Physics MCQs
Topic Notes: Physics
MCQs and preparation resources for competitive exams, covering important concepts, past papers, and detailed explanations.
Plato
- Biography: Ancient Greek philosopher (427–347 BCE), student of Socrates and teacher of Aristotle, founder of the Academy in Athens.
- Important Ideas:
- Theory of Forms
- Philosopher-King
- Ideal State
1
What is the fundamental property of matter that causes it to exert an attractive or repulsive force on other objects?
Answer:
charge
Electric charge is a fundamental physical property of matter that causes it to experience a force when placed in an electromagnetic field. Charges can be positive or negative; like charges repel each other, while opposite charges attract each other. This interaction is the basis for all electrostatic phenomena.
2
What fundamental physical property is primarily responsible for the forces of attraction or repulsion observed between substances?
Answer:
electric charges
Electric charge is a fundamental property of matter that causes objects to experience a force when placed in an electromagnetic field. According to Coulomb's law, like charges repel and opposite charges attract. While atoms and neutrons are components of matter, the specific interaction force between substances at the macroscopic or microscopic level is governed by the distribution and movement of electric charges.
3
Which method is commonly used to generate static electric charge between two non-conductive bodies?
Answer:
rubbing
Static electricity is generated through the triboelectric effect, which occurs when two different materials are brought into contact and then separated, often through rubbing. This process causes electrons to be transferred from one material to the other, resulting in one body becoming positively charged and the other negatively charged.
4
How is electrostatic force best defined?
Answer:
the force exerted by a charged body
Electrostatic force is a non-contact force that exists between stationary electric charges. It is defined by Coulomb's Law, which states that the force between two point charges is proportional to the product of the charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. It is a fundamental interaction in electromagnetism.
5
Calculate the electrostatic force between two point charges of 500μC and 100μC separated by 0.5 meters in air.
Answer:
1800 N
Using Coulomb's Law, F = k * |q1 * q2| / r^2, where k is approximately 9 x 10^9 N m^2/C^2. Plugging in the values: F = (9 x 10^9) * (500 x 10^-6) * (100 x 10^-6) / (0.5)^2. This calculation yields 1800 N. The force is attractive if the charges have opposite signs and repulsive if they have the same sign.
6
Coulomb’s law is strictly applicable to point charges under which of the following size conditions?
Answer:
very small
Coulomb's law describes the electrostatic force between two stationary point charges. The law assumes that the dimensions of the charged objects are negligible compared to the distance separating them. Therefore, the charges must be treated as point charges, which implies they are effectively very small in size relative to the separation distance to ensure the inverse-square law holds accurately.
7
Which fundamental property of matter is responsible for the forces of attraction or repulsion between objects?
Answer:
charge
Electric charge is a fundamental physical property of matter that causes it to experience a force when placed in an electromagnetic field. Charges of the same sign repel each other, while charges of opposite signs attract each other.
8
What is the electrical charge state of a glass rod after it has been rubbed with a silk cloth?
Answer:
positively charged
When a glass rod is rubbed with silk, electrons are transferred from the glass to the silk due to the difference in electron affinity. Since the glass loses electrons, it acquires a net positive charge, while the silk acquires a net negative charge.
9
How does a negative charge interact with another negative charge?
Answer:
repels negative charge
According to the fundamental laws of electrostatics, like charges exert repulsive forces on each other. Therefore, a negative charge will experience a repulsive force when placed in the vicinity of another negative charge, consistent with Coulomb's Law.
10
According to Coulomb’s Law, the electrostatic force between two point charges is inversely proportional to which factor?
Answer:
square of the distance between them
Coulomb's Law states that the force between two point charges is directly proportional to the product of the magnitudes of the charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance separating them (F = k * |q1q2| / r²).