Electrostatics MCQs
Coulomb's law is most similar to:
Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation
Ohm's Law
The Law of Conservation of Energy
Gauss's Law
The constant of proportionality, k, in Coulomb's law depends on:
The magnitude of the charges
The distance between the charges
The nature of the medium between the charges
The temperature of the charges
The unit of electric charge is the:
Volt (V)
Ampere (A)
Coulomb (C)
Ohm (Ω)
Electric field lines start from a ________ charge and end on a ________ charge.
positive, negative
negative, positive
positive, positive
negative, negative
The number of electric field lines passing through a certain area is a measure of the:
Electric potential
Electric flux
Electric current
Electric power
Gauss's law relates the electric flux through a closed surface to the:
Total charge enclosed by the surface
Total charge outside the surface
The shape of the surface
The area of the surface
The electric potential at a point is defined as the work done in bringing a unit positive charge from:
Infinity to that point
That point to infinity
A negative charge to that point
A positive charge to that point
The unit of electric potential is the:
Joule (J)
Coulomb (C)
Volt (V)
Watt (W)
An equipotential surface is a surface where:
The electric field is zero
The electric potential is constant
The electric charge is zero
The electric flux is zero
Two point charges, +4 μC and -6 μC, are separated by 20 cm in a vacuum. What is the magnitude of the electrostatic force between them?
The work done in moving a charge between two points on an equipotential surface is:
Infinite
Zero
Dependent on the path taken
Dependent on the magnitude of the charge
A capacitor is a device used to:
Store electric charge
Measure electric current
Generate electric charge
Resist the flow of charge
The capacitance of a parallel plate capacitor is directly proportional to the:
Area of the plates
Distance between the plates
Charge on the plates
Voltage across the plates
The unit of capacitance is the:
Henry (H)
Farad (F)
Tesla (T)
Weber (Wb)
When capacitors are connected in series, the total capacitance is:
Greater than the largest individual capacitance
Less than the smallest individual capacitance
The sum of the individual capacitances
The product of the individual capacitances
When capacitors are connected in parallel, the total capacitance is:
Greater than the largest individual capacitance
Less than the smallest individual capacitance
The sum of the reciprocals of the individual capacitances
The product of the individual capacitances
A uniform electric field of 500 N/C is directed downwards. What is the magnitude of the force on a proton placed in this field?
8.0 x 10⁻¹⁷ N
3.1 x 10²¹ N
500 N
1.6 x 10⁻¹⁹ N
The energy stored in a capacitor is proportional to the:
Square of the charge on the plates
Charge on the plates
Reciprocal of the charge on the plates
Square root of the charge on the plates
A dielectric material is an:
Insulator
Conductor
Semiconductor
Superconductor
When a dielectric material is inserted between the plates of a capacitor, the capacitance:
Increases
Decreases
Remains the same
Becomes zero
The electric field inside a charged spherical conductor is:
Zero
Infinite
Uniform
Variable
The electric potential inside a charged spherical conductor is:
Zero
Constant
Variable
Infinite
Which of the following is a vector quantity?
Electric charge
Electric potential
Electric field
Capacitance
The force between two charges is 120 N. If the distance between the charges is doubled, the force will be:
Two charges of +2 μC and +5 μC are separated by a distance. The ratio of the forces exerted by the charges on each other will be:
The SI unit of permittivity of free space (ε₀) is:
C² N⁻¹ m⁻²
N m² C⁻²
C V⁻¹
V m⁻¹
A capacitor of 10 μF and another of 20 μF are connected in parallel to a 6 V source. What is the total charge stored by the combination?
An electron is placed in a uniform electric field. The electron will experience a force:
In the direction of the electric field
Opposite to the direction of the electric field
Perpendicular to the direction of the electric field
Of zero
A hollow metallic sphere is given a positive charge. The electric potential inside the sphere will be:
Zero
Positive and constant
Positive and variable
Negative and constant
The process of charging a conductor by bringing it near another charged object without touching it is called:
Conduction
Induction
Friction
Polarization
A gold-leaf electroscope is used to:
Detect the presence of charge
Measure the amount of charge
Store charge
Generate charge
The work done in moving a charge of 4 C from a point at 10 V to a point at 15 V is:
The electric potential energy of a system of two charges is positive if the charges are:
Both positive
Both negative
One positive and one negative
One of the charges is zero
The electric potential due to a point charge is inversely proportional to the:
Distance from the charge
Square of the distance from the charge
Magnitude of the charge
Square of the magnitude of the charge
The capacitance of a capacitor is 1 F. This means that the capacitor can store 1 coulomb of charge when the potential difference across it is:
A photocopier works on the principle of:
Electrostatics
Electromagnetism
Current electricity
Nuclear physics
What is the magnitude of the electric field at a point 3 meters away from a point charge of +2 nC?
