PH2200 Exam II Summer 2014

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Remove the General Purpose Answer Sheet from the exam booklet.

2. Using a #2 pencil, enter the following information on the left side of the General Purpose Answer Sheet:

LAST NAME enter you last name

FI enter the first letter of your first name
E-MAIL ID enter your MTU email address without the @mtu.edu (replace any numbers in
your email address with the letter z)
TECH ID enter of the eight digits of your Tech ID (M-number)
KEY leave blank
NAME print your name
3. With the exception of the first 30 answers on the Answer Sheet, all remaining fields should be left blank.

4. Be sure to fill in the circles completely and avoid stray marks on the form.
5. This is a ninety minute exam.
6. Please cover your Answer Sheet at all times.
7. This is a closed book exam. You may use the PH2200 Formula Sheet that is attached to this exam. The next to last
sheet of paper is blank and may be used as scratch paper. You may find it convenient to rip the formula sheet and
scratch paper from the exam booklet.
8. Graphing calculators are permitted, but equations may not be stored in calculators, nor may calculators be
exchanged.
9. Cell phones, communication devices, and all music devices must be turned off and may not be used during the exam
period.
10. Assume all numerical data supplied with the problems have three-significant-figure accuracy, unless explicitly
identified otherwise.
11. This exam consists of a total of 30 questions. Each question has a single correct answer and is worth 7 points,
except for #2, which may have more than one answer to select. The total number of points available on the exam is
210.
12. If you have any questions during the exam, please raise your hand and wait for assistance.
13. Please turn in only your Answer Sheet. You may keep the exam booklet, formula sheet, and scratch paper.

SI PREFIXES

Prefix Symbol Factor Prefix Symbol Factor

femto f 1015 hecto h 102

pico p 1012 kilo k 103
nano n 109 mega M 106
micro 106 giga G 109
milli m 103 tera T 1012
centi c 102 peta P 1015
PH2200 EXAM II Summer 2014
1. If the electric potential at a point in space is zero, then the electric field at that point must also be zero.
A) True
B) False

2. Which statements are true for an electron moving in the direction of an electric field? (Select ALL that
apply. There may be more than one correct choice.)
A) Its electric potential energy increases as it goes from high to low potential.
B) Its electric potential energy decreases as it goes from high to low potential.
C) Its potential energy increases as its kinetic energy decreases.
D) Its potential energy decreases and its kinetic energy decreases.
E) None of the above are true.

3. The square at the right has side length a. Two corners have charge +Q, and two corners have charge Q. Compute the
potential energy of the charge arrangement.
kQ 2
A) 1 1 + +
a 2
2 kQ 2
B)
a
C) 0
kQ 2
D) 1 1
a 2
4kQ 2 - -
E)
a

4. The charge on the square plates of a parallel-plate capacitor is Q. The potential across the plates is
maintained with constant voltage by a battery as they are pulled apart to twice their original separation,
which is small compared to the dimensions of the plates. The amount of charge on the plates is now equal
to
A) 4Q.
B) 2Q.
C) Q.
D) Q/2.
E) Q/4.

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PH2200 EXAM II Summer 2014
5. A conducting sphere of radius R carries an excess positive charge and is very far from any other charges.
Which one of the following graphs best illustrates the potential (relative to infinity being zero) produced by
this sphere as a function of the distance r from the center of the sphere?

(A) (B) (C)

(D) (E)

6. The graph in the figure shows the variation of the electric potential
V(x) (in arbitrary units) as a function of the position x (also in
arbitrary units). Which of the choices below correctly describes the
orientation of the x-component of the electric field along the x-axis?

A) Ex is positive from x = -2 to x = 2.
B) Ex is positive from x = -2 to x = 0, and negative from x = 0 to x = 2.
C) Ex is negative from x = -2 to x = 0, and positive from x = 0 to x = 2.
D) Ex is negative from x = -2 to x = 2.

7. An ideal air-filled parallel-plate capacitor has round plates and carries a fixed amount of equal but opposite
charge on its plates. ALL the geometric length parameters of the capacitor (plate diameter and plate
separation) are now DOUBLED. If the original energy density between the plates was u0, what is the new
energy density?
A) 16u0
B) 4u0
C) u0
D) u0/4
E) u0/16

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PH2200 EXAM II Summer 2014
8. An air-filled parallel-plate capacitor is connected to a battery and allowed to charge up. Now a slab of
dielectric material is placed between the plates of the capacitor while the capacitor is still connected to the
battery. After this is done, we find that
A) the energy stored in the capacitor had decreased.
B) the voltage across the capacitor had increased.
C) the charge on the capacitor had increased.
D) the charge on the capacitor had not changed.
E) None of these choices are true.

