Electric charges and conservation of charge, Coulombs law for point charges, superposition principle - Question Bank

1. The conservation of charge is a fundamental law of physics. This implies that:
A) The total charge in the universe is constant.
B) In any interaction, the net charge of the system remains unchanged.
C) Protons and electrons can be created or destroyed individually.
D) Charge can be created from energy.
2. Consider two charges +Q and -Q separated by distance r. If a third charge +q is introduced at a distance r from both +Q and -Q, the net force on +Q is:
A) The force due to -Q only.
B) The sum of forces due to -Q and +q.
C) The vector sum of the force due to -Q and the force due to +q.
D) Zero.
3. When a charged object is brought near a neutral conductor, the conductor experiences induced charge separation. This phenomenon is an example of:
A) Conservation of charge
B) Coulomb's Law
C) Superposition Principle
D) Charging by induction
4. If a conductor is given a net charge, where does this charge reside?
A) Throughout the volume of the conductor.
B) On the surface of the conductor.
C) At the center of the conductor.
D) It is distributed uniformly in the volume.
5. The superposition principle is fundamental for calculating the net force or field when:
A) There is only one charge.
B) There are multiple charges interacting.
C) The charges are moving.
D) The medium is a perfect conductor.
6. Which of the following is a direct consequence of the quantization of charge?
A) Electric forces can be attractive or repulsive.
B) Electric charge cannot be created or destroyed.
C) Electric charge exists only in discrete units.
D) The force between charges depends on the square of the distance.
7. If the relative permittivity of a medium is K, the force between two charges in this medium compared to vacuum is:
A) K times larger
B) K times smaller
C) 1/K times larger
D) 1/K times smaller
8. The relative permittivity (dielectric constant) of a medium is defined as:
A) ε / ε₀
B) ε₀ / ε
C) ε * ε₀
D) ε + ε₀
9. When charges are placed in a medium other than vacuum, the force between them is:
A) Increased
B) Decreased
C) Unchanged
D) Zero
10. The medium between two charges affects the electrostatic force. The property of the medium that determines this effect is called:
A) Permeability
B) Conductivity
C) Permittivity
D) Resistivity
11. Coulomb's Law is analogous to Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation in that:
A) Both are inverse square laws.
B) Both involve electric charges.
C) Both are vector laws.
D) Both are independent of the medium.
12. The force between two point charges is F. If a third charge is introduced in the vicinity, the force on the original two charges:
A) Remains F.
B) Changes due to the superposition principle.
C) Becomes zero.
D) Is quadrupled.
13. Two point charges of +5 μC and +10 μC are separated by a distance of 1 m. If the distance is reduced to 0.5 m, how does the force change?
A) It remains the same.
B) It is doubled.
C) It is quadrupled.
D) It is halved.
14. Two point charges +q and -q are separated by a distance 'd'. What happens to the force between them if both charges are increased to +2q and -2q respectively?
A) It remains the same.
B) It is doubled.
C) It is quadrupled.
D) It is halved.
15. If two objects A and B have charges +5e and -3e respectively, and they are brought in contact and then separated, the total charge on them after separation will be:
A) +2e
B) -2e
C) 0
D) +8e
16. If two objects A and B have charges +5e and -3e respectively, and they are brought in contact, the total charge on them after contact will be:
A) +2e
B) -2e
C) 0
D) +8e
17. A neutral object becomes negatively charged when it:
A) Gains electrons
B) Loses electrons
C) Gains protons
D) Loses protons
18. A neutral object becomes positively charged when it:
A) Gains electrons
B) Loses electrons
C) Gains protons
D) Loses protons
19. Which of the following statements is INCORRECT regarding electric charge?
A) Charge is always conserved in an isolated system.
B) Charge is quantized in integral multiples of elementary charge.
C) Like charges attract each other, and unlike charges repel each other.
D) A charged object can attract a neutral object.
20. Consider three charges q1, q2, and q3. The net force on q1 is the vector sum of the force exerted by q2 on q1 and the force exerted by q3 on q1. This is an application of:
A) Coulomb's Law
B) Conservation of Charge
C) Superposition Principle
D) Gauss's Law
21. The superposition principle helps in calculating the net effect of multiple charges on a single charge, assuming:
A) The presence of other charges does not affect the force between any pair of charges.
B) The forces are additive regardless of direction.
C) The charges are moving.
D) The medium is not vacuum.
22. If there are N charges, the net force on any one charge due to the other N-1 charges is found by:
A) Summing the magnitudes of individual forces.
B) Summing the individual forces vectorially.
C) Multiplying the magnitudes of individual forces.
D) Considering only the largest individual force.
23. The superposition principle is applicable to which of the following?
A) Electric fields only
B) Electric forces only
C) Both electric fields and electric forces
D) Magnetic forces only
24. According to the superposition principle, to find the total force on a charge q₀, we consider:
A) The net charge of all other charges.
B) The force due to the nearest charge only.
