ECE 1813 Electricity & Magnetism

UNBSJ – Winter 20234

Tutorial #2

2.1. What are the strength and direction of the electric field at the position indicated by the dot in
Figure 2.1? Give your answer (a) in component form and (b) as a magnitude and angle measured cw or
ccw (specify which) from the positive x-axis.

Model: The electric field is that of three point charges q1, q2, and q3. Assume the charges are in the x-y
plane.

Visualize: The –10 nC charge ! is !q1, the

! 10! nC charge is q3, and the –5.0 nC charge is q2. The net
electric field at the dot is Enet = E1 + E2 + E3. The procedure will be to find the magnitudes of the
electric fields, to write them in component form, and to add the components.
Solve: (a) The electric field produced by q1 is
1 q1 (9.0 ×10 9 N m 2 /C 2 )(10 ×10 −9 C)
E1 = = = 100,000 N/C
4πε 0 r12 (0.030 m)2

! !
E1 points toward q1, so in component form E1 = 100,000 ĵ N/C.
! !
The electric field produced by q2 is E2 = 18,000 N/C. E2 points toward q2 so E2 = 18,000iˆ N/C.
Finally, the electric field produced by q3 is
1 q3 (9.0 ×10 9 N m 2 /C 2 )(10 ×10 −9 C)
E3 = = = 26,471 N/C
4πε 0 r32 (0.030 m)2 + (0.050 m)2

!
E3 points away from q3 and makes an angle φ = tan −1 (3/5) = 31° with the x-axis. So,
!
E3 = −E3 cosφ iˆ − E3 sinφ ĵ = (−22,700iˆ −13,634 ĵ) N/C

Adding these three vectors gives

! ! ! !
Enet = E1 + E2 + E3 = (−4700iˆ + 86,366 ĵ) N/C = (−4.7 ×10 3 iˆ + 8.6 ×10 4 ĵ) N/C

This is in component form.

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(b) The magnitude of the field is

Enet = E x2 + E y2 = (−4,700 N/C)2 + (86,366 N/C)2 = 86,494 N/C = 8.6 ×10 4 N/C

( )
and its angle from the x-axis is θ = tan −1 E y /E x = −87°, but we see that we need to be in the second
quadrant so we add 180 ° . We can also write
!
Enet = (8.6 ×10 4 N/C, 93° CCW from the +x-axis).

2.2. You’ve hung two very large sheets of plastic facing each other with distance d between them, as
shown in Figure 2.2. By rubbing them with wool and silk, you’ve managed to give one sheet a uniform
surface charge density η0 = –η1 and the other a uniform surface charge density η2 = +3η0. What are the
electric field vectors at points 1, 2, and 3?

Model: Assume that the plastic sheets are planes of charge.

Solve: At point 1 the electric fields due to the left sheet and the right sheet are
! ⎛η ⎞ η ! ⎛ 3η ⎞ 3η
Eleft = ⎜ 0 , toward right ⎟ = 0 iˆ Eright = ⎜ 0 , toward left ⎟ = − 0 iˆ
⎝ 2ε 0 ⎠ 2ε 0 ⎝ 2ε 0 ⎠ 2ε 0
! ! ! η
⇒ Enet = Eleft + Eright = − 0 iˆ
ε0
! ! ! !
At point 2, Eleft = −(η0 /2ε 0 )i,
ˆE = −(3η0 /2ε 0 )i,
ˆ and E = −(2η /ε )i. ˆ At point 3, E = +(η /ε )i.
ˆ
right net 0 0 net 0 0

2.3. The two parallel plates in Figure 2.3 are 2.0 cm apart and the electric field strength between them
is 1.0 x 104 N/C. An electron is launched at a 45o angle from the positive plate. What is the maximum
initial speed v0 the electron can have without hitting the negative plate?

Model: The electric field is uniform inside the capacitor, so constant-acceleration kinematic equations
apply to the motion of the electron.
Visualize: The condition for the electron to not hit the negative plate is that its vertical velocity should
just become zero as the electron reaches the plate.

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Solve: The force on the electron inside the capacitor is
!
! ! ! ! qE
F = ma = qE ⇒ a =
m
−19
−(1.60 ×10 C)(1.0 ×10 N/C)4
⇒ ay = −31
= −1.756 ×1015 m/s2
9.11×10 kg
The initial velocity v0 has two components: v0 x = v0 cos 45° and v0 y = v0 sin 45°. Because the electric
field inside the capacitor is along the y-direction, the electron has a negative acceleration that reduces
the vertical velocity. We require v1y = 0 m/s if it is not to hit the plate. Using kinematics,

v1y2 = v02 y + 2ay (y1 − y0 ) ⇒ (0 m/s)2 = v02 y + 2ay Δy

⇒ v0 y = −2ay Δy = −2(−1.756 ×1015 m/s2 )(0.02 m) = 8.381×10 6 m/s

8.381×10 6 m/s
⇒ v0 = = 1.19 ×10 7 m/s
sin 45°

2.4. Find the electric fluxes Φ1 to Φ5 through surfaces 1 to 5 in Figure 2.4.

Model: The electric field over the five surfaces is uniform.

Visualize: Please refer to Figure 2.4.

! ! !
Solve: The electric flux through a surface area A is Φe = E ⋅ A = EA cosθ where q is the angle
between the electric field and a line perpendicular to the plane of the surface. The electric
! field is
!
perpendicular to side 1 and is parallel to sides 2, 3, and 5. Also the angle between E and A4 is 60°.
The electric fluxes through these five surfaces are

Φ1 = E1 A1 cosθ 1 = (400 N/C)(2.0 m)(4.0 m)cos(180°) = −3.2 kN m 2 /C

Φ2 = E2 A2 cos(90°) = Φ3 = Φ5 = 0.0 N m 2 /C
⎛ 2.0 m ⎞
Φ4 = E4 A4 cosθ 4 = (400 N/C) ⎜ ⎟ (4.0 m)cos(60°) = +3.2 kN m 2 /C
⎝ sin(30°) ⎠

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Assess: Because the flux into these five faces is equal to the flux out of the five faces, the net flux is
zero, as we found.

2.5. The three parallel planes of ! shown in Figure 2.5 have surface charge densities – ½h, h, and
! charge
– ½h. Find the electric fields E1 to E4 in regions 1 to 4.

Model: The three planes of charge are infinite planes.

Visualize:

From planar symmetry the electric field can point straight toward or away from the plane. The three
planes are labeled as P (top), P¢, and P²(bottom).
Solve: The electric field of an infinite charged plane of charge density h is
η η E
Eplane = ⇒ EP = EP′′ = = P′
2ε 0 4ε 0 2
In region 1 the three electric fields are
! η ! η ! η
EP = − ĵ EP ′ = ĵ EP′′ = − ĵ
4ε 0 2ε 0 4ε 0
! !
Adding the three contributions, we get Enet = 0 N/C.
! η ! η ! −η !
In region 2, EP = ĵ EP ′ = ĵ EP′′ = ĵ , thus, Enet = (η 2ε 0 ) ĵ.
4ε 0 2ε 0 4ε 0
! η ! η ! η !
In region 3, EP = ĵ EP ′ = − ĵ EP′′ = − ĵ , thus, Enet = − (η 2ε 0 ) ĵ.
4ε 0 2ε 0 4ε 0
! η ! η ! η ! !
In region 4, EP = ĵ EP ′ = − ĵ EP′′ = ĵ , thus, Enet = 0 N/C.
4ε 0 2ε 0 4ε 0

Good luck!

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