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Try rubbing a plastic pen through your hair, and you’ll find that you can pick up a tiny scrap of paper when the pen is about one centimeter above the paper. From this simple experiment you can estimate how much an atom in the paper is polarized by the pen! You will need to make several assumptions and approximations. Hints may be found at the end of the chapter. (a) Suppose that the center of the outer electron cloud (q=-4e) of a carbon atom shifts a distance s when the atom is polarized by the pen. Calculate s algebraically in terms of the charge Q on the pen. (b) Assume that the pen carries about as much charge Q as we typically find on a piece of charged invisible tape. Evaluate s numerically. How does this compare with the size of an atom or a nucleus? (c) Calculate the polarizability αof a carbon atom. Compare your answer to the measured value of 1.96×10-40C.m/(N/C)(T. M. Miller and B. Bederson, “Atomic and molecular polarizabilities: a review of recent advances,” Advances in Atomic and Molecular Physics, 13, 1–55, 1977).(d) Carefully list all assumptions and approximations.

Short Answer

Expert verified

Answer

(a) The value of s algebraically in terms of the charge Q on the pen is mg(πε0)d32eQ.

(b) The numerical value of s is 1.1022m.

The size of an atom is bigger by a distance of 1.2×10-10mthan the distance moved by the pen while being polarized by the plastic pen.

(c) The polarizability of the carbon atom is 1.902×10-52C2·m/N.

The measured value is bigger by 1.96×10-40C2·m/Nthan the polarizability of the carbon atom.

(d) The assumptions made in this question are, the sum of the force due to gravity and the force exerted on the carbon atom by the pen must be equal to zero. The distance between the outer electron to the carbon atom is being taken as the Bohr’s radius. The charge of the pen is the charge of the tape that is the charge of an electron. The size of an atom is 1.2×10-10m. The mass of one carbon atom that is 1.99×10-23gand the acceleration due to gravity is 9.8m/s2. The permittivity that is 8.59×10-7C2·g-1. The charge of one electron and the value of pi that are 1.602×10-19Cand 3.14respectively. The distance between the outer electron to the carbon atom is being taken as the Bohr’s radius that is (5.29×1011m).

Step by step solution

01

Identification of given data

The given data is listed below as:

  • The distance of the pen from the paper scrap is, d=1cm.

  • The charge of the center of the cloud’s outer electron is, q=-4e.

02

Significance of the electromagnetism

The electromagnetism is referred to as the interaction of the fields or the electric currents and also the magnetic fields. Moreover, the electromagnetism is helpful for calculating both the electricity and the magnetism in order to find the electromagnetism of an object.

03

(a) Determination of the s algebraically in terms of the charge Q

The equation of the magnitude of the electric field of the carbon atom is expressed as:

E=(14πε0)·(2pd3)

Here, (14πε0)is the electric field constant, p is the dipole and d is the distance between the outer electron to the carbon atom.

The above equation can be expressed as:

E=(14πε0)·(2qsd3)

Here, q is the charge of the carbon atom and s is the distance moved by the atom when it is polarized by a plastic pen.

Substitute the values in the above equation.

E=(14πε0)·(2(4e)d3)

The equation of the force exerted on the carbon atom by the pen is expressed as:

F=QE

Here, Q is the charge of the pen and E is the magnitude of the electric field of the carbon atom.

Substitute the values in the above equation.

F=-Q(14πε0)·(2(4e)sd3)

As the piece of the paper is being moved due to the charge of the pen, then the equation of the force due to gravity is expressed as:

F1=mg

Here, m is the mass of the carbon atom and g is the acceleration due to gravity.

For maintaining equilibrium, the sum of the force due to gravity and the force exerted on the carbon atom by the pen must be equal to zero. Hence, the equation can be expressed as:

F1+F=0

Here, F is the force exerted on the carbon atom by the pen and F1is the force due to gravity.

Substitute the values in the above equation.

mg-Q(14πε0)·(2(4e)sd3)=0mg=(14πε0)·(2(4e)sd3)2(4e)s=mg(4ε0)d3Qs=mg(πε0)d32eQ …(i)

Thus, the value of s algebraically in terms of the charge Q on the pen is mg(πε0)d32eQ.

04

(b) Determination of the s numerically

From the equation (i), the equation of the distance moved by the pen while being polarized by the plastic pen is expressed as:

s=mg(πε0)d32eQ

Here, m is the mass of one carbon atom, gis the acceleration due to gravity, ε0 is the permittivity, d is the distance between the outer electron to the carbon atom, eis the charge of an electron and Q is the charge of the pen.

It can be observed that the distance between the outer electron to the carbon atom is being taken as the Bohr’s radius. Moreover, the charge of the pen is the charge of the tape that is the charge of an electron.

Let us assume that the mass of one carbon atom that is 1.99×1023gand the value of permittivity is 8.59×10-7C2·m-2·g-1. Another assumption is that the charge of one electron is 1.602×10-19Cwhich is the charge of the pen. The final assumption is that the distance between the outer electron to the carbon atom is being taken as the Bohr’s radius that is (5.29×10-11m).

