ELECTROSTATICS

ELECTROSTATICS
1. Upon entering the room, you observe two balloons suspended from the ceiling. You notice that
instead of hanging straight down vertically, the balloons seems to be repelling each other. You
can conclusively say ...
(A) both balloons have a negative charge.

(B) both balloons have a positive charge.
(C) one balloon is charge positively and the other negatively.
(D) both balloons are charged with the same type of charge
Answer: D
Observing a repulsive interaction is sufficient evidence to conclude that both balloons are charged.
However, further testing or additional information would be required to determine the type of charge the
balloons have.
2. A rubber balloon possesses a positive charge. If brought near and touched to the door of a wooden
cabinet, it sticks to the door. This does not occur with an uncharged balloon. These two observations can
lead one to conclude that the wall is _____.
(A) electrically neutral
(B) negatively charged
(C) a conductor
(D) lacking electrons
Answer: A
Observing the positively charged balloon stick to the wall is evidence that the wall is either neutral or
charged negatively. Once the second observation is made, one can conclude that the wall is neutral. If it
were charged, then the wall and the uncharged balloon should attract.
3. The diagram below shows an electric field (represented by arrows) and two points - labeled A and B -
located within the electric field. A positive test charge is shown at point A. What is the wok done in
bringing the test charge from pt A to pt. B?
(A) WAB = VB – VA
(B) WAB = Q/VAB
(C) WAB = VB – VA
(D) 0
Answer: D
Work done on charge? No
(The + charge is moving with nature; work is not required when it moves with the E field.)
4. Which of the diagrams below best represents the charge distribution on a metal sphere when a
positively charged plastic tube is placed nearby?
Answer: D
In each case, the tube (in pink) is charged. Its charge should polarize the metal sphere. This is not shown
in A; so A can be ruled out. In B, C and D the sphere is polarized. But in B and C, the diagram shows the
separation of charge in a manner that would indicate an attraction between like charges. On the other
hand, D shows that the negative charge on the sphere is attracted to the positive tube.
5. Joann has rubbed a balloon with wool to give it a charge of -1.0 x 10 -6 C. She then acquires a plastic
golf tube with a charge of +4.0 x 10-6 C localized at a given position. She holds the location of charge on
the plastic golf tube a distance of 50.0 cm above the balloon. Determine the electrical force of attraction
between the golf tube and the balloon.
(A) 8 x 10-14 N
(B) 0.144 N
(C) 4 N
(D) 10 N
Answer: B 0.144 N
Step 1: Identify known values in variable form.
Q1 = -1.0 x 10^-6 C and Q2 = +4.0 x 10-6 C
d = 50.0 cm = 0.50 m.
Step 2: Identify requested information
F = ???
Step 3: Substitute and solve.
6. Two charged objects have a repulsive force of 0.080 N. If the charge of both of the objects is doubled,
then what is the new force?
(A) 0.080 N (B) 0.160 N (C) 0.240 N (D) 0.320 N
Answer: 0.320 N
Explanation: Electrostatic force is directly related to the charge of each object. So if the charge of both
objects is doubled, then the force will become four times greater. Four times 0.080 N is 0.320 N.
7. Two charged objects have an attractive force of 0.080 N. If the charge of one of the objects is increased
by a factor of four, and the distance separating the objects is doubled, then what is the new force?
(A) 0.080 N (B) 0.160 N (C) 0.240 N (D) 0.320 N
Answer: 0.080 N
Explanation: The electrostatic force is directly related to the product of the charges and inversely related
to the square of the separation distance. Quadrupling one of the charges would serve to quadruple the
force. Doubling the distance would serve to reduce the force by a factor of four. The combined affect of
these two variations would be to not alter the force at all; it would remain as 0.080 N.
8. The diagram at the right shows a light bulb connected by wires to the + and - terminals of a car battery.
Use the diagram in answering the next question. At what point will the electric
potential energy of a charge is zero?
(A) A (B) B (C) C (D) D
Answer: D
The negative terminal of the battery is the low voltage location on a circuit. It is considered to be at 0
Volts.
9. A heart attack often leads to a condition called fibrillation in which the heart’s actions lose their
synchronization it is unable to pump blood effectively. This condition can often be corrected by an
electric shock to the heart that completely stops it for a moment. The heart may then start again
spontaneously in its normal rhythm. An appropriate shock can be provided by the discharge of 10 x 10 -6 F
capacitor that has been charged to a potential difference of 6000 V. How much charge passes through the
patient’s body?
(A) 0.006 C (B) 0.06 C (C) 0.6 C (D) negligible
Answer: B
Q = CV = (10 x 10-6 F) (6000 V) = 0.06 C
10. A capacitor with air between plates is connected to a 50-V source and then disconnected. The space
between the plates of the charged capacitor is filled with Teflon (K=2.1). What is the potential difference
across the capacitor now?
(A) 9 V (B) 12 V (C) 24 V (D) 0.042 V
Answer: C
The initial charge on the capacitor is Q = C1V1 . when the Teflon dielectric is inserted, the charge remains
the same but the capacitance increases to C2 = kC1. So the new voltage across the capacitor is;
V2 = Q/ C2 = C1V1 / kC1 = V1 / 2.1 = 24 V

11. Two capacitors, one of 10 µF and the other of 20µF, are connected in series across a 12V battery, as
shown in the figure below. Find the equivalent capacitance of the combination.
- +
C1 = 10 µF C2 = 20 µF
(A) 6.7 µF (B) 10 µF (C) 20 µF (D) 30 µF
Answer: A
C = C1 C2 = (10 µF)( 20 µF) = 6.7 µF ; if the capacitors are in parallel connections C = 30 µF

C1 + C2 (10 µF)+( 20 µF)
12. How must the capacitors be connected for you to stored maximum amount of energy?
(A) series
(B) parallel
(C) either A or B
(D) a combination of series and parallel
Answer: B; in parallel connections, the capacitance is the sum of each individual capacitance of a
capacitor C = C1 + C2 +….., while for series connections, 1/C = 1/C1 + 1/C2 + …..

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ELECTROSTATICS

(A) both balloons have a negative charge.

Step 1: Identify known values in variable form.

Q1 = -1.0 x 10^-6 C and Q2 = +4.0 x 10-6 C

Step 2: Identify requested information

Step 3: Substitute and solve.

(A) 0.080 N (B) 0.160 N (C) 0.240 N (D) 0.320 N

(A) 0.080 N (B) 0.160 N (C) 0.240 N (D) 0.320 N

(A) A (B) B (C) C (D) D

V2 = Q/ C2 = C1V1 / kC1 = V1 / 2.1 = 24 V

C = C1 C2 = (10 µF)( 20 µF) = 6.7 µF ; if the capacitors are in parallel connections C = 30 µF

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