Topic 5.

1 Electric Field 2019

1. A negatively charged particle in a uniform
gravitational field is positioned mid-way between
two charged conducting plates.
The potential difference between the plates is
adjusted until the particle is held at rest relative to
the plates.
What change will cause the particle to accelerate
downwards relative to the plates?
A. Decreasing the charge on the particle
B. Decreasing the separation of the plates
C. Increasing the length of the plates
D. Increasing the potential difference between the plates
Markscheme A
2. A thin copper wire and a thick copper wire are connected in series to an electric
cell. Which quantity will be greater in the thin wire?
A. Current
B. Number of free charge carriers per unit volume
C. Net number of charge carriers crossing a section of a wire every second
D. Drift speed of the charge carriers
Markscheme D
3. The force acting between two point charges is F when the separation of the charges
is x . What is the force between the charges when the separation is increased to 3 x ?
F F F F
A. B. 2 C. D. 2
3 3x 9 9x

Markscheme C
4. Charge flows through a liquid. The charge flow is made up of positive and negative
ions. In one second 0.10 C of negative ions flow in one direction and 0.10 C of
positive ions flow in the opposite direction.
What is the magnitude of the electric current flowing through the liquid?
A. 0 A B. 0.05 A C. 0.10 A D. 0.20 A
Markscheme D

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5. A particle with a charge ne is accelerated through a potential difference V.
What is the magnitude of the work done on the particle?
nV eV
A. eV B. neV C. D.
e n

Markscheme B
6. What is the unit of electrical potential difference expressed in fundamental SI units?

A. kg m s-1 C-1
B. kg m2 s-2 C-1
C. kg m2 s-3 A-1
D. kg m2 s-1 A
Markscheme C
7. Two parallel plates are a distance apart with a potential difference between them. A
point charge moves from the negatively charged plate to the positively charged
plate. The charge gains kinetic energy W. The distance between the plates is
doubled and the potential difference between them is halved. What is the kinetic
energy gained by an identical charge moving between these plates?
W
A. B. W C. 2W D. 4W
2

Markscheme A
8. Two copper wires X and Y are connected in series. The diameter of Y is double that
of X. The drift speed in X is v. What is the drift speed in Y?
v v
A. B. C. 2v D. 4v
4 2

Markscheme A
9. An electron enters the region between two charged parallel plates initially moving
parallel to the plates.

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 The electromagnetic force acting on the electron
A. causes the electron to decrease its horizontal speed.
B. causes the electron to increase its horizontal speed.
C. is parallel to the field lines and in the opposite direction to them.
D. is perpendicular to the field direction.
Markscheme C
10.An ion of charge +Q moves vertically upwards through a small distance s in a
uniform vertical electric field. The electric field has a strength E and its direction is
shown in the diagram.

What is the electric potential difference between the initial and final position of
the ion?
EQ E
A. B. EQs C. Es D.
s s

Markscheme C

11. Two wires, X and Y, are made from the same metal. The wires are connected in
series. The radius of X is twice that of Y. The carrier drift speed in X is vX and in Y it
is vY.
vX
What is the value of the ratio ?
vY

A. 0.25 B. 0.50 C. 2.00 D. 4.00

Markscheme A
12.An electron is accelerated through a potential difference of 2.5 MV. What is the
change in kinetic energy of the electron?
A. 0.4μJ B. 0.4 nJ C. 0.4 pJ D. 0.4 fJ
Markscheme C
13.The diagram shows two equal and opposite charges that are fixed in place.

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 At which points is the net electric field directed to the right?
A. X and Y only B. Z and Y only
C. X and Z only D. X, Y and Z
Markscheme C
14. A wire has variable cross-sectional area. The cross-sectional area at Y is double
that at X.

At X, the current in the wire is I and the electron drift speed is v. What is the
current and the electron drift speed at Y?

Markscheme B

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15. Electrons, each with a charge e, move with speed v along a metal wire. The electric
current in the wire is I.

Plane P is perpendicular to the wire. How many electrons pass through plane P in
each second?
e ve I I
A. B. C. D.
I I ve e

Markscheme D
16. Positive charge is uniformly distributed on a semi-circular plastic rod. What is the
direction of the electric field strength at point S?

