/*! This file is auto-generated */ .wp-block-button__link{color:#fff;background-color:#32373c;border-radius:9999px;box-shadow:none;text-decoration:none;padding:calc(.667em + 2px) calc(1.333em + 2px);font-size:1.125em}.wp-block-file__button{background:#32373c;color:#fff;text-decoration:none} Problem 3 A uniform electric field of magn... [FREE SOLUTION] | 91Ó°ÊÓ

91Ó°ÊÓ

A uniform electric field of magnitude \(6.8 \times 10^{5} \mathrm{N} / \mathrm{C}\) points in the positive \(x\) direction. Find the change in electric potential between the origin and the points (a) \((0,6.0 \mathrm{m})\) (b) \((6.0 \mathrm{m}, 0)\) and (c) \((6.0 \mathrm{m}, 6.0 \mathrm{m})\)

Short Answer

Expert verified
(a) 0 V, (b) -4.08 × 10^6 V, (c) -4.08 × 10^6 V

Step by step solution

01

Understanding the Scenario

We need to calculate the change in electric potential in a uniform electric field. The given field has a magnitude of \(6.8 \times 10^{5} \ \mathrm{N/C}\) and points in the positive \(x\) direction. The electric potential change, \(\Delta V\), for a uniform electric field, \(\mathbf{E}\), between two points \(\mathbf{A}\) and \(\mathbf{B}\) along a path is given by \(\Delta V = -olinebreak E \, \Delta x\), where \(\Delta x\) is the change in the \(x\)-component of the position.
02

Calculating Change in Potential for Part (a)

For point (a) at \((0, 6.0 \ \text{m})\), the point lies along the \(y\)-axis. The position does not change in the \(x\)-direction from the origin, so \(\Delta x = 0 \). Thus, \(\Delta V = -E \, \Delta x = 0\).
03

Calculating Change in Potential for Part (b)

For point (b) at \((6.0 \ \text{m}, 0)\), the entire movement is along the \(x\)-axis with \(\Delta x = 6.0 \ \text{m}\). Therefore, the change in potential is \( \Delta V = -E \, \Delta x = -(6.8 \times 10^{5} \ \mathrm{N/C}) \times (6.0 \ \text{m}) = -4.08 \times 10^{6} \ \, \text{V}\).
04

Calculating Change in Potential for Part (c)

For point (c) at \((6.0 \ \text{m}, 6.0 \ \text{m})\), the change in \(x\)-position is the same as in part (b), \(\Delta x = 6.0 \ \text{m}\). Thus, the change in potential is again \(\Delta V = -4.08 \times 10^{6} \ \, \text{V}\), as the \(y\)-coordinate does not affect this calculation.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with 91Ó°ÊÓ!

Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Uniform Electric Field
In a uniform electric field, the force experienced by a charge is constant in both magnitude and direction. This is quite similar to gravitational fields, where an apple experiences a constant force downwards. An electric field is deemed "uniform" when the electric force vectors have the same strength and all point the same way throughout the space. In our exercise, the uniform electric field has a magnitude of \(6.8 \times 10^{5} \ \mathrm{N/C}\) and aligns with the positive \(x\) axis. Thus, any charge within this field will feel the same push or pull as long as it is in the field. This makes calculations straightforward, since knowing the constant value helps to easily predict the behavior of charges, like determining how much energy they gain or lose when moving between two points.
Electric Field Direction
The electric field direction is crucial for understanding how charges interact within the field. It essentially tells us where a positive charge would naturally move if placed in the field, which is always in the direction of the field lines. In the given exercise, the electric field directs towards the positive \(x\) axis. This impacts how we calculate changes in electric potential when points differ in their \(x\)-coordinates. A positive charge located anywhere in the field would naturally want to move in the field's direction, while a negative charge would be inclined to move opposite to it. The uniform direction makes it simpler to predict these behaviors across different scenarios, ensuring the same rules apply at any point within the field.
Change in Potential
The change in electric potential, also known as voltage difference, occurs when a charge moves through an electric field. It's like rolling a ball uphill or downhill; energy is either consumed or released. In our problem, the potential change equation \(\Delta V = - E \Delta x \) tells us how much the potential energy alters as we move from one point to another within the field, specifically in the \(x\) direction. This calculation considers only the change in the \(x\)-coordinate because the electric field in this problem is uniform in the \(x\) direction. For instance, if there's no shift in the \(x\)-coordinate, like moving vertically (along the \(y\)-axis), the change in potential acts as zero, since \(\Delta x = 0\). On the other hand, moving horizontally in the field, such as point (b) in our exercise, results in a non-zero potential change. Understanding these concepts helps in quantifying how much work is done by charges when they traverse the field.

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

A proton is released from rest in a region of space with a nonzero electric field. As the proton moves, does it experience an increasing or decreasing electric potential? Explain.

Point charges \(+4.1 \mu C\) and \(-2.2 \mu C\) are placed on the \(x\) axis at \((11 \mathrm{m}, 0)\) and \((-11 \mathrm{m}, 0),\) respectively. (a) Sketch the electric potential on the \(x\) axis for this system. (b) Your sketch should show one point on the \(x\) axis between the two charges where the potential vanishes. Is this point closer to the \(+4.1-\mu \mathrm{C}\) charge or closer to the \(-2.2-\mu \mathrm{C}\) charge? Explain. (c) Find the point referred to in part (b).

A parallel-plate capacitor is made from two aluminum-foil sheets, each \(6.3 \mathrm{cm}\) wide and \(5.4 \mathrm{m}\) long. Between the sheets is a Teflon strip of the same width and length that is \(0.035 \mathrm{mm}\) thick. What is the capacitance of this capacitor? (The dielectric constant of Teflon is 2.1 .)

A point charge \(Q=+87.1 \mu \mathrm{C}\) is held fixed at the origin. A second point charge, with mass \(m=0.0576 \mathrm{kg}\) and charge \(q=-2.87 \mu C,\) is placed at the location \((0.323 \mathrm{m}, 0)\) (a) Find the electric potential energy of this system of charges. (b) If the second charge is released from rest, what is its speed when it reaches the point \((0.121 \mathrm{m}, 0) ?\)

Electric Catfish The electric catfish (Malapterurus electricus) is an aggressive fish, \(1.0 \mathrm{m}\) in length, found today in tropical Africa (and depicted in Egyptian hieroglyphics). The catfish is capable of generating jolts of electricity up to \(350 \mathrm{V}\) by producing a positively charged region of muscle near the head and a negatively charged region near the tail. (a) For the same amount of charge, can the catfish generate a higher voltage by separating the charge from one end of its body to the other, as it does, or from one side of the body to the other? Explain. (b) Estimate the charge generated at each end of a catfish as follows:Treat the catfish as a parallel- plate capacitor with plates of area \(1.8 \times 10^{-2} \mathrm{m}^{2},\) separation \(1.0 \mathrm{m},\) and filled with a dielectric with a dielectric constant \(\kappa=95\).

See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Physics Textbooks

View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.