This document contains multiple choice questions about electrostatics and concepts such as charge, electric fields, voltage, and capacitors. It tests understanding of fundamental properties like how the net charge of an atom is determined by its protons and electrons, how the strength of the electric force between particles increases as they are brought closer together, and that capacitors can store both charge and energy.

1. Clicker Questions
Chapter 22:
Electrostatics
© 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

2. The net charge of an atom equals
a) the number of protons in its nucleus.
b) the number of electrons surrounding its nucleus.
c) zero if the atom is electrically neutral.
d) always zero.
© 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

3. The net charge of an atom equals
a) the number of protons in its nucleus.
b) the number of electrons surrounding its nucleus.
c) zero if the atom is electrically neutral.
d) always zero.
© 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

4. If a neutral atom has 22 protons in its nucleus,
the number of surrounding electrons is
a) less than 22.
b) 22.
c) more than 22.
d) sometimes any of these in a neutral atom.
© 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

5. If a neutral atom has 22 protons in its nucleus,
the number of surrounding electrons is
a) less than 22.
b) 22.
c) more than 22.
d) sometimes any of these in a neutral atom.
Comment:
Any atom with 22 protons in its nucleus with more or
less than 22 electrons is not neutral.
© 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

6. When we say charge is conserved, we mean
that charge can
a) be saved, like money in a bank.
b) not be created or destroyed.
c) be created or destroyed, but only in nuclear
reactions.
d) take equivalent forms.
© 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

7. When we say charge is conserved, we mean
that charge can
a) be saved, like money in a bank.
b) not be created or destroyed.
c) be created or destroyed, but only in nuclear
reactions.
d) take equivalent forms.
Explanation:
Electric charge cannot be created or destroyed. It can only be
transferred from one place to another.
© 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

8. A negative ion has more
a) electrons than neutrons.
b) electrons than protons.
c) protons than electrons.
d) neutrons than protons plus electrons.
© 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

9. A negative ion has more
a) electrons than neutrons.
b) electrons than protons.
c) protons than electrons.
d) neutrons than protons plus electrons.
© 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

10. According to Coulomb's law, the force between
a pair of charged particles that are brought
closer together
a) decreases.
b) increases.
c) increases only if the charges are of the same sign.
d) increases only if the charges are of opposite signs.
© 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

11. According to Coulomb's law, the force between
a pair of charged particles that are brought
closer together
a) decreases.
b) increases.
c) increases only if the charges are of the same sign.
d) increases only if the charges are of opposite signs.
© 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

12. When a pair of charged particles are brought
twice as close to each other, the force between
them becomes
a) twice as strong.
b) 4 times as strong.
c) half as strong.
d) one-quarter as strong.
© 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

13. When a pair of charged particles are brought
twice as close to each other, the force between
them becomes
a) twice as strong.
b) 4 times as strong.
c) half as strong.
d) one-quarter as strong.
Comment:
In accord with the inverse-square law.
© 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

14. Unlike Newton's law of gravity, Coulomb's law
involves
a) force at a distance.
b) a proportionality constant.
c) an inverse-square law.
d) repulsive as well as attractive forces.
© 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

15. Unlike Newton's law of gravity, Coulomb's law
involves
a) force at a distance.
b) a proportionality constant.
c) an inverse-square law.
d) repulsive as well as attractive forces.
© 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

16. When you scuff electrons off a rug with your
shoes, your shoes become
a) negatively charged.
b) positively charged.
c) ionic.
d) electrically neutral.
© 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

17. When you scuff electrons off a rug with your
shoes, your shoes become
a) negatively charged.
b) positively charged.
c) ionic.
d) electrically neutral.
© 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

18. When a cloud that is negatively charged on its
bottom and positively charged on its top moves
over the ground below, the ground acquires
a) a negative charge.
b) a positive charge.
c) no charge since the cloud is electrically neutral.
d) an electrically grounded state.
© 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

19. When a cloud that is negatively charged on its
bottom and positively charged on its top moves
over the ground below, the ground acquires
a) a negative charge.
b) a positive charge.
c) no charge since the cloud is electrically neutral.
d) an electrically grounded state.
© 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

