ECE 1813 Electricity & Magnetism

UNBSJ – Winter 20234

Tutorial #3

3.1. In Figure 3.1, a proton is fired with a speed of 200,000 m/s from the midpoint of the
capacitor toward the positive plate.
a. Show that this is insufficient speed to reach the positive plate.
b. What is the proton’s speed as it collides with the negative plate?

Model: Energy is conserved. The proton’s potential energy inside the capacitor can be found from
the capacitor’s potential difference.
Visualize: Please refer to Figure 3.1.

Solve: (a) The electric potential at the midpoint of the capacitor is 250 V. This is because the
potential inside a parallel-plate capacitor is V = Es where s is the distance from the negative electron.
The proton has charge q = e and its potential energy at a point where the capacitor’s potential is V is U
= eV. The proton will gain potential energy
DU = eDV = e(250 V) = 1.60 ´ 10-19 C (250 V) = 4.00 ´ 10-17 J
if it moves all the way to the positive plate. This increase in potential energy comes at the expense of
kinetic energy which is
K = 12 mv 2 = 1
2 (1.67 ×10 −27
)
kg ( 200,000 m/s) = 3.34 ×10 −17 J
2

This available kinetic energy is not enough to provide for the increase in potential energy if the proton
is to reach the positive plate. Thus the proton does not reach the plate because K < DU.

(b) The energy-conservation equation Kf + Uf = Ki + Ui is

1
2 mvf2 + qVf = 12 mvi2 + qVi ⇒ 12 mvf2 = 12 mvi2 + q (Vi − Vf )

2q
⇒ vf = v + (Vi − Vf ) =
2
(2.0 ×10 5
m/s + )
2 ( )
2 1.60 ×10 −19 C ( 250 V − 0 V)
= 2.96 ×10 5 m/s
1.67 ×10 −27 kg
i
m

K = 12 mv 2 = 1
2 (1.67 ×10 −27
)
kg ( 296,000 m/s) = 7.3 ×10 −17 J
2

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3.2. The four 1.0 g spheres shown in Figure 3.2 are released simultaneously and allowed to move
away from each other. What is the speed of each sphere when they are very far apart?

Model: Energy is conserved. The charged spheres are point charges.

Visualize: Please refer to Figure 3.2. Label the spheres 1, 2, 3, and 4 in a clockwise manner, with the
sphere in the upper left-hand corner being sphere 1.

Solve: The total potential energy of the four spheres before they are allowed to move is
Ui = (U12 + U23 + U34 + U41) + (U13 + U24)
All the charges are identical, r12 = r23 = r34 = r41 = 1.0 cm, and r13 = r24 = 2.0 cm. The initial potential
energy is
⎛ 1 10 ×10 −9 C)(10 ×10 −9 C) ⎞ ⎛ 1 10 ×10 −9 C)(10 ×10 −9 C) ⎞
Ui = 4 ⎜ ⎟ + 2 ⎜ ⎟ = 48.73 ×10 −5 J
⎝ 4π e0 0.010 m ⎠ ⎝ 4π e0 0.01414 m ⎠
Since all charges are at rest, Ki = 0 J. As the spheres are allowed to move away from one another and
they are far apart, Uf = 0 J. The final kinetic energy is
K f = 4( 12 mvf2 ) = 2(1.0 ×10 −3 kg)v 2f

From the energy conservation equation Uf + Kf = Ui + Ki

( )
2 1.0 ×10 −3 kg vf2 = 48.73 ×10 −5 J ⇒ vf = 0.49 m/s

3.3. Figure 3.3 shows two uniformly charged spheres. What is the potential difference between
points a and b? Which point is at the higher potential?

Model: The potential at any point is the superposition of the potentials due to all charges. Outside a
uniformly charged sphere, the electric potential is identical to that of a point charge Q at the center.
Visualize: Please refer to Figure 3.3. Sphere A is the sphere on the left and sphere B is the one on the
right.

