Two small spherical balls of mass 10 g each with charges -2 and 2 , are attached to two ends of very light rigid rod of length 20 cm. The arrangement is now placed near an infinite non-conducting charge sheet with uniform charge density of 100 /m2 such that length of rod makes an angle of 30 with electric field generated by charge sheet. Net torque acting on the rod is: (Take 0 = 8.85 10-12 C2/Nm2)
- 1.12 Nm
- 2.24 Nm
- 11.2 Nm
- 112 Nm
Answer
(1) 1.12 Nm
Solution
The two balls form an electric dipole of moment p = q 2a = (2 10-6)(0.2) = 4 10-7 C m
Field of the infinite sheet (uniform): E = 2 0 = 100 10-62 8.85 10-12
E 5.65 106 N/C
Torque on a dipole in a uniform field: = pE
= 4 10-7 5.65 106 30
1.13 N m 1.12 N m
(The masses of the balls do not affect the torque.)
Answer: (1)