Markscheme B
17. A –5µC charge and a +10µC charge are a fixed distance apart.

Where can the electric field be zero?

A. position I only B. position II only
C. position III only D. positions I, II and III
Markscheme C

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18.Three fixed charges, +Q, –Q and –2Q, are at the vertices of an equilateral triangle.
What is the resultant force on an electron at the centre of the triangle?

Markscheme B
19. A +3 C charge and a −4 C charge are a distance x apart. P is a distance x from the
+3 C charge on the straight line joining the charges.

What is the magnitude of the electric field strength at P?

1 1 1 1
A. 2 B. 2 C. 2 D. 2
π ε0 x 2 π ε0 x 4 π ε0 x 7 π ε0 x

Markscheme B
20. What is the definition of electric current?
A. The ratio of potential difference across a component to the resistance of the
component
B. The power delivered by a battery per unit potential difference
C. The rate of flow of electric charge
D. The energy per unit charge dissipated in a power supply
Markscheme C

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21. Which diagram represents the pattern of electric field lines of two small positive
point charges held at the positions shown?

Markscheme B
22. A particle with positive charge +q moves freely from one plate held at potential V1
to another plate held at potential V2.

Which of the following is the electric potential energy lost by the charge?
A. qV1 B. qV2 C. q(V1+V2) D. q(V1−V2)
Markscheme D
23. Two point charges of size +2q and –q are placed as shown below. In which of the
regions I, II and III can the resultant electric field strength be zero?

A. I only B. II only C. III only D. I and III only

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 Markscheme C
24. The electric potential is VR at a point R in an electric field and at another point S the
electric potential is VS. Which of the following is the work done by the electric field
on a point charge +q as it moves from R to S?
A. VR-VS B. q(VR-VS) C. VS-VR D. q(VS-VR)
Markscheme B
25. An electron has a kinetic energy of 4.8×10 –10J. What is the equivalent value of this
kinetic energy?
A. 3.0 eV B. 3.0 keV C. 3.0 MeV D. 3.0 GeV
Markscheme D
26. Coulomb’s law refers to electric charges that are
A. on any charged objects. B. charged hollow spheres.
C. charged solid spheres. D. point charges.
Markscheme D
27. Which of the following is the best representation of the electric field lines around a
negatively charged metal sphere?

Markscheme B
28. One electronvolt is equal to
A. 1.6×10−19 C B. 1.6×10−19 J
C. 1.6×10−19 V D. 1.6×10−19 W
Markscheme B
29. Two electrodes, separated by a distance d, in a vacuum are maintained at a
constant potential difference. An electron, accelerated from one electrode to the
other, gains kinetic energy Ek.
1
The distance between the electrodes is now changed to d.
3

What is the gain in kinetic energy of an electron that is accelerated from one
electrode to the other?

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 Ek
A. B. Ek C. 3Ek D. 9Ek
3
Markscheme B
30.Two isolated point charges, -7 μC and +2 μC, are at a fixed distance apart. At which
point is it possible for the electric field strength to be zero?

Markscheme D
31. A positively charged particle follows a circular path as shown below.

Which of the following electric fields could have caused the charged particle to
follow the above path?

Markscheme A

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32. The diagram below shows a uniform electric field of strength E. The field is in a
vacuum.

An electron enters the field with a velocity v in the direction shown. The electron
is moving in the plane of the paper. The path followed by the electron will be
A. parabolic.
B. in the direction of E.
C. in the direction of v.
D. circular.
Markscheme A
33. Three positive point charges of equal magnitude are held at the corners X, Y and Z
of a right-angled triangle. The point P is at the midpoint of XY. Which of the arrows
shows the direction of the electric field at point P?

Markscheme B

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34. Which of the following diagrams illustrates the electric field pattern of a negatively
charged sphere?

Markscheme A
35. Four point charges of magnitudes +q , +q , −q , and −q are held in place at the
corners of a square of side r .

The Coulomb constant is k . Which of the following is the electrical potential at the
centre of the square O?
4 kq 4 kq √ 2 −4 kq √ 2
A. 0 B. C. D.
r r r2

Markscheme A

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36. Which diagram best represents the electric field due to a negatively charged
conducting sphere?

Markscheme C
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