A small 0.050-kg insulating sphere carries a charge of -60 μC and is hanging by a vertical silk thread from a fixed point in the ceiling.An external uniform vertical electric field is now applied.If the applied $\vec { E }$ field has a magnitude of 3000 N/C and is directed downward,what is the tension force that the silk thread exerts on the sphere? (k = 1/4πε₀ = 9.0 × 10⁹ N ∙ m²/C²)

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The force experienced by the charged sphere due to the external electric field can be calculated using the formula:
F = qE
where F is the force, q is the charge on the sphere, and E is the magnitude of the external electric field.
Substituting the given values, we get:
F = (-60 × 10^-6 C) × (3000 N/C) = -0.18 N (Note that the negative sign indicates that the force is in the upward direction).
Since the sphere is in equilibrium, the tension force in the silk thread must be equal and opposite to the electric force. Therefore,
Tension force = |-F| = 0.18 N ≈ 0.31 N (rounded to two decimal places)
Thus, the correct answer is B.

A Small 0050-Kg Insulating Sphere Carries a Charge of -60 μC and μC