UNIT: ELECTROSTATICS

CHAPTER-ELECTRI POTCENTIAL AND CAPACITANCE

POINTS/FORMULAE TO REMEMBER
i. Electric potential(V)
It is defined as the amount of work done in bringing a unit positive charge from infinity to that
given point
V=W/q SI unit: volt(V) or J/C
ii. Electric potential due to a point charge: V=kq/r
iii. Potential energy of two -point charges: U=kq1q2/r
iv. Capacitance of capacitor(C): C=q/V
SI unit: farad(F)
1μF=10-6F 1pF=10-12F
v. Capacitance of a parallel plate capacitor filled with vacuum: C=Aε0 /d
vi. Equivalent capacitance of series combination: 1/C=1/ C1+1/ C2 +1/ C3+………
vii. Equivalent capacitance of parallel combination: C= C1+ C2 + C3………….
viii. Energy stored in the capacitor: U= 1/2 (CV ) = ½(q2/C)=1/2( q× V)
2

ix. Capacitance of a parallel capacitor filled with dielectric of thickness ‘t’

C= (Aε0)/[d-t(1-1/k)]
x. Capacitance of a parallel capacitor filled with dielectric
C=C0K WhereC0=Aε0 /d

VERY SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS (1MARK)

Q1 In the given figure, charge +Q is placed at the centre of a dotted circle. Work done in taking
another charge +q from A to B is W1 and from B to C is W2. Which one of the following is
correct: W1 > W2, W1=W2 and W1 < W2?

Q2 A point charge +Q is placed at point O as shown in the figure. Is the potential difference VA–VB positive,
negative or zero?

Q3. What happens to the energy stored in capacitor, if the plates of a charged capacitor are drawn
apart, the battery remains connected?
Q4. Two copper sphere of same radii, one hollow and another solid are charged to same potential.
Which, if any, of the two spheres will have the more charge?
Q5. What is the value of electric field inside a conductor?
Q6. When is a dipole in unstable in an electric field?
Q7. Why does the capacitance of a capacitor increase when we introduce a dielectric slab
between its plates?

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS (2MARK

Q1. An uncharged capacitor is connected to a battery. Show that half of the energy supplied by the
battery is lost as heat while charging the capacitor.
Q2. Sketch equipotential surface for
(a) two -point charges +q and –q separated by small distance
(b) a constant electric field in Z-direction
Q3. Find the equivalent capacitance of the network shown in the figure, when each capacitor is of 1
µF. When the ends X and Y are connected to a 6 V battery, find out (i) the charge and (ii) the
energy stored in the network
Q4. The figure shows a network of five capacitors connected to a 10 V battery. Calculate the charge
acquired by the 5 μF capacitor

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS (3MARK)

Q1. A parallel plate capacitor is charged to potential difference ‘V’ by a d.c. source. The capacitor is
then disconnected from the source. If the distance between the plates is doubled, state with
reason how the following will change:
(a) electric field between the plates
(b) capacitance
(c) energy stored in the capacitor
Q2. A cube of side b has a charge q at each of its vertices. Determine the potential and electric field
due to this charge array at center of the cube.
Q3. What do you mean by ‘equipotential surface’?
Sketch equipotential surface for
(c) two -point charges +q and –q separated by small distance
(d) a constant electric field in Z-direction.
Q4 The two graphs are drawn below, show the variations of electrostatic potential (V) with
1 /r (r being the distance of field point from the point charge) for two- point charges q 1 and q2.
(i) What are the signs of the two charges?
(ii) (ii) Which of the two charges has the larger magnitude and why?

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS (5MARK)

Q1. If two similar metal plates, each of area ‘A’ having surface charge density +σ and
-σ are separated by a distance ‘d’ in air, write an expression for:
(i) electric field at any point between two plates
(ii) the potential difference between two plates
(iii) the capacitance of the capacitor so formed.
Q2. Prove that total electrostatics energy stored in a parallel plate capacitor is 1/2CV 2 with
air as the medium between the plates. Hence derive the expression for the energy
density in a capacitor. How does the total energy stored in the capacitor change if air is
replaced by a medium of dielectric constant K? Explain.

