CHAPTER 1: ELECTRIC CHARGES AND FIELD Grade 12
QUESTIONS with SOLUTIONS
Answer the following Questions
1. The electrostatic force between two point charges of equal magnitude
12µC each separated by 10 cm of distance is ______________________.
(a) 100.24 N (b) 129.6 N (c) 150 N (d) 167.8 N
q1 q2 9 𝑥 109 𝑥 12 𝑥 10−6 𝑥 12 𝑥 10−6
F= =
4πε0 r2 0.1 𝑥 0.1
F = 129.600 N
2. A charge of 2 X 10-7 C is acted upon by a force of 0.1 N. The distance to the
other charge of 4.5 X 10-7 C, when both the charges are in vacuum is
________________.
(a) 2 cm (b) 4 cm (c) 6 cm (d) 9 cm
q1 q2 q1 q2
F= r2 =
4πε0 r2 4πε0 F
9 𝑥 109 𝑥 2 𝑥 10−7 𝑥 4.5 𝑥 10−7
r2 = = 81 x 10-4
0.1
r = 9 x 10-2 m or 9 cm
3. Which of the following statements is incorrect?
(a) The SI unit of Electric field is V/m.
(b) When a closed surface is placed in an electric field, the number of field
lines entering the surface is equal to the number of field lines exiting the
surface.
(c) Quantisation of charges can be mathematically written as Q =ne
(d) Electric Flux is a vector quantity
4. A point positive charge is brought near an isolated conducting sphere. The
electric field is best given by
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(a) Fig (i)
(b) Fig (ii)
(c) Fig (iii)
(d) Fig (iv)
This is because the electric field is from positive to negative, and is always
normal to the surface. The +q charge induces a negative charge on the left
side of the sphere and a positive charge on the right side.
5. A point charge +q, is placed at a distance d from an isolated conducting
plane. The field at a point P on the other side of the plane is
(a) directed perpendicular to the plane and away from the plane.
(b) directed perpendicular to the plane but towards the plane.
(c) directed radially away from the point charge.
(d) directed radially towards the point charge.
6. For a charge Q1, the effect of charge Q2 on Q1 will be
(a) F1 and F2 are not equal
(b) F1 = F2 = 0
(c) F1 = F2 ≠ 0
(d) F1 + F2 = 0
7. Four charges q, q, 3q and 4q are placed at the corners A, B, C and D of a
square as shown in the figure. The field at the centre O of square has the
electric field direction along
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(a) AB
(b) CB
(c) AC
(d) DB
The net force due to the charge ‘q’ at A and due to the charge
‘3q’ at C will be along the direction CA indicated by the blue
arrow.
The net force due to the charge ‘2q’ at B and due to the charge
‘4q’ at D will be along the direction DB indicated by the red
arrow.
The overall resultant force will therefore be along the diagonal
in the direction CB (parallel to side CB) as indicated by the
dotted black arrow.
8. Figure shows electric field lines in which an electric dipole p is placed as
shown.
Which of the following statements is correct?
(a) The dipole will not experience any force.
(b) The dipole will experience a force towards right.
(c) The dipole will experience a force towards left.
(d) The dipole will experience a force upwards.
9. Free electrons in an electric field travel
(a) From region of higher potential to a region of lower potential
(b) From region of lower potential to a region of higher potential
(c) From one point to another, and is independent of the potential
(d) From a region of positive potential to a region of negative potential
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10. Five charges, q each are placed at the corners of a regular pentagon of side
‘a’ as shown in the figure below. What will be the electric field at O, the
centre of the pentagon?
(a) 5Q/4πεor2
(b) Zero
(c) Q/4πεor2
(d) -2 N/C
11. Which of the following statements is incorrect?
(a) The SI unit of Electric field is V/m.
(b) When a closed surface is placed in an electric field, the number of field
lines entering the surface is equal to the number of field lines exiting the
surface.
(c) Quantisation of charges can be mathematically written as Q =ne
(d) Electric Flux is a vector quantity
12.
An arbitrary surface encloses a dipole. What is the electric flux through this
surface?
(a) Zero
(b) q/ε0
(c) q/2ε0
(d) 2q/ε0
13. The Electric flux through the surface
(a) in Fig.(iv) is the largest.
(b) in Fig.(iii) is the least.
(c) in Fig.(ii) is same as Fig. (iii) but is smaller than Fig. (iv)
(d) is the same for all the figures.
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14. Refer to the arrangement of charges in Fig. and a Gaussian surface of radius
R with Q at the centre. Then
(a) total flux through the surface of the sphere is –2Q/ε0
(b) field on the surface of the sphere is –Q/4πε0R2
(c) flux through the surface of sphere due to 5Q is zero.
(d) field on the surface of sphere due to –2Q is same everywhere.
15. Five charges q1, q2, q3, q4, and q5 are fixed at their positions as shown in the
figure below. S is a Gaussian surface. The Gauss’s law is given by
𝐪
∮ 𝐄. 𝐝𝐬 = ∈
𝟎
Which of the following statements is correct?
(a) E on the LHS of the above equation will have a contribution from q1, q5
and q3 while q on the RHS will have a contribution from q2 and q4 only.
(b) E on the LHS of the above equation will have a contribution from
all charges while q on the RHS will have a contribution from q 2 and q4
only.
(c) E on the LHS of the above equation will have a contribution from all
charges while q on the RHS will have a contribution from q1, q3 and q5 only.