9. If the electric potential in a region is given by V(x) = 6/x2, the x component of the electric field in that
region is
A) 12x3.
B) 6x.
C) 12x3.
D) 12x.
E) 6x.

10. A 1.0 F capacitor has a potential difference of 6.0 V applied across its plates. If the potential difference
across its plates is increased to 8.0 V, how much ADDITIONAL energy does the capacitor store?
A) 14 J
B) 28 J
C) 2.0 J
D) 4.0 J
E) 1.0 J

11. Which of the following contour maps best represents the electric potential due to a single positive point charge? In
each figure, the potential difference between adjacent contours is the same.

+ + +

(A) (B) (C)

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PH2200 EXAM II Summer 2014
12. What is the direction of the electric field at point D in the
contour map at the right? -100 V
C
(A) up toward the top of the page
(B) down toward the bottom of the page A
+100 V 0V B
(C) left
(D) right
D

The following information applies to the next two questions.

In the circuit shown below, C1 = 2.00 F and

C2 = C3 = 4.00 F. A 12.0 V battery is connected as + C2
illustrated. The circuit was assembled in the distant C1
past, so there is no current in the connecting wires. 12.0 V C3

13. What is the equivalent capacitance of the array of

capacitors connected to the battery?

(A) 1.00 F
(B) 2.00 F
(C) 4.00 F
(D) 6.00 F
(E) 8.00 F

14. What is the charge on C2?

(A) 20.0 C
(B) 24.0 C
(C) 28.0 C
(D) 32.0 C
(E) 36.0 C

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PH2200 EXAM II Summer 2014
15. The figure shows a steady electric current passing
through a wire with a narrow region. What happens
to the drift velocity of the moving charges as they go
from region A to region B and then to region C?

A) The drift velocity decreases from A to B and

increases from B to C.
B) The drift velocity increases all the time.
C) The drift velocity remains constant.
D) The drift velocity decreases all the time.
E) The drift velocity increases from A to B and decreases from B to C.

16. When the voltage across a capacitor is doubled, the capacitance

(A) quadruples.
(B) doubles.
(C) remains the same.
(D) is halved.
(E) is quartered.

17. A wire of resistivity must be replaced in a circuit by a wire of the same material but 4 times as long. If, however,
the resistance of the new wire is to be the same as the resistance of the original wire, the diameter of the new wire
must be
A) the same as the diameter of the original wire.
B) 1/2 the diameter of the original wire.
C) 1/4 the diameter of the original wire.
D) 2 times the diameter of the original wire.
E) 4 times the diameter of the original wire.

18. Building codes usually limit the current carried by a No. 14 copper wire to 15 A. Many household circuits are wired
with this size wire. What is the drift velocity of the electrons in this case? The diameter of this wire is 1.6 mm.
Assume one conduction electron per atom in copper. The atomic weight of copper is 63.3 g/mol and its density is
23
8900 kg/m3. Avogadro's number is 6.022 10 .
-4
A) 5.51 10 m/s
-4
B) 4.56 10 m/s
-3
C) 1.65 10 m/s
-2
D) 4.44 10 m/s
-5
E) 4.89 10 m/s

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PH2200 EXAM II Summer 2014
19. All the resistors in the diagram are identical and have a resistance R. What is the equivalent resistance between
points a and b when switch S1 is closed and S2 is open?

a S1 S2 b
A) (7/2)R
B) 4R
C) (5/2)R
D) 2R
E) (3/2)R

20. Sphere A having charge +2Q and radius R is far from sphere B having charge +Q and radius 2R. If the metal spheres
are then connected by a thin wire, does current flow? If so, which way?

A: +2Q, R
B: +Q, 2R

A) Yes, from the small to the large sphere.

B) No.
C) Yes, from the large to the small sphere.

21. Two light bulbs, one rated at 25 W and the other at 60 W, are connected in a circuit to a 110 V power supply. Which
bulb burns brighter?
A) The 25 W bulb
B) The 60 W bulb
C) It depends on whether they are in series or parallel
D) They both burn equally bright.

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PH2200 EXAM II Summer 2014
22. Why does it take only a very small surface charge density on a wire to produce considerable current through a wire?

(A) The drift velocity of electrons is very large.