MCQ
1 The potential difference between two points is 100 V. If a particle with a charge of 2 C is
transported from one of these points to the other, the magnitude of the work done is:
A. 200 J B. 100 J C. 50 J D. 100 J
ans: A
2 A hollow metal sphere is charged to a potential V. The potential at its center is:
A. V B. 0 C. −V D. 2V
ans: A
3 The potential difference between the ends of a 2-meter stick that is parallel to a uniform electric
field is 400 V. The magnitude of the electric field is:
A. zero B. 100 V/m C. 200 V/m D. 800 V/m
ans: D
4 The work required to carry a particle with a charge of 6.0 C from a 5.0-V equipotential surface to
a 6.0-V equipotential surface and back again to the 5.0-V surface is:
A. 0 B. 1.2 × 10−5 J C. 3.0 × 10−5 J D. 6.0 × 10−5 J
ans: A
5 A particle with charge q is to be brought from far away to a point near an electric dipole. No
work is done if the final position of the particle is on:
A. the line through the charges of the dipole
B. a line that is perpendicular to the dipole moment
C. a line that makes an angle of 45◦ with the dipole moment
D. a line that makes an angle of 30◦ with the dipole moment
ans: B
6 If both the plate area and the plate separation of a parallel-plate capacitor are doubled, the
capacitance is:
A. doubled B. halved C. unchanged D. tripled
ans: C
7 If the plate area of an isolated charged parallel-plate capacitor is doubled:
A. the electric field is doubled
B. the potential difference is halved
C. the charge on each plate is halved
D. the surface charge density on each plate is doubled
ans: B
8 A battery is used to charge a series combination of two identical capacitors. If the potential
difference across the battery terminals is V and total charge Q flows through the battery during
the charging process then the charge on the positive plate of each capacitor and the potential
difference across each capacitor are:
A. Q/2 and V /2, respectively B. Q and V, respectively
C. Q/2 and V, respectively D. Q and V /2, respectively
ans: D
9 A 2µF and a 1µF capacitor are connected in series and a potential difference is applied across
the combination. The 2-µF capacitor has:
A. twice the charge of the 1-µF capacitor
B. half the charge of the 1-µF capacitor
C. twice the potential difference of the 1-µF capacitor
D. half the potential difference of the 1-µF capacitor
ans: D
10 Let Q denote charge, V denote potential difference, and U denote stored energy. Of these
quantities, capacitors in series must have the same:
A. Q only B. V only C. U only D. Q and U only
ans: A
11 Two identical capacitors, each with capacitance C, are connected in parallel and the
combination is connected in series to a third identical capacitor. The equivalent capacitance of
this arrangement is:
A. 2C/3 B. C C. 3C/2 D. 2C
ans: A
12 Capacitors A and B are identical. Capacitor A is charged so it stores 4 J of energy and capacitor
B is uncharged. The capacitors are then connected in parallel. The total stored energy in the
capacitors is now:
A. 16 J B. 8J C. 4J D. 2J
ans: D
13 An air-filled parallel-plate capacitor has a capacitance of 1 pF. The plate separation is then
doubled and a wax dielectric is inserted, completely filling the space between the plates. As a
result, the capacitance becomes 2 pF. The dielectric constant of the wax is:
A. 0.25 B. 0.5 C. 2.0 D. 4.0
ans: D
14 The variation potential V with r & electric field with r for a point charge is correctly shown
in the graphs.
Ans. (b)

