Q. A tiny spherical oil drop carrying a net charge $q$ is balanced in still air with vertical uniform electric field of strength $\frac{81\pi}{7} \times 10^{5}{Vm}^{- 1}.$When the field is switched off, the drop is observed to fall with terminal velocity$\ 2 \times 10^{- 3}{ms}^{- 1}.$ Given $g = 9.8\ {ms}^{- 2},$ viscosity of the air =$1.8 \times 10^{- 5}Ns\ m^{- 2}\ and\ the\ density\ of\ oil = 900\ kg\ m^{- 3},$ the magnitude of $q$ is

A) $1.6 \times 10^{- 19}$ C
B) $3.2 \times 10^{- 19}$ C
C) $4.8 \times 10^{- 19}$ C
D) 8.0$\times 10^{- 19}$ C
Explanation

(d) $qE\ = mg\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ldots(i)$ $6\pi\eta\ rv = mg\ \ \ $
$\frac{4}{3}\pi r^{3}\ \rho g = mg\ \ldots(ii)$ $\therefore\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ r = \left( \frac{3mg}{4\pi\rho g} \right)^{1/3}\ \ \ \ldots(iii)$ Substituting the value of r in Eq. (ii), we get
$6\pi\eta v\left( \frac{3mg}{4\pi pg} \right)^{1/3} = mg$
or $\ (6\pi\eta v)^{3}\ \left( \frac{3mg}{4\pi\rho g} \right)\ \ \ \ = (mg)^{3}$
Again substituting $mg = qE,\ $we get
$\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ (qE)^{2} = \left( \frac{3}{4\pi\rho g} \right)(6\pi\eta v)^{3}$
Or $qE = \left( \frac{3}{4\pi\rho g} \right)^{1/2}\ \ (6\pi\eta g)^{3/2}$
$\therefore\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ q = \frac{1}{E}\left( \frac{3}{4\pi\rho g} \right)^{\frac{1}{2}}(6\pi\eta v)^{3/2}$
Substituting the values, we get
$q = \frac{7}{81\pi \times 10^{5}}\sqrt{\frac{3}{4\pi \times 900 \times 9.8} \times 216\pi^{3}}\ \ \ $
$\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \times \sqrt{\left( 1.8 \times 10^{- 5} \times 2 \times 10^{- 3} \right)^{3}\ } = 8.0 \times 10^{- 19}$ C

Dr. Abubacker
Reviewed by Dr. Abubacker

Physics Educator & NEET/JEE Specialist

Ph.D. in Physics with 19+ years of teaching experience.