(d) Both E on the LHS and q on the RHS will have contributions from q2 and
q4 only.
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16. A positive charge Q is uniformly distributed along a circular ring of radius
R. A small test charge q is placed at the centre of the ring as shown in the
figure below:
Then
(a) If q > 0 and is displaced away from the centre in the plane of the ring, it
will be pushed back towards the centre.
(b) If q < 0 and is displaced away from the centre in the plane of the ring, it
will never return to the centre and will continue moving till it hits the ring.
(c) If q < 0, it will perform SHM for small displacement along the axis.
(d) All of the above
Solution: (d)
For questions below two statements are given – one labelled Assertion (A)
and the other labelled Reason (R). Select the correct answer to these
questions from the codes (a), (b), (c) and (d) as given below:
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
(b) Both A and R are true but R is NOT the correct explanation of A.
(c) A is true but R is false.
(d) A is false and R is also false.
1
Assertion: One of the three basic properties of charges is additivity.
Reasoning: Charges are vector quantities as they have polarity.
(c) A is true but R is false.
Charges are scalar quantities irrespective of their polarity.
2 Assertion: There is a huge practical consequence of Quantisation of Charge
in the macroscopic level.
Reasoning: At the macroscopic levels, one deals with charges that are less
compared to the magnitude of charge e.
(d) A is false and R is also false.
There is no practical consequence of Quantisation of Charge in the
macroscopic level.
At the macroscopic levels, one deals with charges that are enormous
compared to the magnitude of charge e.
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3 Assertion: The charges acquired after rubbing are lost when the charged
bodies are brought in contact.
Reason: Unlike charges acquired by the objects neutralise or nullify each
other’s effect.
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
4 Assertion (A):
In a uniform electric field, a dipole will have only rotatory motion.
Reason (R):
In a uniform electric field, a dipole experiences a torque with net force
being zero.
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
5 Assertion (A): Gaussian surface is carefully considered.
Reason (R): The point where the electric field has to be calculated should
be within the surface.
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
Case Study Based Questions
1 A simple apparatus to detect charge on a body is an electroscope. It
consists of a vertical metal rod housed in a box, with two thin
conducting leaves attached to its bottom end. When charge is
transferred to the metal knob at the top of the rod, charge flows on to
the leaves and they diverge. The degree of divergence is an indicator
of the amount of charge.
1. Which of the following materials can be used to
make the leaves of the electroscope?
(a) Synthetic rubber
(b) Glass
(c) Gold
(d) Paper
2. The process of transferring charges from a charged
body to an uncharged body by placing the two bodies in contact is called:
(a) Induction
(b) Conduction
(c) Friction
(d) Heating
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3. Both the leaves of a charged electroscope carry
(a) opposite charges
(b) negative charge always due to the flow of electrons
(c) No charge
(d) same charge
4. By using electroscope, if the body is negatively charged then due to
electrostatic induction, then on the leaves there will be appear
A. (a) both positive and negative charges
B. (b) negative charge
C. (c) positive charge
(d) no charge
5. What would the charge on sphere A be if a negative rod was placed near
it and, at the same time, sphere B was moved away?
(a) Positive
(b) Negative
(c) Neutral
(d) Cannot be determined
D. According to Coulomb’s Law, the force F0 between two charges q1 and q2
2. separated in air/vacuum by a distance r is given by F0 =
𝑞1 𝑞2
2. 4𝜋𝜀0 𝑟
When air is replaced by an insulating medium of dielectric constant K, then
𝑞1 𝑞2 𝑞1 𝑞2 𝐹0 ε F0
force Fmedium = = = where ε = ε0K or K = =
4𝜋𝜀𝑟 2 4𝜋𝜀0 𝐾 𝑟 2 𝐾 ε0 𝐹𝑚𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑢𝑚
1. If the medium between two point charges is air, then the value of the
constant K in SI units will be
(a) 5 x 109 Nm2 C-2 (b) 7 x 109 Nm2 C-2 (c) 8 x 109 Nm2 C-2 (d) 9 x 109
Nm2 C-2
Solution: (d) 9 x 109 Nm2 C-2
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2. The ratio of the force of repulsion between two electrons and two
protons separated by the same distance in air is
(a) 1:1 (b) me : mp (c) mp : me (d) 1: 2
Solution: (a) 1:1
3. Two charges +3μC and - 5μC are held unit distance apart. The ratio of
forces exerted by one charge on the other is
(a) 3 : 5 (b) 5 : 3 (c) 1 : 1 (d) 15 : 1
Solution: (c) 1 : 1
4. A force of magnitude 12N acts on two charges +8μC and - 6μC held a
certain distance apart in air. A charge of +4μC is added to each. The
magnitude of force between the new charges held the same distance apart
in air would be
(a) 12N (b) 2N (c) 6N (d) 24N
Solution: (c) 6N
F′ q′1 q′2 (+8+4)(−6+4) −24
= = = =½
F q1 q2 (+8)(−6) −48
F′
= ½ ½ x 12 = 6N
12
5. A force of 2.25N acts on a charge of 15 x 10-4C. The intensity of electric
field at the point is
(a) 150 NC-1 (b) 15 NC-1 (c) 1500 NC-1 (d) 1.5 NC-1
Solution: (c) 1500 NC-1
F 2.25
Electric field, E = = = 1500 NC-1
𝑞 15 x 10−4
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