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PRACTICE ASSIGNMENT-3
ELECTROSTATIC POTENTIAL

1. A metal sphere A of radius a is charged to potential V. What will be its potential if it is

enclosed by a spherical conducting shell B of radius b and the two are connected by a
wire?

B
A
b a

2. Three concentric spherical metallic spheres A, B and C of radius a, b and c (a < b < c)
have surface charge densities , – and  respectively. (a) Find the potentials of the
three shells A, B and C. (b) If the shells A and C are at the same potential, obtain the
relation between a, b and c.
C
B
A
a
c
b

3. An alpha particle with kinetic energy 10 MeV is heading towards a stationary tin
nucleus of atomic number 50. Calculate the distance of closest approach.
4. A circular ring of radius R with uniform positive charge density  per unit length is
located in the y-z plane with its centre at the origin O. A particle of mass m and
positive charge q is projected from the point P [ 3R, 0, 0] on the positive x-axis directly
towards O, with initial speed v. Find the smallest (non-zero) value of the speed such
that the particle does not return to P.
5. Three point charges 1C, 2C and 3C are placed at the corners of an equilateral triangle
of side 1m. Calculate the work required to move these charges to the corners of a
smaller equilateral triangle of side 0.5 m as shown in figure.
A 1C
A

B B C C
2C 3C
6. Two conducting spheres of radii 6 cm and 12 cm each having same charge of 3 × 10–8
C are kept very far apart. If the spheres are connected to each other by a conducting
wire (a) find the direction and amount of charge transferred and (b) final potential of
each sphere.
7. Two conducting spheres of radii 4 cm and 7 cm have charge of 500 C and 60 C
respectively. Calculate the loss or gain of energy when they are connected together.
8. A thin spherical conducting shell of radius R has a charge q. Another charge Q is
placed at the centre of the shell. What is the electrostatic potential at a point p a
distance R/2 from the centre of the shell?

2Q q
Ans. 
40R 40R

9. Two thin wire rings each having a radius R are placed at a distance d apart with
their axes coinciding. The charges on the two rings are +q and –q. What is the potential
difference between the centres of the two rings?

Q 1 1 
Ans.   
20 R R2  d2 

10. The electric potential V is given as a function of distance x (metre) by V = (5x2 + 10x
– 9)volt. What is the value of electric field at x = 1?
Ans. 20 V/m
11. Electric potential at any point is V = –5x + 3y + 15z , then what is the magnitude of
the electric field? Ans. 7
12. A uniform electric field exists in x-y plane. The potential of points A(–2m, 2m), B(2m,
2m) and C(2m, 4m) are 4 V, 16 V and 12 V respectively. What is the electric field?

Ans. (3iˆ  2 ˆj ) V/m

13. Electric potential is given by

V  6x  8xy 2  8y  6yz  4z 2
Then what will be electric force acting on 2C point charge placed on origin?
Ans. 20 N
14. The figure gives the electric potential V as a function of distance through five regions
on x-axis. Which of the following is true for the electric field E in these regions?

1 2 3 4 5
x
(1) E2 = E4, E5 = 0 and E3 > E1
(2) E1 = E3 = E5 and E2 < E4
(3) E2 = E4 = E5 and E1 < E3
(4) E1 < E2 < E3 < E4 < E5 Ans. (2)
15. Figure shows a charged conductor resting on an insulating stand. If at the point P
the charge density is , the potential is V and the electric field strength is E, what
are the values of these quantities at point Q? Ans. (4)

P Q

Insulating stand
Charge density Potential Electric intensity
(1) >  >V >E
(2) >  V >E
(3) <  V E
(4) <  V <E

16. If uniform electric field E  E0iˆ  2E0 ˆj , where E0 is a constant, exists in a region of
space and at (0, 0) the electric potential V is zero, then what is the potential at
(x0, 0)? Ans. –E0 x0
17. There exists a uniform electric field in the space as shown. Four points A, B, C and
D are marked which are equidistant from the origin. If VA, VB, VC and VD are their
potentials respectively, then
y

C A 30° x
E
D

(1) VB > VA > VC > VD

(2) VA > VB > VD > VC
(3) VA = VB > VC = VD
(4) VB > VC > VA > VD
Ans. (2)
18. Three charges Q, (+q) and (+q) are placed at the vertices of an equilateral triangle of
side l as shown in the figure. If the net electrostatic energy of the system is zero,
then what is the value of Q?
Q

 q
l l Ans.   
 2

+q l +q
19. Figure shows some equipotential lines distributed in space. A charged object is moved
from point A to point B. Ans. (3)
20V 40V 30V

A B A B A B

10V 20V 30V 40V 50V 10V 30V 50V 10V 20V 40V 50V
Figure (i) Figure (ii) Figure (iii)

