Tag: coulomb's law

Questions Related to coulomb's law

Which of the following is true for uniform electric field ?

  1. all points are at the same potential

  2. no two points can have the same potential

  3. pairs of points separated by the different distance must have the same difference in potential

  4. none of the above


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

uniform electric field means the electric field vector does not vary with positive and electric field lines are parallel and equally spaced. the statement given define the equipotential surface, so answer is (d) -none of these.

The electric field and the electric potential at a point are E and V respectively. Then, the incorrect statements are :

  1. If E $=$ 0, V must be zero.

  2. If V $=$ 0, E must be zero.

  3. If E $\neq$ 0, V cannot be zero.

  4. If V $\neq$ 0, E cannot be zero.


Correct Option: A,B,C,D
Explanation:

The electric field is $E=-\dfrac{dV}{dx}$
If $V=0$, we can not say $E$ must be zero, we say only $E$ may be zero.
If $V \neq 0 $, $E$ must be zero when $V$ is max i.e, $\dfrac{dV}{dx}=0$ For example, inside the conductor $E=0,$ but $V \neq 0 $
If $E \neq 0$ , $V$  may be zero when two equal and opposite charges separated by a distance and  at the midpoint in between the charges field is non-zero but potential is zero.

A charge of $6.76$ $\mu$C in an electric field is acted upon by a force of $2.5 N$. The potential gradient at this point is :

  1. $3.71 \times 10^{15} Vm^{-1}$

  2. $-3.71 \times 10^{12} Vm^{-1}$

  3. $3.71 \times 10^{10} Vm^{-1}$

  4. $-3.71 \times 10^{5} Vm^{-1}$


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

$F=qE \Rightarrow E=\dfrac{F}{q}=\dfrac{2.5}{6.76\times 10^{-6}}=3.7\times 10^5$

The potential gradient is the electric field i.e, $E=-\nabla V=-3.7 \times 10^5 $

The electric potential decreases uniformly from $120$ V to $80$ V as one moves on the X-axis from x $=$ -1 cm to x $=$ $+1$ cm. The electric field at the origin :

  1. must be equal to $20$ V/cm

  2. may be equal to $20$ V/cm

  3. may be greater than $20$ V/m

  4. may be less than $20$ V/cm


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

As the electric potential decreases uniformly so the electric field is uniform along the x axis.

$E=-\dfrac{dV}{dx}=\dfrac{120-80}{1-(-1)}=20 $V/m. It must be equal to 20 V/m at the origin.

The electric field in a region is directed outward and is proportional to the distance r from the origin. Taking the electric potential at the origin to be zero,

  1. it is uniform in the region

  2. it is proportional to r

  3. it is proportional to r$^2$

  4. it increases as one goes away from the origion


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

Electric field is directly propotional to $r$, therefore
$E=kr$
We know that
$\ V=-\int _{ 0 }^{ r }{ \overrightarrow { E. } \overrightarrow { dr }  } $
which gives 
$V=-\dfrac { k{ r }^{ 2 } }{ 2 } $ since V at $r=0$ is $0$
Hence V is proportional to ${ r }^{ 2 }$

A uniform electric field of $20$ NC$^{-1}$ exists along the x-axis in space. The potential difference V$ _B-$V$ _A$ for the point A $=$ $(4 m, 2m)$ and B $=$ $(6m, 5m)$ is:

  1. $20$ $\sqrt{13}$ V

  2. $- 40 V$

  3. zero V

  4. none of the above


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

Here, $\vec{E}=20 \hat i \Rightarrow E _x=20$
Potential difference ,$V _B-V _A=-\int _A^B Edr=-\int _4^6E _x dx=-20\int _4^6 dx=-20(6-4)=-40  V$

The electric field at the origin is along the positive X-axis. A small circle is drawn with the centre at the origin cutting the axes at points A, B, C and D having coordinates $(a, 0), (0, a), (-a, 0), (0, -a)$ respectively. Out of the given points on the periphery of the circle, the potential is minimum at :

  1. A

  2. B

  3. C

  4. D


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

The relation between electric field and potential is given by $\vec{E} = \displaystyle -\frac{\partial V}{\partial x}\hat{i} -\frac{\partial V}{\partial y}\hat{j} $

Given that, at origin, electric field is along positive x-axis.
Thus, $\displaystyle \frac{\partial V}{\partial x} < 0$ and $\displaystyle \frac{\partial V}{\partial y} = 0$
Thus, $V$ decreases in the positive x-direction and remains constant in y-direction.
Hence, minimum $V$ occurs at $(a,0)$ i.e., $A$

It is found that air breaks down electrically, when the electric field is $  3 \times 10^{6} \mathrm{V} / \mathrm{m} .  $ What is the potential to which a sphere of radius $1  \mathrm{m}  $ can be raised, before sparking takes place?

  1. $ V=10^{6} \mathrm{V} $

  2. $ V=2 \times 10^{6} \mathrm{V} $

  3. $ V=3 \times 10^{6} \mathrm{V} $

  4. $ V=4 \times 10^{6} \mathrm{V} $


Correct Option: C

In moving from A to B along an electric field line, the wok done by the electric field on an electron is $6.4 \times 10^{-19}$ J. If $\phi _1$ and $\phi _2$ are equipotential surfaces, then the potential difference $V _b-V _A $ is

  1. -4V

  2. 4V

  3. zero

  4. 6.4 V


Correct Option: B

The equation of an equipotential line is an electric field is y = 2x, then the electric field strength vector at (1, 2) may be 

  1. $4\vec{i} + 3\vec{j}$

  2. $4\vec{i} + 8\vec{j}$

  3. $8\vec{i} + 4\vec{j}$

  4. $-8\vec{i} + 4\vec{j}$


Correct Option: B