Electric Charges and Fields IPE 4M Questions

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
Electric Charges and Fields

1 State and explain Coulomb’s inverse square law in electricity.
Answer
Coulomb’s inverse square law: “ The electrostatic force of attraction (or) repulsion between two stationary
point charges is directly proportional to the product of magnitudes of the two charges and inversely
proportional to square of the distance between those two charges and this force acted along the line joining the
two charges”
Explanation: Let two stationary point charges 𝒒𝟏 and 𝒒𝟐 separated by a distance 𝒓 as shown in figure.
According to Coulomb’s inverse square law, the electrostatic force of

𝑞1 𝑞2
attraction (or) repulsion between the two charges is given by
𝑭 ∝ 𝒒𝟏 𝒒𝟐 & 𝑭 ∝ 𝟏/𝒓𝟐 𝑟
𝒒 𝒒 𝒒 𝒒
⇒ 𝑭 ∝ 𝟏 𝟐 𝟐 ⇒ 𝑭 = 𝑲 𝟏 𝟐 𝟐 → (𝟏) where 𝑲 → Proportionality constant
𝒓 𝒓
The value of 𝑲 depends on nature of the medium in which the charges are placed.
1 State and explain Coulomb’s inverse square law in electricity.
Answer
𝟏
Case (𝟏): If the charges are placed in Air (or) free space, then 𝑲 =
𝟒𝝅𝜺𝒐
𝟏 𝒒𝟏 𝒒𝟐
From 𝟏 ⇒ 𝑭 = → (𝟐)
𝟒𝝅𝜺𝒐 𝒓𝟐
−𝟏𝟐
And 𝜺𝒐 = 𝟖. 𝟖𝟔 × 𝟏𝟎 𝑵−𝟏 𝑴−𝟐 𝑪𝟐 → Permittivity of air (or) free space.
𝟏
Case (𝟐): If the charges are placed in a medium of permittivity 𝜺, then 𝑲 =
𝟒𝝅𝜺
𝟏 𝒒𝟏 𝒒𝟐
From 𝟏 ⇒ 𝑭𝒎 = → (𝟑)
𝟒𝝅𝜺 𝒓𝟐
(𝟐) 𝑭 𝜺
⇒ = = 𝜺𝒓 → relative permittivity of the medium
(𝟑) 𝑭𝒎 𝜺𝒐
2 Define intensity of electric field at a point. Derive an expression for the intensity due to a point
charge.
Answer
Intensity of electric field (E): It is defined as the force experienced by a unit positive charge placed at that point
in an electric field.
𝑭
𝑬= 𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒔 → 𝑵/𝑪 𝒐𝒓 𝑽/𝒎
𝒒𝒐
Where 𝒒𝒐 is unit positive charge. 𝑞 𝑞𝑜
𝟏 𝒒𝒒𝒐 𝐸
𝑭= → (𝟏)
𝟒𝝅𝜺𝒐 𝒓𝟐 𝑟
𝑭 𝟏 𝒒
= 𝑂 𝑃
𝒒𝒐 𝟒𝝅𝜺𝒐 𝒓𝟐
𝟏 𝒒
𝑬=
𝟒𝝅𝜺𝒐 𝒓𝟐
3 Derive the equation for the couple acting on an electric dipole in a uniform electric field.
Answer
Electric dipole: Two equal and opposite charges separated by a distance (𝟐𝒂) is
called an electric dipole.
Consider two equal and opposite charges +𝒒 and −𝒒 separated by a distance
𝟐𝒂. These two equal and opposite force constitute a couple. This couple
rotates the dipole in the clockwise direction. Torque acting on the dipole 𝝉 =
moment of the couple.
𝝉 = Force × Perpendicular distance between two forces
𝝉 = 𝑭 × 𝑨𝑪 → (𝟏)
𝑨𝑪
From ∆𝑨𝑩𝑫, 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝜽 =
𝑨𝑩
𝑨𝑪 = 𝑨𝑩𝒔𝒊𝒏𝜽 (∵ 𝑨𝑩 = 𝟐𝒂)
𝑭
𝑨𝑪 = 𝟐𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒏𝜽 → (𝟐) ∵𝑬=
𝒒
3 Derive the equation for the couple acting on a electric dipole in a uniform electric field.
Answer
𝝉 = 𝑬𝒒 × 𝟐𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒏𝜽
𝝉 = 𝑷𝑬𝒔𝒊𝒏𝜽 → (𝟑) where 𝑷 = 𝟐𝒂𝒒 = Dipole moment
In vector from 𝝉 = 𝒑 × 𝑬
4 Derive an expression for the intensity of the electric field at a point on the axial line of an electric
dipole.
Answer
Axial line is the line joining the centres of two charges forming an
electric dipole. Consider an electric dipole consisting of +𝒒 and 1 2
− 𝒒 charges. 𝟐𝒂 is the length of the dipole.
Consider a point 𝑷 at 𝒓 from centre O of the dipole.
𝟏 𝒒
Electric field intensity at P due to +𝒒 charge is 𝑬𝟏 = =
𝟒𝝅𝜺𝒐 𝑩𝑷𝟐
𝟏 𝒒
𝑬𝟏 = → (𝟏) (∵ 𝑩𝑷 = 𝑶𝑷 − 𝑶𝑩 = 𝒓 − 𝒂)
𝟒𝝅𝜺𝒐 𝒓−𝒂 𝟐
𝟏 𝒒
Electric field intensity at P due to −𝒒 charge is 𝑬𝟐 =
𝟒𝝅𝜺𝒐 𝑨𝑷𝟐
𝟏 𝒒
𝑬𝟐 = → (𝟐) (∵ 𝑨𝑷 = 𝑶𝑷 + 𝑶𝑨 = 𝒓 + 𝒂)
𝟒𝝅𝜺𝒐 𝒓+𝒂 𝟐
4 Derive an expression for the intensity of the electric field at a point on the axial line of an electric
dipole.
Answer
Total field at P is
𝟏 𝒒 𝟏 𝒒
𝑬 = 𝑬𝟏 − 𝑬𝟐 = 𝟐 − (∵ 𝑬𝟏 and 𝑬𝟐 are in opposite direction)
𝟒𝝅𝜺𝒐 𝒓−𝒂 𝟒𝝅𝜺𝒐 𝒓+𝒂 𝟐
𝒒 𝟏 𝟏
𝑬= −
𝟒𝝅𝜺𝒐 𝒓−𝒂 𝟐 𝒓+𝒂 𝟐
𝒒 𝒓+𝒂 − 𝒓−𝒂 𝟐
𝟐
𝑬=
𝟒𝝅𝜺𝒐 𝒓−𝒂 𝟐 𝒓+𝒂 𝟐
𝒒 𝒓𝟐 +𝒂𝟐 +𝟐𝒂𝒓−𝒓𝟐 −𝒂𝟐 +𝟐𝒂𝒓
𝑬= 𝟐
𝟒𝝅𝜺𝒐 𝒓𝟐 −𝒂𝟐
𝒒 𝟒𝒂𝒓
𝑬= 𝟐
𝟒𝝅𝜺𝒐 𝒓𝟐 −𝒂𝟐
𝟐
If 𝒓 ≫ 𝒂, 𝒂 term can be neglected.
𝒒 𝟒𝒂𝒓 𝒒 𝟐𝑷
𝑬= 𝟒 ⇒ 𝑬 = 𝟑 (∵ 𝑷 = 𝟐𝒂𝒒 = Displacement)
𝟒𝝅𝜺𝒐 𝒓 𝟒𝝅𝜺𝒐 𝒓
5 Derive an expression for the intensity of the electric field at a point on the equatorial plane of an
electric dipole.
Answer
Equatorial line is perpendicular to the axial line and passes through the
centre of the electric dipole length.
Consider an electric dipole AB. Let P be the point on the equatorial line at a
distance r from centre O of the dipole.
Electric field intensity at P due to +𝒒 charge is

