Electrostatic

Question 1

Does the amount of work required to move a charge in an electric field depend on the change in potential, the path traveled, both, or neither?

Answer 1

Depends only on the change in potential, and is independent of the path traveled.

Question 2

There are two spheres, the red sphere with a radius of 1 m has a net charge of 2 C (unrealistic but whatever), and the blue sphere has a radius of 1 m and a net charge of 4 C, what is the ratio of the electric field at the center of the spheres?

Answer 2

The electric field of the center of both spheres is equal in magnitude so the ratio is 1:1. This is because the electric field inside of a conductor is always zero!

Question 3

Will the electric force between the nucleus and the outermost electron in Carbon-12 change if you calculate the electric force in Carbon-13?

Answer 3

Nope, isotopes do not change the charge of the nucleus so electric force does’t change. Also, the formula for electric force does not include mass so the change in mass doesn’t matter.