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Solve: The potential at point a is the sum of the potentials due to the spheres A and B:
1 QA 1 QB
Va = VA at a + VB at a = +
4πε 0 RA 4πε 0 0.70 m
−9 −9
×10 C ×10 C
(
= 9.0 ×10 9 N m 2 /C 2 ) 1000.30 m
+ ( 9.0 ×10 9
N m 2 /C 2 ) 250.70 m
= 3000 V + 321 V = 3321 V

Similarly, the potential at point b is the sum of the potentials due to the spheres A and B:

1 QB 1 QA
Vb = VB at b + VA at b = +
4πε 0 RB 4πε 0 0.95 m
⎛ 25 ×10 −9 C 100 ×10 −9 C ⎞
(
= 9.0 ×10 9 N m 2 /C 2 ⎜ )
⎝ 0.05 m
+
0.95 m ⎟⎠
Vb = 4500 V + 947 V = 5447 V
Thus, the potential at point b is higher than the potential at a. The difference in potential is Vb – Va =
5447 V – 3321 V = 2126 V = 2.1 kV.

Assess: VA at a = 3000 V and the sphere B has a potential of 225 V at point a. The spherical symmetry
dictates that the potential on a sphere’s surface be the same everywhere. So, in calculating the potential
at point a due to the sphere B we used the center-to-center separation of 1.0 m rather than a separation
of 100 cm – 30 cm = 70 cm from the center of sphere B to the point a. The former choice leads to the
same potential everywhere on the surface whereas the latter choice will lead to a distribution of
potentials depending upon the location of the point a. Similar reasoning also applies to the potential at
point b.

3.4. Figure 3.4 is an edge view of three charged metal electrodes. Let the left electrode be the zero
point of the electric potential. What are V and Ē at (a) x = 0.5 cm, (b) x = 1.5 cm, and (c) x = 2.5
cm?

Model: Assume the electrodes form parallel-plate capacitors with a uniform electric field between
the plates.
Visualize:

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Please refer to Figure 3.4. The three metal electrodes serve as plates for two capacitors. On the middle
electrode, half the charge is located on the left face and half on the right face, thus forming two
capacitors. Each plate of the two capacitors carries a charge of ±50 nC.
Solve: (a) In the space 0 cm < x < 1 cm, the electric field points to the left and its magnitude is
η Q 50 ×10 −9 C
E= = = = 1.41×10 7 V/m
ε 0 Aε 0 ( 0.02 m ) (8.85 ×10 C / N m )
2 −12 2 2

In the region 1 cm £ x £ 2 cm, Ē = 0 because in electrostatics the inside of a conductor has no free
charge. The electric field in the region 2 cm < x < 3 cm points to the right and has the same magnitude
as the electric field in the region 0 cm < x < 1 cm.

(b) The potential difference between two points in space with a uniform electric field is
ΔV = Vf − Vi = E ( xf − xi )
Assuming that the negative plate at x = 0 m is at zero potential (Vi = 0 V at xi = 0 cm), Vf = xf E, or
simply V = xE. Thus, the potential increases linearly with distance x from the negative plate in the
region 0 £ x £ 1. At x = 1 cm, the potential is

V = xE = (1.0 ´ 10-2 m)(1.41 ´ 107 V/m) = 1.41 ´ 105 V

The potential must be the same throughout the region 1 cm £ x £ 2 cm. If this were not the case, we
would not have an electrostatic situation with the electric field E = 0 V/m. Using the previous
reasoning, the potential decreases linearly in the region 2 cm < x < 3 cm.

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3.5. The electric potential in a region of space is V = (150x2 - 200y2) V, where x and y are in meters.
What are the strength and direction of the electric field at (x, y) = (2.0 m, 2.0 m)? Give the
direction as an angle cw or ccw (specify which) from the positive x-axis.

Model: The electric field is the negative of the slope of the graph of the potential function.
Solve: The electric potential in a region of space is V = (150x 2 − 200y 2 ) V where x and y are in
meters. The x- and y-components of the electric field are
dV dV
Ex = − = −(300 x) V/m Ey = − = +(400 y) V/m
dx dy
At (x, y) = (2.0 m, 2.0 m), E x = −600 V/m and Ey = 800 V/m. The magnitude and direction of the
electric field are
E = E x2 + E y2 = (−600 V/m)2 + (800 V/m)2 = 1000 V/m
E y 800 V/m 4
tan θ = = = ⇒ θ = 53° above the −x-axis
E x 600 V/m 3
The electric field points 180° − 53° = 127° counterclockwise from the +x-axis.

Good luck!

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