An inkjet printer uses ________ to direct the ink droplets onto the paper.
Electric fields
Magnetic fields
Gravity
Air pressure
The relative permittivity of a medium is the ratio of the permittivity of the medium to the:
Permittivity of free space
Permeability of free space
Capacitance of the medium
Resistance of the medium
How much energy is stored in a 200 μF capacitor that is charged to a potential difference of 50 V?
The dielectric constant of a conductor is:
Zero
Infinite
One
Less than one
Two parallel plates have an electric field of 1000 N/C between them. If the distance between the plates is 0.02 m, the potential difference between the plates is:
The SI unit of electric flux is:
A lightning rod works by:
Attracting lightning and safely conducting it to the ground
Repelling lightning
Neutralizing the clouds
Creating a magnetic field
The electric field is strongest where the electric field lines are:
Closest together
Farthest apart
Parallel
Curved
A Millikan oil drop experiment is used to determine the:
Charge of an electron
Mass of an electron
Speed of light
Value of the gravitational constant
The charge on an electron is approximately:
1.6 x 10⁻¹⁹ C
9.1 x 10⁻³¹ C
6.02 x 10²³ C
3.0 x 10⁸ C
A material that has a large number of free electrons is a good:
Conductor
Insulator
Semiconductor
Dielectric
The process of connecting a charged object to the Earth to neutralize it is called:
Grounding
Charging
Insulating
Polarizing
Three capacitors of 2 F, 3 F, and 6 F are connected in series. The equivalent capacitance is:
The space between the plates of a parallel plate capacitor is filled with a dielectric of constant K. The capacitance is increased by a factor of:
The electric field lines and equipotential surfaces are always:
Perpendicular to each other
Parallel to each other
At an angle of 45 degrees to each other
In the same direction
Two parallel plates are separated by 2 cm and have a potential difference of 40 V. What is the magnitude of the uniform electric field between them?
80 N/C
200 N/C
2000 N/C
0.8 N/C
If the distance between two point charges is halved, the electric force between them becomes:
One-fourth
Four times
Double
Half
The presence of a dielectric between the plates of a capacitor reduces the:
Capacitance
Electric field
Stored charge (for a given potential)
Energy stored (for a given charge)
A Van de Graaff generator is a device that can:
Store a large amount of charge at a low potential
Create a very high electric potential
Measure the charge of an electron
Produce a high-frequency alternating current
The concept of electric field lines was introduced by:
Charles-Augustin de Coulomb
Michael Faraday
Alessandro Volta
James Clerk Maxwell
The relationship between electric field (E) and electric potential (V) is given by:
E = -∇V
V = -∇E
E = V/d
V = E/d
An electric dipole consists of two:
Equal and opposite charges separated by a small distance
Equal and like charges separated by a small distance
Unequal and opposite charges separated by a small distance
Unequal and like charges separated by a small distance
A 5 μF capacitor is connected to a 12 V battery. How much charge is stored on the capacitor's plates?
The torque experienced by an electric dipole in a uniform electric field is maximum when the angle between the dipole moment and the electric field is:
0 degrees
90 degrees
180 degrees
45 degrees
The potential energy of an electric dipole in a uniform electric field is minimum when the angle between the dipole moment and the electric field is:
0 degrees
90 degrees
180 degrees
270 degrees
A Gaussian surface is an imaginary closed surface used in conjunction with:
Coulomb's Law
Gauss's Law
Ohm's Law
Ampere's Law
The electric flux through a closed surface enclosing no net charge is:
Zero
Infinite
Positive
Negative
The work done by the electric field in moving a positive charge from a point of high potential to a point of low potential is:
Positive
Negative
Zero
Dependent on the path taken
One electron-volt (eV) is a unit of:
Energy
Potential
Charge
Force
The capacitance of the Earth, considered as a spherical conductor of radius 6400 km, is approximately:
In a region where the electric field is uniform, the equipotential surfaces are:
Parallel planes
Concentric spheres
Concentric cylinders
Irregularly shaped
The phenomenon of an uncharged body getting attracted towards a charged body is known as:
Electrostatic induction
Conduction
Repulsion
Coulomb's Law
The time constant of an RC circuit is a measure of the time taken:
By capacitor to charge to 63.2% of its maximum value
By capacitor to fully charge
By current to reach its maximum value
By capacitor to charge to 53.2% of its maximum value
When a soap bubble is given a negative charge, its radius:
Increases
Decreases
Remains unchanged
Becomes zero
Quantization of charge means that:
Charge can only exist in discrete multiples of a fundamental unit
Charge is a continuous quantity
Charge is always positive
The total charge in an isolated system is conserved
Dielectric strength is the maximum:
Electric field a dielectric can withstand without breaking down
Potential difference a dielectric can withstand
Charge a dielectric can store
Temperature a dielectric can tolerate
The SI unit of electric dipole moment is:
Coulomb-meter (C·m)
Coulomb per meter (C/m)
Newton per Coulomb (N/C)
Joule per Coulomb (J/C)
How much work is required to move a +3 nC charge from a point with a potential of 20 V to a point with a potential of 80 V?
