Version 2 Page 1

Form # = version# on bottom of inside page

Physics 240 First Exam Winter 2012


1. Last Name:____________________ First Name:_____________________

2. Please circle your discussion instructor and section below:

Instructor Time Section
David Gidley 9-10 am 100
David Winn 10-11 am 200

3. Special Scantron Instructions:
a) Bubble in UNIQ-NAME in last name field
b) Bubble in 8 digit UM student ID numberthis is critical
c) Bubble in Form #=version# (critical) and section number
d) Print your name in shaded upper right signature box

4. There are 20 multiple choice problems worth 5 points each for a total of 100
points. Choose the one best answer and transfer it to the scantron sheet. You
must mark the correct answer on the scantron sheet to get credit for the
problem. There is no penalty for guessing, so be sure to enter an answer for
every question even if it is just a best guess.

5. At the end of the exam hand in only your scantron to a proctor. Keep your
exam booklet for future reference. Your instructor only sees the scantron so make
sure it has all the correct information.

6. This is a closed book, 90 minute exam. Turn off and put away all electronic
devices. You may use a calculator and one 3x5 note card or equivalent.

k = 1/4
0
=9x10
9
Nm
2
/C
2

0
= 8.85x10
-12
C
2
/Nm
2

e = 1.6x10
-19
C 1 eV= 1.6x10
-19
J
= micro =10
-6
g = 9.8 m/s
2

m
e
= 9.1 x 10
-31
kg M
P
=1.67 x 10
-27
kg

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1. Positive charge +Q is uniformly distributed on the upper half of a rod and a negative
charge Q is uniformly distributed on the lower half. What is the direction of force on
an electron placed at point P on the perpendicular bisector.

.
r
+Q
-Q
P

A) zero
B)
+
C)

D)

E)
|





2. A particle with mass m and, charge q is projected with speed v
0
into the region between
two parallel plates as shown. The potential difference between the two plates is V and
their separation is d. The change in kinetic energy of the particle as it traverses this
region is:



A)

B) qV
C)

D) qV
E) none of these



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3. A solid conducting sphere of radius a carries an excess charge of +6 C. This sphere is
located at the center of a hollow conducting sphere with an inner radius b and an outer
radius of c, as shown. The hollow sphere carries zero net charge.

Which one of the following figures shows a qualitatively accurate sketch of the electric
field lines in and around this system? (Hint: each arrow represents the same amount of
electric flux).


A) a
B) b
C) c
D) d
E) e



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4. A hollow conductor is positively charged. A small uncharged metal ball is lowered by a
silk thread through a small opening in the top of the conductor and allowed to touch its
inner surface. After the ball is removed, it will have:
A) a positive charge
B) a negative charge
C) no appreciable charge
D) a charge whose sign depends on what part of the inner surface it touched
E) a charge whose sign depends on where the small hole is located in the conductor










5.
If the electric potential is
2 2 2
( , , )
kq
V x y z
x y z
=
+ +
, then what is the magnitude of the
electric force acting on a particle of charge Q placed at the location (x
0
, y
0
, z
0
) ?
A)
2 2 2
0 0 0
kqQ
x y z + +

B)
0 0 0
2 2 2 3/ 2
0 0 0
( )
( )
kqQ x y z
x y z
+ +
+ +

C)
2 2 2 3/ 2
0 0 0
( )
kqQ
x y z + +

D)
0
kqQ
x

E)
2
0
kqQ
y




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6. How much charge is contained within a cubical volume 2 meters on a side if the electric
field is given (in N/C) by

( , , ) 2 1.5 6 E x y z i j k = + + . The cube is located with one
corner at the origin and with edges along the +x, +y, and +z directions.

(0,0,0) .
(2,2,2)
X
Y
Z

A) 8.5 x 10
-10
C
B) 7.1 x 10
-10
C
C) 2.1 x 10
-9
C
D) 4.2 x 10
-10
C
E) 0 C



7.
An infinitely long line of negative charge (dashed line) with linear charge density =
-6.0 x 10
-9
C/m runs right down the center of a long rectangular solid with square cross
sectional area (each square side is 0.10 m in length). What is the electric flux (in
Nm
2
/C) through the shaded side if it is 3.0 meters long (into page).


A) 5.1 x 10
2

B) 8.5 x 10
1

C) -1.7 x 10
2

D) -1.5 x 10
3

E) 3.4 x 10
2




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8. Two particles have point charges Q and Q (equal magnitude and opposite sign). For a
net forceof zero to be exerted on a third point charge (NOT located at distance) this
third charge must be placed:

-Q +Q
I II III

A) on the dashed perpendicular bisector of the line joining Q and Q
B) in region II on the line joining the charges
C) in region I on the line joining the charges
D) in region III on the line joining the charges
E) at none of these places (there is no place)




9. A large ring with charge Q uniformly distributed around it and with radius 2R is
positioned so that its axis coincides with the axis of a smaller ring of uniform charge q
and radius R. A point on the axis is a distance R from the smaller ring and 2R from the
larger ring as shown. What must Q be such that the electric field at the point due to the
two rings is zero?

