Question
Question: A charged drop is suspended in uniform field of \[3 \times {10^4}\,{\text{V}}{{\text{m}}^{ - 1}}\] s...
A charged drop is suspended in uniform field of 3×104Vm−1 so that it neither falls nor rises. The charge on the drop will be:
(Take the mass of the charge =9.9×10−15kg and g=10ms - 2)
A. 3.3×10−18C
B. 3.2×10−18C
C. 1.6×10−18C
D. 4.8×10−18C
Solution
The charge neither falls nor rises, for this condition all the forces acting on the drop must be balanced. Check for all the forces acting on the drop and balance them to find the charge on the drop.
Complete Step by step answer: Given,electric field, E=3×104Vm−1
Mass of the drop, M=9.9×10−15kg
Acceleration due to gravity, g=10ms - 2
Let q be the charge of the drop.
The gravitational force is acting on the drop in downward direction and since the charged drop is in electric field there will be Coulomb force too, for the charge drop to neither fall nor rise it must be in equilibrium, that is the gravitational force and Coulomb force must be balanced.
The gravitational force on the drop is
Fg=Mg
And Coulomb force is
Fc=qE
For equilibrium, Fc=Fg
⇒qE=Mg
Now, putting the values of E, M and g from given conditions, we get