TJ Physics Team

Electrostatics Practice Test

This exam is designed to mimic AP Physics level test questions. If any question requires
clarification, please DM Ellie Chen, Taohan Lin, or Luke Wang, or email
tjhsstphysicsteam@gmail.com.

MCQ

1. Two identical particles of charge 1 nC and mass 1 g are traveling directly towards each
other at velocity 10 m/s. Initially, they are 10 m away from each other. After a long time
passes, what is the final velocity of the charges?
a. 30.0 m/s
b. 30.8 m/s
c. 31.6 m/s
d. 43.0 m/s
e. 43.6 m/s
2. Small charges of charge +q, +3q, and -2q are placed at (0, 0, 0), (2, 0, 0), and (6, 0, 0)
respectively. Sphere A is centered at the origin and has radius 7. Sphere B is centered at
(2, 0, 0) and has radius 3. Sphere C is centered at (6, 0, 0) and has radius 1. Which of the
following correctly rank the magnitude of electric flux (denoted Φ) through these 3
spheres?
a. ΦA > ΦB > ΦC
b. ΦB > ΦA = ΦC
c. ΦB > ΦA > ΦC
d. ΦC > ΦB > ΦA
e. ΦA = ΦB = ΦC
3. Which of the following are zero?
I. Electric field within a conductor
II. Rate of change in potential in direction perpendicular to an equipotential surface
III. Net force on a system with two charges +q and -q of mass m connected by a
massless rod in a uniform electric field
a. I only
b. II only
c. III only
d. I and II
 e. None of the above
4. A conductor has charge q 1 and another conductor has charge q2. The conductors are
touched and separated. Which of the following must be true?
a. The conductors will attract or repel
b. The conductors will not attract or repel.
c. The charges on the conductors will change
d. More than one of the above
e. None of the above
5. Taohan rubs two neutrally charged objects, A and B, against each other. If A gains a net
charge of -3e, which of the following must be true?
I. B is now able to attract a third object with charge 2e.
II. B now has a net positive charge.
III. B has gained electrons.
a. I only
b. II only
c. I and III
d. II and III
e. I, II, and III
6. Luke charges a plastic rod with a rag. He places the rod slightly above a table with paper
hole-cutter fillings on it. Which of the following most accurately describes what
happens?
a. Polarization: the fillings rise onto and fall off the plastic rod; they have been
turned into mobile charges
b. Polarization: the fillings stick to the plastic rod and are given alternating charges,
creating many dipoles
c. Conduction: the fillings rise onto and fall off the plastic rod; they have been
turned into mobile charges
d. Conduction: the fillings stick to the plastic rod and are given alternating charges,
creating many dipoles
e. Nothing happens.
7. A conducting sphere of radius 1 m has a net charge of 1 nC. Another conducting sphere
of radius 3 m has a net charge of 5 nC. These two conducting spheres are touched
together and separated. Find the final charge on the sphere of radius 1 m.
a. 1 nC
b. 1.5 nC
c. 3 nC
d. 4.5 nC
e. 5 nC
8. Three point charges are placed as shown in the diagram below. If B and C exert the same
amount of force on A, what is the ratio of the magnitude of B’s charge to the magnitude
of C’s charge?

a. 2/5
b. 2/√5
c. √5 /2
d. 4/5
e. 5/4
9. A solid sphere with radius R has a net charge of Q and is uniformly dense in both mass
and charge. What is the ratio of magnitude of the electric field at a distance of 2R/3 from
the sphere’s center to the magnitude of the electric field at a distance of 4R/3 from the
sphere’s center?
a. 32/81
b. 16/27
c. 32/27
d. 81/16
e. 8/1
10. Rank the magnitude of the electric field in these three situations from greatest to least.
I. At a point on the surface of a uniformly dense sphere with radius 1 m and charge
4C
II. At a point a distance of 0.2 m from an infinitely long, uniformly charged wire
with charge density 8 C/m
III. At a point a distance of 0.1 m from an infinitely large sheet with charge density 9
C/m2
a. I, II, III
b. I, III, II
c. II, I, III
d. II, III, I
e. III, II, I
FRQ

FRQ 1:

An infinite line of charge of charge density +λ is fixed at the line x = z = 0. A massless rod of
length L has its center at (0, 0, z) with z > L/2, is parallel to the z-axis, and has point charges of
mass M and charges +q and -q attached to its ends with the minus charge closer to the xy-plane.
The rod is initially at rest.
a. Find the initial acceleration of the rod.
b. Find the velocity of the rod after it travels a distance of z/2.
c. The rod is then returned to (0, 0, z) and fixed in place at its center. It is then rotated by a
very small angle θ about its center in the xz plane. Find the period of oscillation of the
rod.
d. Find the maximum speed of the end of the rod during its oscillation period.

FRQ 2:

A thin disk of radius r 1 and charge density +σ is placed centered at the origin and perpendicular
to the x-axis. Another thin disk of radius r 2 and charge density +σ is placed centered at (d, 0, 0)
and perpendicular to the x-axis.
a. Find p such that at (p, 0, 0), the electric field is zero.
b. A cylinder of height h, radius R, and charge density +𝜌 is placed with its axis on the line
defined by x=p, z=0 and has a minimum distance of d from (p, 0, 0). The entire cylinder
is in the region y > 0. Find the magnitude of the electric field at (p, 0, 0).
c. Let the field at some faraway point P = (p, -50d, 0) be E. Surface S is a surface such that
the electric field is constant along it and always perpendicular to it. The two disks and the
cylinder can be found within S. If S contains P, what is the surface area of S?
d. The cylinder is shifted in the +y direction by 25d. Surface S is reformed such that the
electric field is constant along it and always perpendicular to it but still contains P.
Explain what happens to the flux through S and the surface area of S with reasoning.