Concept explainers
Predict/Calculate The Electric Field of the Earth The Earth produces an approximately uniform electric field at ground level. This electric field has a magnitude of 110 N/C and points radially inward, toward the center of the Earth. (a) Find the surface charge density (sign and magnitude) on the surface of the Earth. (b) Given that the radius of the Earth is 6.38 × 106 m, find the total electric charge on the Earth. (c) If the Moon had the same amount of electric charge distributed uniformly over its surface, would its electric field at the surface be greater than, less than, or equal to 110 N/C? Explain.
Want to see the full answer?
Check out a sample textbook solutionChapter 19 Solutions
Physics (5th Edition)
Additional Science Textbook Solutions
Conceptual Physics (12th Edition)
Physics for Scientists and Engineers: A Strategic Approach with Modern Physics (4th Edition)
Essential University Physics (3rd Edition)
Introduction to Electrodynamics
Essential University Physics: Volume 2 (3rd Edition)
Physics: Principles with Applications
- Three equal positive charges q are at the comers of an equilateral triangle of side a as shown in Figure P19.28. Assume the three charges together create an electric field. (a) Sketch the field lines in the plane of the charges. (b) Find the location of one point (other than ) where the electric field is zero. What are (c) the magnitude and (d) the direction of the electric field at P due to the two charges at the base?arrow_forward(a) Find the magnitude and direction of the electric field at the position of the 2.00 C charge in Figure P13.13. (b) How would the electric field at that point be affected if the charge there were doubled? Would the magnitude of the electric force be affected?arrow_forwardEarth has a net charge that produces an electric field of approximately 150 N/C downward at its surface. (a) What is the magnitude and sign of the excess charge, noting the electric field of a conducting sphere is equivalent to a point charge at its center? (b) What acceleration will the field produce on a free electron near Earth’s surface? (c) What mass object with a single extra electron will have its weight supported by this field?arrow_forward
- A thin, square, conducting plate 50.0 cm on a side lies in the xy plane. A total charge of 4.00 108 C is placed on the plate. Find (a) the charge density on each face of the plate, (b) the electric field just above the plate, and (c) the electric field just below the plate. You may assume the charge density is uniform.arrow_forwardA hollow, metallic, spherical shell has exterior radius 0.750 m, carries no net charge, and is supported on an insulating stand. The electric field everywhere just outside its surface is 890 N/C radially toward the center of the sphere. Explain what you can conclude about (a) the amount of charge on the exterior surface of the sphere and the distribution of this charge, (b) the amount of charge on the interior surface of the sphere and its distribution, and (c) the amount of charge inside the shell and its distribution.arrow_forwardThe general form of Gausss law describes how a charge creates an electric field in a material, as well as in vacuum: EdA=qin where = 0 is the permittivity of the material. (a) A sheet with charge Q uniformly distributed over its area A is surrounded by a dielectric. Show that the sheet creates a uniform electric field at nearby points with magnitude E = Q/2A. (b) Two large sheets of area A, carrying opposite charges of equal magnitude Q, are a small distance d apart. Show that they create uniform electric field in the space between them with magnitude E = Q/A. (c) Assume the negative plate is at zero potential. Show that the positive plate is at potential Qd/A. (d) Show that the capacitance of the pair of plates is given by C = A/d = A0/d.arrow_forward