ASSERTION - REASON BASED QUESTIONS

Direction: In the following questions, a statement of assertion is followed by a
statement of reason. Mark the correct choice as:
(a) If both assertion and reason are true and reason is the correct explanation of
assertion.
(b) If both assertion and reason are true but reason is not correct explanation of
assertion.
(c) If assertion is true, but reason is false.
(d) If both assertion and reason are false.
1 Assertion: When a charged capacitor is connected to an identical uncharged capacitor, charge
is equally shared between them
Reason: Transfer of charge takes place between them till potential of both capacitors becomes
equal.
ANS A
2 Assertion: If the distance between the parallel plates of a capacitor is halved and dielectric
constant is three is inserted between the plates then the capacitance becomes six times.
Reason: Capacitance of the capacitor does not depend upon the nature of the material of the
plates of the capacitor
ANS B
3 Assertion: The electric field at a point due to a charge distribution is zero but electric potential
is not zero.
Reason: Electric field is a vector quantity whereas electric potential is a scalar quantity.
ANS A
4 Assertion: If a material of greater dielectric constant inserted between the plates of a parallel
capacitors, then the capacitance increases
Reason: The capacitance of a capacitor does not depend on the nature of material between the
Plate
ANS C
5 Assertion: When the distance between the parallel plate capacitor is halved and the dielectric
constant of the dielectric used is made three times then the capacitance becomes six times.
Reason: Capacitance does not depend on the nature of the material.
ANS B
6 Assertion: The work done to move a charge on equipotential surface may not be zero always.
Reason: The work done also depends on quantity of charge to be move.
ANS D
7 Assertion: Work done in moving a charge between any two points in an electric field is
independent of the path followed by the charge, between these points.
Reason: Electrostatic force is a non-conservative force.
ANS C
8 Assertion: In the absence of an external electric field, the dipole moment per unit volume of a
polar dielectric is zero.
Reason: The dipoles of a polar dielectric are randomly oriented.
ANS A

STUDY BASED QUESTIONS

Read the following passage and choose appropriate answers of questions.

For the various charge systems, we represent equipotential surfaces by curves and line of force
by full line curves. Between any two adjacent equipotential surfaces, we assume a constant
potential difference. The equipotential surfaces of a single point charge are concentric spherical
shells with their centres at the point charge. As the lines of force point radially outwards, so
they are perpendicular to the equipotential surfaces at all points.
Choose the most appropriate alternative for each of the following questions:
(i) Identify the wrong statement
(a) Equipotential surface due a single point charge is spherical
(b) Equipotential surface can be constructed for dipoles too
(c) The electric field is normal to the equipotential surface through the point
(d) The work done to move a test charge on the equipotential surface is negative
(ii) Draw the equipotential surfaces corresponding to a uniform electric field in the z-direction.
(iii) What is the work done to move a unit charge along an equipotential surface from A to B?
(iv) A charge ‘q’ is moved from a point A above a dipole of dipole moment ‘p’ to a point B below the
dipole in equatorial plane without acceleration. Find the work done in the process .

NUMERICALS

Q1. If 100 J of work has to be done in moving an electric charge of 4 C from a place where the
potential is -10 V to another place where potential is V, find the value of V.
(Ans: 15 V)
Q2. Calculate the electric potential at the center of a square of side 2 m, having charges
100 μC,-50 μC,-20 μC and 60 μC at the four corners of a square.
(Ans: 9×104 V)
Q3. Two parallel plate capacitors X and Y have the same area of plates and same separation
between them. X has air between the plates while Y contains a dielectric medium ε r = 4.
(i) Calculate the capacitance of each capacitor if equivalent capacitance of the combination
is 4 µF.
(ii) Calculate the potential difference between the plates of X and Y.
(iii) Estimate the ratio of electrostatic energy stored in X and Y

(Ans: i) 20 µF, ii) 12 V, 3 V iii) 4:1)

Q4. Calculate the equivalent capacitance between points A and B in the circuit below. If a battery of
10 V is connected across A and B, calculate the charge drawn from the battery by the circuit.

(Ans: 10 µF, 10–4 C)

Q5. Two capacitors of capacitance C=3 μF and C=6 μF arranged in series are connected in parallel
with third capacitor C=4 μF. The arrangement is connected to a 6V battery. Calculate the total
energy stored in the capacitors.
(Ans: U=1.08×10-4 J)
Q6. Find the length of a paper used in a capacitor of capacitance 2 μF, if the dielectric constant of
the paper is 2.5, its width and thickness are 50mm and 0.05mm respectively.
(Ans: 90 m)
Q7. A point charge of +2 μC is kept fixed at the origin. Another point charge of +4 μC is brought
from far off point to a point distance 50 cm from the origin. Calculate the electrostatics potential
energy of this two -charge system.
Q8. Two- point charges 5×10-8 C and -2×10-8 C are separated by a distance 20 cm in air. Find
(i) at what distance from 5×10-8 C would the electric potential be zero.
(ii) also calculate the electrostatics potential energy of system.
(Ans: 14cm and 45 μJ)