20. When a negatively charged balloon is placed
against a wooden door, positive charges in the
wall are
a) attracted to the balloon.
b) repelled from the balloon.
c) too bound to negative charges in the door to have
any effect.
d) neutralized.
© 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

21. When a negatively charged balloon is placed
against a wooden door, positive charges in the
wall are
a) attracted to the balloon.
b) repelled from the balloon.
c) too bound to negative charges in the door to have
any effect.
d) neutralized.
© 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

22. If it takes 10 newtons of force to hold a 0.1-
coulomb particle at rest in an electric field, the
strength of the field there is
a) 1 N/C.
b) 10 N/C.
c) 100 N/C.
d) 1000 N/C.
© 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

23. If it takes 10 newtons of force to hold a 0.1-
coulomb particle at rest in an electric field, the
strength of the field there is
a) 1 N/C.
b) 10 N/C.
c) 100 N/C.
d) 1000 N/C.
© 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

24. In the electric field surrounding a group of
charged particles, field strength is greater
where field lines are
a) thickest.
b) longest.
c) farthest apart.
d) closest.
© 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

25. In the electric field surrounding a group of
charged particles, field strength is greater
where field lines are
a) thickest.
b) longest.
c) farthest apart.
d) closest.
© 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

26. Electrons on the surface of a conductor will
arrange themselves such that the electric field
a) inside cancels to zero.
b) follows the inverse-square law.
c) tends toward a state of minimum energy.
d) is shielded from external charges.
© 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

27. Electrons on the surface of a conductor will
arrange themselves such that the electric field
a) inside cancels to zero.
b) follows the inverse-square law.
c) tends toward a state of minimum energy.
d) is shielded from external charges.
© 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

28. The change in potential energy of a charged
object depends on
a) the work done on it.
b) its location.
c) its mass.
d) both mass and location.
© 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

29. The change in potential energy of a charged
object depends on
a) the work done on it.
b) its location.
c) its mass.
d) both mass and location.
© 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

30. Normally, a rubber balloon charged to
thousands of volts has a relatively
a) large amount of charge.
b) small amount of energy.
c) small electric potential.
d) small electric field.
© 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

31. Normally, a rubber balloon charged to
thousands of volts has a relatively
a) large amount of charge.
b) small amount of energy.
c) small electric potential.
d) small electric field.
© 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

32. A superconductor has the property of
a) changing from a conductor to an insulator.
b) becoming conducting when illuminated with light.
c) having a low electrical resistance.
d) All of the above.
© 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

33. A superconductor has the property of
a) changing from a conductor to an insulator.
b) becoming conducting when illuminated with light.
c) having a low electrical resistance.
d) All of the above.
Comment:
Don't confuse a superconductor with a semiconductor!
© 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

34. Electric potential and electric potential energy
are
a) one and the same in most cases.
b) two terms for the same concept.
c) Both of these.
d) None of these.
© 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

35. Electric potential and electric potential energy
are
a) one and the same in most cases.
b) two terms for the same concept.
c) Both of these.
d) None of these.
Explanation:
Electric potential is electric potential energy per charge, a ratio of
energy per charge in units joules per coulomb (volts). Electric
potential energy has units of joules.
© 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

36. Voltage is electric potential energy per charge
measured in units of
a) volts.
b) joules.
c) coulombs.
d) amperes.
© 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

37. Voltage is electric potential energy per charge
measured in units of
a) volts.
b) joules.
c) coulombs.
d) amperes.
© 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

38. The thing that we measure in joules per
coulomb is
a) electric force.
b) electric field.
c) electric current.
d) voltage.
© 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

39. The thing that we measure in joules per
coulomb is
a) electric force.
b) electric field.
c) electric current.
d) voltage.
© 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

40. A capacitor can store
a) charge.
b) energy.
c) Both.
d) Neither.
© 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

41. A capacitor can store
a) charge.
b) energy.
c) Both.
d) Neither.
© 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.