What is the force between two small charged spheres having charges of 2 x 10–7 C and 3 x 10–7C placed 30 cm apart in air?

Given,    
 Charge, q1 = 2 × 10-7C,   Charge,  q2 = 3 × 10-7Cr = 30 cm = 0.3 m

where, r is the distance between two charges.

Using the formula,

                F=14πε0q1q2r2

                          = 9×109×2×10-7×3×10-7(0.3)2= 6 × 10-3 N (Repulsive)

Repulsive in nature since both charges are positive.

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An electric dipole with dipole moment 4 x 10–9 C m is aligned at 30° with the direction of a uniform electric field of magnitude 5 x 104 NC–1. Calculate the magnitude of the torque acting on the dipole.

Given,

 Dipole moment, p = 4 × 10-9 Cm;       θ = 30°Eelectric field,  E = 5 × 104 NC-1

Torque is given by  

      τ=p×E = p. E sin θ                 = 4 × 10-9 × 5 × 104 × sin 30°
    
                τ=4×10-9×5×104×12
                   τ=10-4 Nm  

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a) An electrostatic field line is a continuous curve. That is, a field line cannot have sudden breaks. Why not?
b) Explain why two field lines never cross each other at any point? 

a) Line of forces are the path of small positive test charge. The charge is moving continuously from point to point rather than jumping from one point to another and experiences continuous force in the electrostatic field. The force experienced, or the path followed by charge cannot be discontinuous and hence the lines are not broken. Also, electrostatic field lines represent the electric field strenth and the strength of field is never broken.
The direction of electric field at a point is displayed by the tangent at that point on a line of force. The direction of electric field line generally changes from point to point and hence are curved lines.

b) 
In case two electric field lines cross each other then at the point of intersection, we can draw two tangents to the lines of force. And this implies two directions of electric field intensity at the point of intersection, which is not possible.


Hence, two field lines never cross each other.

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The electrostatic force on a small sphere of charge 0.4 μC due to another small sphere of charge –0.8 μc in air is 0.2 N.
(a) What is the distance between the two spheres?
(b) What is the force on the second sphere due to the first?


(a) Given,

   Force -F = 0.2 N   
                 charge -q1 = 0.4 μC = 0.4 × 10-6Ccharge-q2 = 0.8 μC = 0.8 × 10-6C   

Now using the formula,                                                                   F = 14πε0q1q2r2

Hence,                     r2 = 14πε0q1 q2F
                       r2 = 9×109×0.4×10-6×0.8×10-60.2r2 = 36 × 4 × 10-4 = 144 × 10-4r = 12 × 10-2m = 12 cm.

where, r is the distance between two spheres.

(b) Force on the second sphere due to the first is same, i.e., 0.2 N because the charges in action are same and force is attractive as charges are unlike in nature.

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a) Explain the meaning of the statement 'electric charge of a body is quantised'.
b) why can one ignore quantisation of electric charge when dealing with macroscopic i.e., large scale charges?

a) Quantisation of Electric Charges mean the total electric charge(q) of a body is always an integral multiple of a basic quantum charge(e).

i.e.,              q=±ne

Here +e is taken as charge on a proton while –e is taken as charge on an electron. The charge on a proton and an electron are numerically equal i.e., 1.6 x 10–19 C but opposite in sign.
“Quantisation is a property due to which charge exists in discrete packets in multiple of
± 1.6 x 10–19 rather than in continuous amounts.”

b) Based on many practical phenomena, we may ignore quantisation of electric charge and consider the charge to be continuous. In a macroscopic scale the number of charges used is enormous as compared to the magnitude of charge. The “graininess” of charge is lost and it appears continuous and therefore quantisation of charge becomes insignificant.
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