Substitute the values in the above equation.

s=(1.99×10-23g)(3.14×8.59×10-7C2·m-2·g-1)(5.29×10-11m)32(1.602×10-19C)(1.602×10-19C)=(1.99×10-23g)(2.69×10-6C2·m-2·g-1)(1.48×10-31m3)2(2.58×10-38C2)=(7.92×10-60C2·m)(5.17×10-38C2)=1.53×10-22m

Thus, the numerical value of s is 1.53×10-22m.

05

(b) Comparison with the size of an atom

The size of an atom is 1.2×10-10m. The equation of the difference with the distance moved by the pen while being polarized by the plastic pen and the size of an atom is expressed as:

a = b - s

Here, a is the difference with the distance moved by the pen while being polarized by the plastic pen and the size of an atom, bis the size of an atom and s is the distance moved by the pen while being polarized by the plastic pen.

Substitute the values in the above equation.

a=1.2×10-10m-1.53×10-22m=1.2×10-10m

Thus, the size of an atom is bigger by a distance of 1.2×10-10mthan the distance moved by the pen while being polarized by the plastic pen.

06

(c) Determination of the polarizability of the carbon atom

The equation of the electric field for the plastic pen is expressed as:

E=kQd2

Here, k is the electric field constant, Qis the charge of the pen and d is the distance between the outer electron to the carbon atom.

The equation of the polarizability of the carbon atom is expressed as:

qs=αEα=qsE=qsd2kQ=(4e)sd2kQ

Here, α is the polarizability of the carbon atom, E is the magnitude of the electric field of the plastic pen, qis the charge of the carbon atom and s is the distance moved by the atom when it is polarized by a plastic pen.

Substitute the values in the above equation.

α=4(1.6×10-19C)(1.53×10-22m)(5.29×10-11m)2(9×109N·m2/C2)(1.6×10-19C)=4(1.53×10-22m)(2.79×10-21m2)(9×109N·m2/C2)=4(1.71×10-22m3)(9×109N·m2/C2)=1.902×10-52C2·m/N

Thus, the polarizability of the carbon atom is 1.902×10-52C2·m/N.

07

(c) Comparing the answer to the measured value

The measured value is given as 1.96×10-40C2·m/N.

The equation of the difference between the measured value and the polarizability of the carbon atom is expressed as:

d=x-α

Here, d is the difference between the measured value and the polarizability of the carbon atom, xis the measured value and αis the polarizability of the carbon atom.

Substitute the values in the above equation.

d=1.96×10-40C2·m/N-1.902×10-52C2·m/N=1.96×10-40C2·m/N

Thus, the measured value is bigger by 1.96×10-40C2·m/Nthan the polarizability of the carbon atom.

08

(d) Listing of the assumptions and approximations

The first assumption took in this question is that for maintaining equilibrium, the sum of the force due to gravity and the force exerted on the carbon atom by the pen must be equal to zero. The second assumption is that the distance between the outer electron to the carbon atom is being taken as the Bohr’s radius. Moreover, the third assumption made in this question is the charge of the pen is the charge of the tape that is the charge of an electron.

The fourth assumption made is that the size of an atom is 1.2×10-10m. The fifth assumption is the mass of one carbon atom that is 1.99×10-gand the acceleration due to gravity is 9.8m/s2. The sixth assumption is the permittivity that is 8.59×10-7C2·m-2·g-1. The seventh assumption is the charge of one electron and the value of pi that are 1.602×10-19Cand 3.14respectively. The eighth and the final assumption is that the distance between the outer electron to the carbon atom is being taken as the Bohr’s radius that is (5.29×10-11m).

Thus, the assumptions made in this question are, the sum of the force due to gravity and the force exerted on the carbon atom by the pen must be equal to zero. The distance between the outer electron to the carbon atom is being taken as the Bohr’s radius. The charge of the pen is the charge of the tape that is the charge of an electron. The size of an atom is 1.2×10-10m. The mass of one carbon atom that is 1.99×10-23gand the acceleration due to gravity is 9.8m/s2. The permittivity that is 8.59×10-7C2·m-2·g-g. The charge of one electron and the value of pi that are 1.60×10-19Cand 3.14respectively. The distance between the outer electron to the carbon atom is being taken as the Bohr’s radius that is (5.29×10-19m).

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Most popular questions from this chapter

An electric field is applied to a solution containing bromide ions. As a result, the ions move through the solution with an average drift speed of 3.7×10-7m/s. The mobility of bromide ions in solution is 8.1×10-8(m/s)(N/C). What is the magnitude of the net electric field inside the solution?

You rub a clear plastic pen with wool, and observe that a strip of invisible tape is attracted to the pen. Assuming that the pen has a net negative charge, which of the following could be true? Select all that apply. (1) The tape might be negatively charged. (2) The tape might be positively charged. (3) The tape might be uncharged. (4) There is not enough information to conclude anything.

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(b) Now the balls are moved so that as they hang, the distance between their centers is only 5cm. Naively one would expect the force that one ball exerts on the other to increase by a factor of 42=16, but in real life the increase is a bit less than a factor of role="math" localid="1661330186132" 16. Explain why, including a diagram. (Nothing but the distance between centers is changed—the charge on each ball is unchanged, and no other objects are around.)

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