Question 1

Which of the following best describes the Law of Conservation of Charge?

Accepted Answer

The total charge in an isolated system remains constant; electrons lost by one object are gained by another.

Question 2

A glass rod is rubbed with silk and becomes positively charged. What happens at the atomic level?

Accepted Answer

Electrons are transferred from the glass rod to the silk, leaving the rod with more protons than electrons.

Question 3

Which of the following materials is most likely to be a good conductor of electricity?

Accepted Answer

Copper

Question 4

If two objects are both negatively charged, what will happen when they are brought close together?

Accepted Answer

They will repel each other.

Question 5

Which equation correctly represents Coulomb’s Law for the force between two point charges?

Accepted Answer

$$F = k \frac{q_1$ q_2$}{r^2$}$$

Question 6

A neutral object is brought near a negatively charged object. What is the most likely outcome?

Accepted Answer

The neutral object will be attracted to the negatively charged object.

Question 7

If the distance between two charges is doubled, what happens to the electrostatic force between them?

Accepted Answer

The force becomes one-fourth as strong.

Question 8

Which process describes charging an object by direct contact with another charged object?

Accepted Answer

Conduction

Question 9

A plastic rod is rubbed with wool and becomes negatively charged. What is the best explanation?

Accepted Answer

Electrons are transferred from the wool to the plastic rod.

Question 10

Which of the following statements about electric field lines is correct?

Accepted Answer

Electric field lines point away from positive charges and toward negative charges.

Question 11

If the charge on one of two interacting objects is doubled, what happens to the force between them according to Coulomb’s Law?

Accepted Answer

The force doubles.

Question 12

Which of the following best describes an insulator?

Accepted Answer

A material in which electrons are tightly bound and do not move freely.

Question 13

A person scuffs their feet on a carpet and then touches a metal doorknob, receiving a shock. Which process is responsible for the initial charging?

Accepted Answer

Friction

Question 14

Which of the following is true about the direction of the electrostatic force between two charges of opposite sign?

Accepted Answer

The force is attractive and directed along the line joining the two charges.

Question 15

A metal sphere is connected to the ground. What happens to excess charge on the sphere?

Accepted Answer

It flows into the ground, neutralizing the sphere.

Question 16

Two objects each have a charge of $$20.0\ \mathrm{C}$$ and are separated by $$0.5\ \mathrm{m}. $$What is the magnitude of the force between them? ($$k = 9.0 	imes 10^9$\ \mathrm{N\,m^2$/C^2$$}$)

Accepted Answer

$$F = 1.44 	imes 10$$^{13}$$\ \mathrm{N}$$

Question 17

Which of the following best explains why metals are good conductors?

Accepted Answer

They have free-moving electrons that can transfer charge easily.

Question 18

If the distance between two charges is halved, what happens to the force between them?

Accepted Answer

The force increases by a factor of four.

Question 19

Which of the following is NOT a property of electrostatic forces?

Accepted Answer

They are always attractive, regardless of the charges involved.

Electrostatics and Charge: Study Guide for College Physics

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