The electric field due to an infinite plane sheet of charge is:
Independent of the distance from the sheet
Directly proportional to the distance from the sheet
Inversely proportional to the distance from the sheet
Inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the sheet
A capacitor blocks DC but allows AC to pass. This is because:
The reactance of a capacitor is infinite for DC and finite for AC
The resistance of a capacitor is infinite for DC
The dielectric breaks down for AC
The plates of the capacitor are insulated from each other
The surface charge density is defined as:
Charge per unit area
Charge per unit length
Charge per unit volume
Total charge on the surface
Two capacitors of capacitance C1 and C2 are connected in parallel. If a charge Q is given to the combination, the charge will be distributed as:
Q₁/Q₂ = C₁/C₂
Q₁/Q₂ = C₂/C₁
Q₁ = Q₂
Q₁/Q₂ = (C₁/C₂)²
The speed of light 'c' is related to the permittivity (ε₀) and permeability (μ₀) of free space by the equation:
c = 1/√(ε₀μ₀)
c = √(ε₀μ₀)
c = ε₀/μ₀
c = μ₀/ε₀
A Faraday cage is a container made of conducting material that:
Shields the interior from external electric fields
Amplifies external electric fields
Stores a large amount of charge
Generates a strong magnetic field
The energy density (energy per unit volume) in an electric field is:
Proportional to E²
Proportional to E
Inversely proportional to E
Inversely proportional to E²
If a glass rod is rubbed with silk, the glass rod becomes positively charged. This is because:
Electrons are transferred from the glass rod to the silk
Protons are transferred from the silk to the glass rod
Electrons are created on the glass rod
Protons are destroyed on the silk
The force per unit charge is known as:
Electric field
Electric potential
Electric flux
Electric current
A charged particle moving in a uniform electric field will follow a path that is a:
Parabola (if initial velocity is not parallel to the field)
Circle
Straight line (only if initial velocity is parallel or zero)
Helix
The electric field lines due to a positive point charge are:
Radially outwards
Radially inwards
Circular
Parallel
The process of an insulator becoming a conductor under a strong electric field is called:
Dielectric breakdown
Polarization
Ionization
Capacitance
Three capacitors of equal capacitance C are connected in series. The equivalent capacitance is:
Three capacitors of equal capacitance C are connected in parallel. The equivalent capacitance is:
A charged capacitor is connected to a resistor. The charge on the capacitor will:
Decrease exponentially with time
Decrease linearly with time
Increase exponentially with time
Remain constant
What is the electric potential at a distance of 50 cm from a point charge of -8 nC?
An electroscope can be charged by:
Both conduction and induction
Conduction only
Induction only
Neither conduction nor induction
If you are in a car during a thunderstorm, you are safe from lightning because of the:
Faraday cage effect
Rubber tires
Glass windows
Doppler effect
The electric field inside a charged parallel plate capacitor is:
Uniform
Zero
Radially outwards
Inversely proportional to the distance from the plates
A material with a high dielectric constant is a good:
Insulator
Conductor
Semiconductor
Resistor
The total energy of an isolated system of charges is:
Conserved
Always increasing
Always decreasing
Zero
The electric force is a conservative force. This means that:
The work done by it is independent of the path taken
It always conserves charge
It is always attractive
It is always repulsive
In a uniform electric field, the potential difference between two points is proportional to the:
Distance between the points parallel to the field
Distance between the points perpendicular to the field
Square of the distance between the points
Inverse of the distance between the points
The electric field lines can never cross each other. This is because:
At the point of intersection, there would be two different directions of the electric field, which is not possible
They are parallel to each other
They are imaginary lines
They repel each other
The process of charging a body by rubbing is called:
Triboelectric charging
Induction
Conduction
Polarization
Low resistivity
High resistivity
High dielectric constant
Low permittivity
The SI unit of resistivity is:
Ohm-meter (Ω·m)
Ohm (Ω)
Siemens (S)
Farad (F)
Corona discharge is the phenomenon of:
Ionization of air around a sharp-pointed conductor
Discharge of a capacitor
Charging of a conductor
Breakdown of a dielectric
Three capacitors with capacitances 2 F, 4 F, and 4 F are connected in series. What is the equivalent capacitance of the combination?
Which of the following materials is a good dielectric?
Mica
Copper
Silicon
Salt water
Other Physics Topics MCQs
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