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CSEE (Form 4) Electrostatics — practice questions

Explore 27 free Electrostatics questions in CSEE (Form 4) Physics. Open each question or exercise to read its content, reference answers and available explanation.

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Electrostatics questions and exercises with answers

Showing questions 1–27 of 27.

How does a neutral object become negatively charged?Read the answer and worked solution →Excess charge is placed on a metal sphere standing on an insulating stand. Where does that charge settle?Read the answer and worked solution →Which property of charge is this?Read the answer and worked solution →Complete the quantisation ruleRead the answer and worked solution →True or false: charge and its propertiesRead the answer and worked solution →Conductor or insulator?Read the answer and worked solution →The sign convention from frictionRead the answer and worked solution →Complete Coulomb's lawRead the answer and worked solution →Constants and magnitudesRead the answer and worked solution →True or false: the superposition principleRead the answer and worked solution →Complete the definition of electric fieldRead the answer and worked solution →Which way does the field point?Read the answer and worked solution →True or false: electric field linesRead the answer and worked solution →Match each term to its definitionRead the answer and worked solution →Assertion and reasonRead the answer and worked solution →Tap every statement true of Coulomb's lawRead the answer and worked solution →Two are true, one is notRead the answer and worked solution →Three of these are wrong. Find the one that holds.Read the answer and worked solution →Order the steps: net force on one charge among manyRead the answer and worked solution →Flip and pair: symbol with meaningRead the answer and worked solution →Spot the one that does not belongRead the answer and worked solution →Mobile chargesRead the answer and worked solution →True or false: fields and forcesRead the answer and worked solution →Assertion and reason: fieldsRead the answer and worked solution →Vector or scalar?Read the answer and worked solution →Complete the conservation statementRead the answer and worked solution →Tap every property your syllabus lists for electric chargeRead the answer and worked solution →

Worked practice questions

How does a neutral object become negatively charged?

  1. It loses some electrons
  2. It gains extra protons
  3. It gains extra electrons
  4. It loses some protons
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Correct answer: C. It gains extra electrons

1. Protons sit locked in the nucleus, so the number of protons in an object stays the same. 2. Only electrons move when everyday objects are charged by contact or rubbing. 3. Adding electrons gives the object an excess of electrons and a negative overall charge. 4. Removing electrons leaves the object electron deficient, which makes it positive instead. _Source: Siyavula Physical Sciences Grade 10 (Everything Science, CC BY 4.0), Chapter 16: Electrostatics_

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Excess charge is placed on a metal sphere standing on an insulating stand. Where does that charge settle?

  1. Spread over the outer surface
  2. Packed at the point of contact
  3. Locked inside the centre
  4. Shared with the air around it
Show answer and solution

Correct answer: A. Spread over the outer surface

1. A metal is a conductor, so its charge carriers are free to move through it. 2. All the excess charges carry the same sign, and like charges repel each other. 3. Each charge pushes the others as far away as it can get. 4. The result is that the charge spreads out over the outside surface of the object. 5. On a sphere the shape is regular, so the spread is even all the way round. 6. Charge staying at the point of contact is what happens on an insulator, not on a conductor. 7. For irregular shapes the charge concentrates near sharp points, which is why buildings carry lightning rods. _Source: Siyavula Physical Sciences Grade 10 (Everything Science, CC BY 4.0), Chapter 16: Electrostatics_

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Which property of charge is this?

Read exercise and reference answers
Items
  1. Item
    Charge comes only in multiples of e
    Category
    Quantisation
  2. Item
    q = ne with n a whole number
    Category
    Quantisation
  3. Item
    Total charge is the algebraic sum of the parts
    Category
    Additivity
  4. Item
    Signs must be taken into account when adding
    Category
    Additivity
  5. Item
    An isolated system's total charge never changes
    Category
    Conservation
  6. Item
    Friction transfers charge but never creates it
    Category
    Conservation
Categories
  1. Item
    Quantisation
  2. Item
    Additivity
  3. Item
    Conservation
syllabus names exactly three basic properties: quantisation, additivity and conservation. Naming them is easy; telling them apart is the actual skill. Source: syllabus Physics Part I, Ch 1 Electric Charges and Fields.

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