R
R 2R
2R
Q
q

A) -2q
B) +2q
C) +q/2
D) +4q
E) -4q



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10. Four identical charges with Q = +1.0 x 10
-6
C are arranged at the corners of a square
with 1 meter sides. If we put a proton at the center of the square and give it just an
infinitesimal displacement out from the plane of the square how much kinetic energy
will the proton have when it is very far from the charges?

Q
Q
Q
Q

A) 3.7 x 10
-9
J
B) zero
C) 2.3 x 10
-4
J
D) 8.4 x 10
-12
J
E) 8.1 x 10
-15
J





11. Two very large, identical, copper metal plates of area A are separated by a uniform,
short distance, x. Neither has any net charge. Then we start to transfer charge from one
plate to the other until an electric potential difference of V exists between the plates.
What is the total charge on the plate with the lower potential? (You can neglect
distortions in the electric field at the edges of the plates.)
A)
0
V A
x
c A

B)
0
V A
x
c A
+
C)
0
Vx
A c
A
+
D) 0
E)
0
Vx
A c
A




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12. A proton is projected into a region where the electric field lines are shown as dashed
arrows in the figure. Which trajectory best describes the path of the proton?

A) A
B) B
C) C
D) D
E) E


13. Three conducting hollow spheres each carry the net charge shown: sphere A has -7 C,
spheres B and C have +9 C and -3 C, respectively. In addition there is a -8 C point
charge at the center. How much charge is on the outer surface of sphere B?


-8C
-7C
+9C
-3C
A B C

A) -6 C
B) 0 C
C) -3 C
D) +6 C
E) +15 C



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14. An electric dipole is held at rest so its dipole moment of 0.10 C-m makes a small angle
of only 2 degrees with a uniform electric field of 400 N/C. If we release the dipole so it
is free to turn with its moment of inertia of I = 0.60 kg-m
2
what is the dipole's
approximate angular frequency of oscillation, , in radians/second?
A) 8.2
B) 3.4
C) 2.2
D) 0.052
E) 0.35








15. What is the electric potential on the z-axis, relative to a zero potential infinitely far away
from the disk?

A)
0
2
Q
V
a t c
=
B)
2
2 2
0 0
2
a
Q rdr
V
a
r z
t c
=
+
}

C)
2 2 2 3/ 2
0 0
2 ( )
a
Q zdr
V
a r z t c
=
+
}

D)
2
2 2
0 0
2
a
Q zdz
V
a
r z
t c
=
+
}

E)
2
0
2
Qz
V
a t c
=


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16. A cylindrically symmetric charge distribution has a volume charge density that depends
on the radial position, r, as follows:
0
( ) (1 )
r
r
a
= , where
0
is the charge density at
the central axis and "a" is just a size constant. What is the electric field at r = 2a? (For
direction + means out along radius and - means in along radius.)
A)
0
0
6
a
c
+
B)
0
0
3
a
c

C)
0
0
4
a
c
+
D) 0
E)
0
0
2
a
c




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17. What is the x-component of the electric field at point P a distance R out on the
perpendicular from one end of a uniformly negatively charged rod of length L and
charge -Q?

L
P
R
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
x

A)
2 2
0
L
kQ dx
L x R +
}

B)
2 2
0
L
kQ xdx
L
x R

+
}

C)
2 2 3/ 2
0
( )
L
kQ xdx
L x R +
}

D)
2 2
0
L
kQ Rdx
L
x R +
}

E)
2 2 3/ 2
0
( )
L
kQ xdx
L x R

+
}




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18. Two conducting spheres, one having three times the diameter of the other (labelled 1
and 3), are separated by a distance that is very large compared to their diameters.
Initially, the smaller sphere (1) is uncharged and the larger sphere (3) has charge Q. The
spheres are then connected by a long conducting wire and this two-sphere conductor
system is allowed to reach equilibrium. (The charge on the conducting wire is
negligible). What is the ratio of electric field magnitudes just immediately above each
sphere's surface, E
3
/E
1
?



3
1

A) 1
B) 1/3
C) 9
D) 3
E) 2/3









19. Charge Q is distributed uniformly throughout a spherical insulator of radius R. What
is the potential at the center of the insulator relative to zero an infinite distance away?
A)
0
16
Q
V
R tc
=
B) V=0
C)
0
8
Q
V
R tc
=
D)
0
3
8
Q
V
R tc
=
E)
0
3
16
Q
V
R tc
=



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20. Two charged particles of identical mass, m, and charge, Q, are fired straight at each
other from a great distance. One particle has initial velocity v, while the second
particle has initial velocity of 5v. How close will they come to each other, i.e. what is
their minimum separation? Here, k is the Coulomb constant.
A)
2
2
3kQ
mv

B)
2
2
9
kQ
mv

C)
2
2
3
kQ
mv

D)
2
kQ
mv

E)
2
2
3
13
kQ
mv




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Answer Key

1. E
2. D
3. C
4. C
5. A
6. E
7. A
8. E
9. D
10. E
11. A
12. A
13. A
14. A
15. B
16. B
17. C
18. B
19. D
20. B