- Example 23.3 derives the exact expression for the electric field at a point on the axis of a uniformly charged disk. Consider a disk of radius R = 3.00 cm having a uniformly distributed charge of +5.20 C. (a) Using the result of Example 23.3, compute the electric field at a point on the axis and 3.00 mm from the center. (b) What If? Explain how the answer to part (a) compares with the field computed from the near-field approximation E = /20. (We derived this expression in Example 23.3.) (c) Using the result of Example 23.3, compute the electric field at a point on the axis and 30.0 cm from the center of the disk. (d) What If? Explain how the answer to part (c) compares with the electric field obtained by treating the disk as a +5.20-C charged particle at a distance of 30.0 cm.arrow_forwarda. Figure 24.22A shows a rod of length L and radius R with excess positive charge Q. The excess charge is uniformly distributed over the entire outside surface of the rod. Write an expression for the surface charge density . Write an expression in terms of for the amount of charge dq contained in a small segment of the rod of length dx. b. Figure 24.22B shows a very narrow rod of length L with excess positive charge Q. The rod is so narrow compared to its length that its radius is negligible and the rod is essentially one-dimensional. The excess charge is uniformly distributed over the length of the rod. Write an expression for the linear charge density . Write an expression in terms of for the amount of charge dq contained in a small segment of the rod of length dx. Compare your answers with those for part (a). Explain the similarities and differences.arrow_forwardA solid, insulating sphere of radius a has a uniform charge density throughout its volume and a total charge Q. Concentric with this sphere is an uncharged, conducting, hollow sphere whose inner and outer radii are b and c as shown in Figure P19.75. We wish to understand completely the charges and electric fields at all locations. (a) Find the charge contained within a sphere of radius r a. (b) From this value, find the magnitude of the electric field for r a. (c) What charge is contained within a sphere of radius r when a r b? (d) From this value, find the magnitude of the electric field for r when a r b. (e) Now consider r when b r c. What is the magnitude of the electric field for this range of values of r? (f) From this value, what must be the charge on the inner surface of the hollow sphere? (g) From part (f), what must be the charge on the outer surface of the hollow sphere? (h) Consider the three spherical surfaces of radii a, b, and c. Which of these surfaces has the largest magnitude of surface charge density?arrow_forward
- A charge of q = 2.00 109 G is spread evenly on a thin metal disk of radius 0.200 m. (a) Calculate the charge density on the disk. (b) Find the magnitude of the electric field just above the center of the disk, neglecting edge effects and assuming a uniform distribution of charge.arrow_forward(a) Determine the electric field strength at a point 1.00 cm to the left of the middle charge shown in Figure P15.10. (b) If a charge of 2.00 C is placed at this point, what are the magnitude and direction of the force on it?arrow_forward(i) A metallic sphere A of radius 1.00 cm is several centimeters away from a metallic spherical shell B of radius 2.00 cm. Charge 450 nC is placed on A, with no charge on B or anywhere nearby. Next, the two objects are joined by a long, thin, metallic wire (as shown in Fig. 25.19), and finally the wire is removed. How is the charge shared between A and B? (a) 0 on A. 450 nC on B (b) 90.0 nC on A and 360 nC on B, with equal surface charge densities (c) 150 nC on A and 300 nC on B (d) 225 nC on A and 225 nC on B (e) 450 nC on A and 0 on B (ii) A metallic sphere A of radius 1 cm with charge 450 nC hangs on an insulating thread inside an uncharged thin metallic spherical shell B of radius 2 cm. Next, A is made temporarily to touch the inner surface of B. How is the charge then shared between them? Choose from the same possibilities. Arnold Arons, the only physics teacher yet to have his picture on the cover ol Time magazine, suggested the idea for this question.arrow_forward
- Principles of Physics: A Calculus-Based TextPhysicsISBN:9781133104261Author:Raymond A. Serway, John W. JewettPublisher:Cengage LearningCollege PhysicsPhysicsISBN:9781938168000Author:Paul Peter Urone, Roger HinrichsPublisher:OpenStax CollegePhysics for Scientists and EngineersPhysicsISBN:9781337553278Author:Raymond A. Serway, John W. JewettPublisher:Cengage Learning
- Physics for Scientists and Engineers with Modern ...PhysicsISBN:9781337553292Author:Raymond A. Serway, John W. JewettPublisher:Cengage LearningCollege PhysicsPhysicsISBN:9781285737027Author:Raymond A. Serway, Chris VuillePublisher:Cengage LearningCollege PhysicsPhysicsISBN:9781305952300Author:Raymond A. Serway, Chris VuillePublisher:Cengage Learning