𝟏 𝒒
𝑬𝟏 = 𝟐
𝟒𝝅𝜺𝒐 𝑩𝑷
𝟏 𝒒
𝑬𝟏 = → (𝟏)
𝟒𝝅𝜺𝒐 (𝒓𝟐 +𝒂𝟐 )
𝟏 𝒒
Electric field intensity at P due to −𝒒 charge is 𝑬𝟐 = .
𝟒𝝅𝜺𝒐 𝑨𝑷𝟐
𝟏 𝒒
𝑬𝟐 = . → (𝟐)
𝟒𝝅𝜺𝒐 (𝒓𝟐 +𝒂𝟐 )
5 Derive an expression for the intensity of the electric field at a point on the equatorial plane of an
electric dipole.
Answer
𝑬𝟏 and 𝑬𝟐 are inclined at an angle of 𝟐𝜽
The resultant can be determined using parallelogram law of vector addition.
𝑬 = 𝟐𝑬𝟏 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝜽 → (𝟑)
𝟏 𝒒
𝑬=𝟐× . 𝟐 𝟐 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝜽 Note: 𝐸 = 𝐸12 + 𝐸22 + 2𝐸1 𝐸2 𝑐𝑜𝑠2𝜃
𝟒𝝅𝜺𝒐 (𝒓 +𝒂 )
𝒂
From ∆𝑶𝑨𝑷, 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝜽 =
𝒓𝟐 +𝒂𝟐 𝐸= 2𝐸12 + 2𝐸12 𝑐𝑜𝑠2𝜃
𝟏 𝒒 𝒂
∴𝑬=𝟐× . 𝟐. 𝟏/𝟐
𝟒𝝅𝜺𝒐 𝒓𝟐 +𝒂 𝒓𝟐 +𝒂𝟐
𝟏 𝟐𝒂𝒒 𝟏 𝑷 = 2𝐸12 1 + 𝑐𝑜𝑠2𝜃
𝑬= . 𝟑/𝟐 = → 𝟒 (∵ 𝑷 = 𝟐𝒂𝒒
𝟒𝝅𝜺𝒐 𝒓𝟐 +𝒂𝟐 𝟒𝝅𝜺𝒐 𝒓𝟐 +𝒂𝟐 𝟑/𝟐
𝟐
If 𝒂 ≪ 𝒓, 𝒂 can be neglected. = 2𝐸12 × 2 cos 2 𝜃
𝟏 𝑷
𝑬= . 𝟑 → (𝟓) 𝐸 = 2𝐸1 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃
𝟒𝝅𝜺𝒐 𝒓
6 State Gauss’s law in electrostatics and explain its importance.
Answer
𝟏
Gauss’s law: Total electric flux through a closed surface is equal to times the toal charge enclosed by the
𝜺𝒐
surface
𝟏
𝝓𝜺 = ‫𝑬 ׯ‬. 𝒅𝑺. = ×𝒒
𝜺𝒐
Where q is the total charge enclosed by the surface.
𝜺𝒐 is the permittivity of free space.
Importance:
1) Gauss theorem holds good for any closed surface of any shape.
2) Gauss theorem can help us to calculate the number of electric lines of force that are radiated outwards
from one coulomb of charge.
3) Gauss law is applicable for any distribution of charges within a closed surface.
4) Gauss theorem is valid for stationary charges as well as for rapidly moving charge.
5) Gauss law gives the relation between the lectric field and the charge.

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SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Electric Charges and Fields

According to Coulomb’s inverse square law, the electrostatic force of

Electric field intensity at P due to +𝒒 charge is

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