(B) The electric field produced by even a small surface charge density is enormous in the wire.
(C) The charge carrier density ne is very large in a metal.
(D) All of the above are true.

23. Stop to Think: Two charged rings are a model of the surface charge density along a current-carrying wire. Rank in
order, from largest to smallest, the electric field magnitudes Ea to Ee at the midpoint between the rings.

(A) Ed = Eb > Ea > Ec = Ee

(B) Ea = Eb = Ec = Ed = Ee
(C) Ea > Ed > Ee > Ec = Eb
(D) Ed > Eb > Ee > Ea = Ec
(E) Ec > Ee > Ea > Ed = Eb

24. Current I flows toward a junction as shown in the figure. Rank order
I/2
from largest to smallest the magnetic field strength at points 1, 2, 3,
and 4. Assume the wires are very long and straight, and that points
4
1, 2, and 3 are very close to their closest segments of wire. 2

A) B1 = B2 = B3 > B4 1
B) B1 > B2 > B4 > B3 3
C) B1 > B2 = B3 > B4
D) B1 = B2 > B3 > B4
E) B1 > B3 > B4 > B2
I/2

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PH2200 EXAM II Summer 2014
25. The circuit to the right includes an ideal battery, a light-bulb,
a capacitor, and a switch. The capacitor is initially uncharged.
The switch is first moved to position 1 and stays there for a
long time. Then the switch is moved to position 2. Which of
the following statements is correct?
(A) When the switch is in position 1, the capacitors voltage is
always the same as that of the battery, but the capacitors
voltage gradually decreases to zero after the switch is moved
to position 2. 1 2
(B) The bulb never lights up because the capacitor has infinite
resistance, which prohibits any current from flowing in the
circuit.
(C) After the switch is moved to position 1, the capacitor initially has the same voltage as that of the battery, but the
capacitors voltage gradually decreases to zero. When the switch is moved to position 2, nothing happens since
the capacitor had been discharged when the switch was in position 1.
(D) After the switch is moved to position 1, the bulb lights up initially, but it gradually goes dark after a long time.
The bulb initially lights up again when the switch is moved to position 2, but it gradually goes dark after a long
time.
(E) After the switch is moved to position 1, the bulb lights up and remains bright, but it goes out immediately after
the switch is moved to position 2.

26. The line integral of the magnetic field around the

closed path shown in the figure to the right is
1.3810-5 Tm. What are the magnitude and direction
of the current I3? [Hint: take note of the direction of
the line integral shown.]
A) 15.0 A out of the page
B) 7.88 A out of the page
C) 6.65 A into the page
D) 10.2 A into the page
E) 22.9 A into the page

27. Consider a series of four long concentric cylinders, each

carrying the uniform current I in alternating directions I into page
into and out of the page, as shown in the figure. For this
problem, each cylinder is considered to be vanishingly thin!
Let r denote the radial distance from the center of the
cylinders. The magnetic field is zero
a
(A) only for r a.
b
(B) only for r a and r d .
(C) only for r a and b r c and r d .
(D) only for a r b. I out of page c
(E) only for rd.
d

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PH2200 EXAM II Summer 2014
The following information pertains to the next two questions.
Two wires each carry a 25.0 A current into and out of the plane of
the page as indicated in the figure.
1
28. What is the magnitude of the magnetic field strength at point P1
at the origin?
A) 5.0010-4 T P1
B) 2.0010-4 T
C) 1.0010-4 T
D) 1.4410-4 T
E) 2.5010-5 T

29. What is the magnitude of the force on a 1-meter length of the upper wire due to the lower wire?
A) 6.2510-3 N
B) 4.0010-3 N
C) 1.1510-3 N
D) 2.5010-4 N
E) 8.0010-4 N

30. A square conducting loop lies a distance r to the right of an infinitely long
straight wire, which carries current I. The square loop has side 3r and also r
carries current I (counterclockwise as shown).What is the magnitude of the I
net magnetic force acting on the loop? I
0 I 2
(A)
6
0 I 2
(B)
4
3r
0 I 2
(C)
2
7 0 I 2
(D)
8
9 0 I 2
(E)
8

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PH2200 EXAM II Summer 2014

1. B 11. C 21. C
2. A, C 12. A 22. C
3. B 13. C 23. D
4. D 14. B 24. B
5. D 15. E 25. D
6. B 16. C 26. E
7. E 17. D 27. C
8. C 18. A 28. A
9. C 19. A 29. A
10. A 20. A 30. E

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