(1) The work done in figure (i) is the greatest

(2) The work done in figure (ii) is least
(3) The work done is the same in figure (i), figure (ii) and figure (iii)
(4) The work done in figure (iii) is greater than figure (ii) but equal to that in

20. The electric field intensity at all points in space is given by E  3iˆ  ˆj volts/metre.
The nature of equipotential lines in x-y plane is given by
High potential Low potential
y y

30 ° x 30 ° x
(1) (2)

Low potential High potential

High potential Low potential

y y

° °
60 60
x x
(3) (4)

Low potential High potential

Ans. (3)
21. There is an electric field E in X-direction. If the work done on moving a charge 0.2C
through a distance of 2m along a line making an angle 60° with the X-axis is 4.0,
what is the value of E?
22. Four equal charges Q are placed at the four corners of a square of each side is ‘a’.
What is the work done in removing a charge –Q from its centre to infinity?

2Q 2
Ans.
0a

23. Two equal positive charges are kept at points A and B. The electric potential at the
points between A and B (excluding these points) is studied while moving from A to B.
The potential
Ans. decreases then increases
24. A uniform electric field having a magnitude E0 and direction along the positive X-axis
exists. If the potential V is zero at x = 0, then its value at X = + x will be
Ans. – x E0
25. Two plates are at potentials –10 V and +30 V. If the separation between the plates be
2 cm. The electric field between them is
Ans. 2000 V/m
26. From a point charge there is a fixed point A. At that point there is an electric field of
500 V/m and potential of 3000 V. Then find the distance of A from the point charge.
Ans. 6 m
27. A mass m = 20 g has a charge q = 3.0 mC. It moves with a velocity of 20 m/s and
enters a region of electric field of 80 N/C in the same direction as the velocity of the
mass. Then find the velocity of the mass after 3s in this region.
Ans. 56 m/s
28. Four identical charges +50 µC each are placed, one at each corner of a square of side
2m. How much external energy is required to bring another charge of +50 µC from
infinity to the centre of the square ? Ans. 64 J
29. Two equal charges q are placed at a distance of 2a and third charge –2q is placed at
the mid-point. Then find the potential energy of the system.

7q 2
Ans. 
80 a

30. An electric dipole of moment p is placed normal to the lines of force of electric intensity
E, then find the work done in deflecting it through an angle of 180°.
Ans. Zero
31. A uniform electric field of 10N/C exists in the vertically downward direction. Find
the increase in the electric potential as one goes up through a height of 50 cm.
[Ans. 5V]
32. Two identical particles, each having a charge of 2.0 × 10–4C and mass of 10 g, are
kept at a separation of 10 cm and then released. What would be the speeds of the
particles when the separation becomes large?
[Ans. 600 m/s]
33. Two point charges –4µC and +16µC respectively are placed 60 cm apart in air at the
points M and N. At what point on the line the potential will be zero?
Ans. At a point 12 cm inside or at a point of 20 cm outside from smaller charge
on the line joining the two charges
34. If a charged particle of mass 9 × 10–28 gm and charge 4.80 × 10–10 e.s.u. starts from
rest from the conductor and reaches the other conductor with a velocity of 109 cm/
sec, then calculate the potential difference between the two conductors.
Ans. 0.94 stat volt
35. Two charges of value 10µC and –10µC are placed at the corners A and C of an equilateral
triangle ABC of side 20 cm. Calculate the work done if a charge of 5µC is moved from B
to D where D is the middle point of AC.
Ans. zero
36. Two charges 10 C and 5 C are 9 cm apart. If they are shifted by 3 cm closer, then
the work done by external agent will be.
Ans. 2.5 J
37. A metal sphere A of radius a charged to potential V, is enclosed by a spherical
conducting shell of radius b is charged upto same potential V and two are connected
by a wire. What will be the new potential of B.

aV
Ans. V 
b
38. At distance of 5 cm and 10 cm from the surface of a sphere, the potentials are 600
V and 420 V. What is the potential at the surface?
Ans. 1050 V
39. A charge Q is distributed over two concentric hollow spheres of radii r and R (R >
r) such that their surface densities are equal. Find the potential at the common
centre.

Q(r  R )
Ans.
40 (R 2  r 2 )
40. When a charge of 3C is placed in a uniform electric field, it experience a force of
3000 N. What will be p.d between two points separated by a distance of 1 cm with
in this field.
Ans. 10 V

41. In uniform electric field E = 10 N/C as shown in the figure,

find (i) VA – VB (ii) VB – VC

42. For the charge configuration of figure calculate potential at a point P.
5q

r
r r
P
–5q –5q
r

5q

Ans. V  5 kq
2r
43. The figure shows two points A and B separated by 4 cm along the lines of a uniform

electric field E  500 ˆi . Find the potential at point B if VA = 50 V. Also draw equipotential
lines passing through A and B.

A B

VA VB

Ans. 30 volt

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