C) The vector sum of the individual forces exerted by each of the other charges on q₀.
D) The sum of the distances to all other charges.
25. The superposition principle in electrostatics states that the net force on a charge due to a system of other charges is:
A) The algebraic sum of the forces exerted by each individual charge.
B) The vector sum of the forces exerted by each individual charge.
C) The product of the forces exerted by each individual charge.
D) The average of the forces exerted by each individual charge.
26. Two unlike charges (one positive, one negative) are placed a certain distance apart. If they are moved further apart, the electrostatic force between them will:
A) Increase (become less negative or more positive)
B) Decrease (become less negative or more positive)
C) Remain constant
D) Become zero
27. Two identical positive charges are placed a certain distance apart. If they are moved closer to each other, the electrostatic force between them will:
A) Decrease
B) Increase
C) Remain constant
D) Become zero
28. If the magnitude of one of the two point charges is doubled, the force between them will:
A) Remain the same
B) Halve
C) Double
D) Become four times
29. If the distance between two point charges is doubled, the force between them will:
A) Double
B) Halve
C) Become one-fourth
D) Become four times
30. Coulomb's Law is applicable to:
A) Extended charged bodies
B) Point charges
C) Moving charges
D) Charged conductors
31. The permittivity of free space (ε₀) has a value of approximately:
A) 9 x 10^9 N m^2/C^2
B) 8.854 x 10^-12 C^2/(N m^2)
C) 1.602 x 10^-19 C
D) 3 x 10^8 m/s
32. The constant 'k' in Coulomb's Law is related to the permittivity of free space (ε₀) by the relation:
A) k = 1 / ε₀
B) k = ε₀
C) k = 1 / (4πε₀)
D) k = 4πε₀
33. The value of Coulomb's constant 'k' in vacuum is approximately:
A) 9 x 10^9 N m^2/C^2
B) 6.674 x 10^-11 N m^2/kg^2
C) 8.854 x 10^-12 C^2/(N m^2)
D) 1.602 x 10^-19 C
34. In Coulomb's Law, the constant 'k' is known as:
A) Gravitational constant
B) Coulomb's constant
C) Permittivity of free space
D) Planck's constant
35. The mathematical expression for Coulomb's Law for two point charges q1 and q2 separated by a distance r is:
A) F = k * (q1 * q2) / r
B) F = k * (q1 + q2) / r^2
C) F = k * sqrt(q1 * q2) / r^2
D) F = k * (q1 * q2) * r^2
36. Coulomb's Law states that the force between two point charges is:
A) Directly proportional to the product of the charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.
B) Inversely proportional to the product of the charges and directly proportional to the square of the distance between them.
C) Directly proportional to the sum of the charges and inversely proportional to the distance between them.
D) Inversely proportional to the product of the charges and directly proportional to the distance between them.
37. Coulomb's Law describes the force between:
A) Moving charges
B) Stationary electric charges
C) Magnetic poles
D) Gravitational masses
38. The smallest unit of free charge observed in nature is the elementary charge, denoted by 'e'. Its value is approximately:
A) 1.602 x 10^-19 C
B) 1.602 x 10^19 C
C) 6.674 x 10^-11 N m^2/kg^2
D) 9.109 x 10^-31 kg
39. Electric charge is quantized. This means that charge is always found in integral multiples of:
A) The charge of an electron
B) The charge of a proton
C) The elementary charge (e)
D) The charge of a neutron
40. When a glass rod is rubbed with silk, the rod becomes positively charged. This means:
A) Electrons are transferred from glass to silk.
B) Protons are transferred from glass to silk.
C) Electrons are transferred from silk to glass.
D) Protons are transferred from silk to glass.
41. In any isolated system, the total electric charge remains:
A) Variable
B) Zero
C) Constant
D) Positive
42. The conservation of charge principle states that:
A) Charge can be created but not destroyed.
B) Charge can be destroyed but not created.
C) Charge can neither be created nor destroyed, only transferred.
D) Charge is quantized.
43. The charge on a single proton is approximately:
A) 1.602 x 10^-19 C
B) -1.602 x 10^-19 C
C) 1.672 x 10^-27 kg
D) 0 C
44. The charge on a single electron is approximately:
A) 1.602 x 10^-19 C
B) -1.602 x 10^-19 C
C) 9.109 x 10^-31 C
D) 6.022 x 10^23 C
45. Which type of charge is carried by a proton?
A) Positive
B) Negative
C) Neutral
D) Zero
46. Which type of charge is carried by an electron?
A) Positive
B) Negative
C) Neutral
D) Both positive and negative
47. The SI unit of electric charge is:
A) Ampere
B) Volt
C) Coulomb
D) Ohm
48. Electric charge is a ______ quantity.
A) Scalar
B) Vector
C) Tensor
D) Pseudovector
49. What is the fundamental property of matter responsible for electric phenomena?
A) Mass
B) Charge
C) Energy
D) Momentum