Score:

/100

Physics 212Spring 2000

RecitationActivity5:ElectricPotential
Solution
INSTRUCTOR:Redwing DATE:January25,2000

NAME:

Thisactivityisbasedonthefollowingconcepts:
TheELECTRICPOTENTIALENERGYofapointchargeisequaltotheworkdonebytheelectricfieldonthepointchargeas
thechargemovesfrominfinitytoitsfinalposition.U=Winfinity.
TheELECTRICPOTENTIALVatapointistheELECTRICPOTENTIALENERGYperunitchargeatthatpoint.V=U/q
Potentialduetopointcharge: V

1 q
4 0 r
1

Potentialduetoanelectricdipole: V 4
0

p cos
,p=qd.
r2

Potentialduetoacontinuouschargedistribution: V

1
4 0

dq
.
r

TheELECTRICPOTENTIALDIFFERENCE,V,isthedifferenceinELECTRICPOTENTIALbetweentwopoints.V=Vf
Vi.
f

Thepotentialdifferencebetweenanypointscanbefoundusingtheelectricfield: V f Vi E.ds
i

Electricfieldcanbecalculatedfromtheelectricpotential: E s

V
.
s

AllpointsonanEQUIPOTENTIALSURFACEallhavethesamepotential:
Workdoneonatestchargeinmovingitfromonesurfacetoanotherisindependentofthepathchosenorthelocationsofthe
initialandfinalpointsonthesesurfaces.
3
Electricfieldisalwaysperpendiculartothesesurfaces.

B +
2
Q1. The figure shows three paths along which we can move
positively charged sphere A closer to positively charged
1
sphere B, which is fixed in place.
(a)Would sphere A be moved to a higher or lower electric
potential?
(b) Is the work done by our force to move the sphere positive, negative or zero?
(c)Is the work done by the electric field (due to the second sphere) positive, negative or zero?
(d) Rank the paths according to the work our force to move does, greatest first.
all same
Q2. The figure shows four arrangements of charged particles, all the same distance from the origin.
Rank the situations according to the net electric potential at the origin, most positive first. Take the
potential to be zero at infinity.
b; then a, c, d all tie
+2q

-2q
-3q

-2q
-2q

+2q

-9q

-q
-2q

(a)

-4q

(b)

+2q
-7q

(c)

(d)

+ A

Q3. An electron is moved from infinity to the midpoint between two charged particles fixed in place.
Is the work done on the incoming electron by the electric field positive, negative, or zero?

e
e

e
e

(a)
(b)
In (a) the work done by the electric field is positive, negative, or zero. (circle one)
In (b) the work done by the electric field is positive, negative, or zero. (circle one)
Q4. The electric potential varies along the xaxis as shown in the following graph. For
each interval ab, bc, cd, de, ef, fg and gh,
determine the x component of the electric
field. (Ignore behavior at the interval end
points.)
V
x
12V

6 V
m
2m
6V

3V
m
2m
6V

3V
m
2m
8V

8V
m
1m
8V

4 V
m
2m

Ex
E xab
E xcd
E xde
E xef
E xgh

10
d

a
-3

-2

x (m)

7
f

-10

-6

-14

E(V/m)

E xfg 0V

Q5. Using the data from Q4, plot Ex versus x.

(Properly label your plot.)
Scoring Guidelines:
All correct
miss one
some correct
none to few correct, but shows effort
Turned in paper, but no real effort
No paper

x(m)

0
-8

-4

0
-4
-8

100
90
75
60
40
0

V (V)

-8

E xbc 0V

14