A small metal sphere carrying a charge of is kept isolated in air at point

PHYSICS · Multi-part · CBSE · Physics · Electric Charges and Fields · Electric Charges and Fields

Problem

A small metal sphere carrying a charge of

+4\,\mu\text{C}

is kept isolated in air at point

O

. Answer the following questions with reasoned explanations. Take

k = 9.0\times10^{9}\,\text{N m}^2\text{C}^{-2}

wherever required. (i) Define an electric field at a point and state the mathematical relation for its magnitude due to a point charge. (ii) Describe the direction of the electric field at an arbitrary point

A

lying on the straight line

OA

. Explain why the direction is the same for all such points. (iii) Using logical reasoning, show how the magnitude of the electric field changes when the distance

OA

is doubled. Illustrate your answer with appropriate numerical values for distances of

0.50\,\text{m}

and

1.00\,\text{m}

. No detailed calculation is required; base your argument on the functional dependence of the field on distance.

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