Dourmashkin

TR 3-5 pm

____L03 Paus

MW 2 -4 pm

____L08 Figueroa

MW 12 -2 pm

____L04 Tegmark

TR 9 -11 am

____L09 Gore

MW 2-4 pm

____L05 Belcher

TR 11-1 pm

Score

Grader

Problem 1 (25 points)

Problem 2 (25 points)
Problem 3 (25 points)
Problem 4 (25 points)
TOTAL

Problem 1 (25 points): answers without work shown will not be given any credit.
Consider a solid non-conducting sphere of radius a carrying a non-uniform positive charge
density given by ! (r) = !0 (r 2 / a 2 ) , where !0 is a positive constant with units [C ! m "3 ] . A very
thin non-conducting concentric spherical shell of radius b , with b > a carries a positive charge
Q uniformly distributed on the surface.

Determine the direction and magnitude of the electric field in each of the regions: a) r < a , b)
a < r < b , and c) r > b . For each region clearly shown your choice of Gaussian surface.
a) r < a :

b) a < r < b :

c) r > b :

Problem 2 (25 points): answers without work shown will not be given any credit.
Two parallel rings, each of radius R , are separated by a distance R . A positive charge +Q is
uniformly distributed around the upper ring and a negative charge !Q is uniformly distributed
around the lower ring. Let z be the vertical coordinate, with z = 0 taken to be the center of the
lower negatively charged ring.
a) What is the direction and magnitude of the electric field at the point A on the vertical axis, a
distance z = R / 2 from the center of the lower ring?

b) What is the potential difference, V (P) ! V (") , between a point P located on the vertical axis
a distance +z from the center of the lower ring, and infinity? Set V (!) = 0 .

c) A positively charged point-like object of mass m and charge q is released from rest at a point
B at the center of the upper ring, at z = R . What is the speed of the object when it reaches the
point A on the vertical axis at the mid-point between the two rings, at z = R / 2 ?

Problem 3 (25 points): answers without work shown will not be given any credit.
Consider an infinite uniformly positively charged horizontal slab with finite thickness t and
volume charge density ! . This slab is tangent to a uniformly positively charged sphere with
radius R and volume charge density !0 . Let A be the point of tangency, and let B be the midpoint of the slab, let D be the point opposite to A on top-side of the sheet, and let C be the
point midway between B and D at a distance 3t / 4 from A . The electric field at A is zero.
Let k be an upward pointing unit vector.

a) Determine the direction and magnitude of the electric field at the point B . (Hint: Use the
superposition principle.) Clearly shown your work and any choices of Gaussian
surfaces.

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b) Determine the direction and magnitude of the electric field at the point C . (Hint: Use the
superposition principle.) Clearly shown your work and any choices of Gaussian
surfaces.

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c) What is the charge density !0 of the sphere? Express your answer in terms of t , R , ! ,
and ! 0 as needed.

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d) A point-like positively charged object of mass m and charge q is placed at point D and
released from rest. Determine the direction and magnitude of the electric force on the
point-like object when it is a very far distance d away from the slab, where d >> t and
d >> R . Express your answer in terms of !0 , ! , m , q , t , R , d , ! 0 , and k as needed.

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Problem 4 of 4: (25 points) Concept Questions (Parts A through E)

Part A (5 points):

A portion of a circular arc carries a uniform charge per unit length . The arc subtends an angle
(in radians) and has radius a, as shown. The total charge on the arc is Q = a . The vertical
component of the electric field at point P, the center of the arc, is given by which expression
below?
1.

cos
2 o a
2

2.

cos
2
2 o a
2

3.

sin
2 o a 2

4.

sin
2
2 o a
2

Answer: 3

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Part B (5 points):

An observer sits at point P a distance a away from a charge Q and a distance 2a away from a
change -2Q. The two charges and the observer all lie on the same line, as shown. If we take
the electric potential to be zero at infinity, then which of the following statements is true about
the electric potential and electric field at point P? Assume Q > 0.
1. The electric potential at P is less than zero and the electric field at P is equal to zero.
2. The electric potential at P is less than zero and the electric field at P points to the right.
3. The electric potential at P is less than zero and the electric field at P points to the left.
4. The electric potential at P is equal to zero and the electric field at P is equal to zero.
5. The electric potential at P is equal to zero and the electric field at P points to the right.
6. The electric potential at P is equal to zero and the electric field at P points to the left.
7. The electric potential at P is greater than zero and the electric field at P is equal to zero.
8. The electric potential at P is greater than zero and the electric field at P points to the
right.
9. The electric potential at P is greater than zero and the electric field at P points to the left.

Answer: 5

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Part C (5 points):

Six charges all have a charge of either +1 C or -1 C. They are arranged as shown in the grass
seeds representation of the field above. The top charge has a charge of +1 C. What is the total
charge of the six charges?
1. +4 C
2. +3 C
3. +2 C
4. +1 C
5. +0 C
6. -1 C
7. -2 C
8. -3 C
9. -4 C
Answer: 5

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Part D (5 points):
Three similar charged particles are placed one meter apart with the number of units of charge
and the sign (+, -) of the charge indicated. Each charge is subject to electric forces caused by
other charged particles.

Which of the arrows below best represents the direction of the net force on charge C?

(a)

( b)

( c)

(d)

(e) none of these

Answer: a

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Part E (5 points):

!
The area vectors dA at each point on a closed surface (i.e., a surface that surrounds a
volume) are always chosen to point out of the enclosed volume. A closed imaginary surface
is called a Gaussian surface. The imaginary Gaussian surface below is a cylinder. A positive
charge is located on the cylinder axis above the Gaussian cylinder, as shown below.

Which statement is correct about the flux through surface B and through the entire closed
surface A+B+C?
1. The flux through surface B is positive and through the entire closed surface it is
positive.
2. The flux through B is positive and through the entire surface it is negative.
3. The flux through B is positive and through the entire surface it is zero.
4. The flux through B is negative and through the entire surface it is positive.
5. The flux through B is negative and through the entire surface it is negative.
6. The flux through B is negative and through the entire surface it is zero.

Answer: 3

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