55) Two parallel square metal plates, 8.4 cm on each side, are 2.5 mm apart and carry equal but
opposite charge uniformly distributed over their facing surfaces. How much excess charge is
there on each plate if the electric field between the plates has a magnitude of 2.0 × 106 N/C? (k
= 1/4πε0 = 8.99 × 109 N ∙ m2/C2)
56) Two parallel square metal plates that are 1.5 cm apart and 22 cm on each side carry equal but
opposite charges uniformly spread out over their facing surfaces. How many excess electrons are
on the negative surface if the electric field between the plates has a magnitude of 18,000 N/C? (k
= 1/4πε0 = 9.0 × 109 N ∙ m2/C2, e = 1.6 × 10-19 C)
57) A tiny 0.0250-µg oil drop containing 15 excess electrons is suspended between two
horizontally closely-spaced metal plates that carry equal but opposite charges on their facing
surfaces. The plates are both circular with a radius of 6.50 cm. (k = 1/4πε0 = 9.0 × 109 N ∙
m2/C2, e = 1.6 × 10-19 C)
(a) How much excess charge must be on each plate to hold the oil drop steady?
(b) Which plate must be positive, the upper one or the lower one?
58) Two large closely-spaced parallel metal plates are uniformly and oppositely charged and the
electric field between them is 7.6 × 106 N/C.
(a) What is the charge per unit area on each plate?
(b) If the plates are now moved two times farther apart, what is the electric field between the
plates?