2.1 Two charges 5 × 10–8 C and –3 × 10–8 C are located 16 cm apart. At what point(s) on the line joining the two charges is the electric potential zero? Take the potential at infinity to be zero.

2.2 A regular hexagon of side 10 cm has a charge 5 mC at each of its vertices. Calculate the potential at the centre of the hexagon.

9.17 (a) sin i¢c = 1.44/1.68 which gives i¢c = 59°. Total internal reflection takes place when i > 59° or when r < rmax = 31°. Now, (sin i /sin r max max ) = 1.68 , which gives imax ~ 60°. Thus, all incident rays of angles in the range 0 < i < 60° will suffer total internal reflections in the pipe. (If the length of the pipe is finite, which it is in practice, there will be a lower limit on i determined by the ratio of the diameter to the length of the pipe.) (b) If there is no outer coating, i¢c = sin–1(1/1.68) = 36.5°. Now, i = 90° will have r = 36.5° and i¢ = 53.5° which is greater than i¢c. Thus, all incident rays (in the range 53.5° < i < 90°) will suffer total internal reflections.