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Chapter 16: Q11Q (page 662)

Figure 16.60 shows a portion of a long, negatively charged rod. You need to calculate the potential differenceVA-VB.

(a) What is the direction of the path (+y or −y)? (b) What is the sign of VA-VB?

Short Answer

Expert verified

a) The direction of path is negative y-direction.

b) The sign of the potential difference is negative.

Step by step solution

01

Identification of given data

The given data can be listed below,

  • The charge on the rod is, -q
  • The potential difference is,VA-VB
02

Concept/Significance of the electric potential.

The effort done by the field in moving unit positive charge from the reference point to the place where potential is to be found determines electric potential at any point in the field.

03

(a) Determination of the direction of the path +y or -y

The potential difference can be determined by going from point B to A which is from positive y-direction towards the negative y-direction.

Thus, the direction of path is negative y-direction.

04

(b) Determination of the sign of VA-VB.

The positive side point B has higher potential energy than the negative side point A. So, the potential difference∆V=VA-VB is negative.

Thus, the sign of the potential difference is negative.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

A proton initially travels at a speed of 3000 m/s. After it passes through a region in which there is an electric field, the proton’s speed is 5000 m/s. (a) What is the initial kinetic energy of the proton? (b) What is the final kinetic energy of the proton? (c) What is the change in kinetic energy of the proton?

You travel along a path from location A to location B, moving in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the net electric field in that region.

What is true of the potential difference VB-VA?

(1)VB-VA>0,(2)VB-VA<0(3)VB-VA=0

A metal sphere of radius r1 carries a positive charge of amount Q. A concentric spherical metal shell with inner radius r2 and outer radius r3 surrounds the inner sphere and carries a total positive charge of amount 4Q, with some of this charge on the outer surface (at r3) and some on the inner surface (at r2).(a) How is the charge 4Q distribute on the two surfaces of the outer shell? Prove this! (b) What is the potential (relative to infinity) just outside r3 halfway between r2 and r3 just inside r2, just outside r1 and at the center?

Question: In Chapter 6 we saw that the electric potential energy of a system of two particles is given by the equation Uel=14πε0q1q2r.

(a) What is the electric potential energy of two protons separated by a distance of 9nm9×10-9m? (b) What is the electric potential energy of a proton and an electron separated by the same distance?

A capacitor with a gap of 2 mm has a potential difference from one plate to the other of 30 V. What is the magnitude of the electric field between the plates?
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