Physics 5054 · O Level
Electrical charge
66 practice questions on Electrical charge, with worked solutions and instant marking.
A positively charged rod is moved close to an isolated, uncharged conducting sphere. What charges appear on sides X and Y of the sphere?
May/June 2015
If a balloon is rubbed against hair, it becomes negatively charged. The balloon is shown in Fig. 5.1.
May/June 2015
The diagram depicts an uncharged ball covered with metallic paint. The ball hangs on an insulating thread. It is brought close to a positively charged rod. Which diagram indicates the charge distribution on the ball?
May/June 2016
A polythene rod is rubbed using a cloth, and the cloth ends up positively charged. Which statement describes how the charge was transferred?
May/June 2016
The diagram shows thermionic emission from a metal filament. The particles are attracted towards a charged plate. Which row indicates the charge on the plate and the temperature of the metal filament?
May/June 2016
A metal piece P with no charge is placed on an insulator. A positively charged rod is brought near P, as shown in Fig. 7.1.
May/June 2016
A plastic ball carrying charge is stationary. Which fields are present in the area around the ball? ( Ignore the magnetic field of the Earth. )
May/June 2017
A shoe acquires a positive charge by friction as it is rubbed against a carpet. What happens while the shoe is being charged?
May/June 2017
Fig. 8.1 illustrates charges on a rod and a cloth.
May/June 2017
Electrostatics may be a nuisance, but it is also useful.
May/June 2018
The diagram illustrates several white plastic beads inside a transparent plastic box. The box is shaken, causing the beads to rub against the box. The beads then cling to the inner surface of the box. Which row gives a possible explanation for this?
May/June 2019
The sizes of three different electric charges are shown below. In which order should they be arranged, from greatest to least?
May/June 2019
Fig. 5.1 shows part of a machine used to investigate electrostatic charging. Before the machine is switched on, the metal dome and the ball have no charge. Once the machine is switched on, the metal dome gains a negative charge.
May/June 2019
Fig. 8.1 illustrates a device that is used to demonstrate the force on an electron in an electric field.
May/June 2019
Which diagram illustrates the pattern and direction of the electric field lines near a positive charge?
May/June 2021
A positively charged rod is brought near an insulated metal sphere. The sphere is connected to earth, as shown. The earth connection is then taken away and afterwards the rod is removed. Which diagram shows the charges on the sphere after the rod has been removed?
May/June 2021
The diagram illustrates an electrostatic precipitator. It is used to remove dust from air. What occurs at the negative grid?
May/June 2021
A positively charged rod is brought near an insulated metal sphere. The sphere is earthed as shown. The earth connection is then removed, and after that the rod is taken away. Which diagram shows the charges on the sphere after the rod is removed?
May/June 2021
Fig. 5.1 illustrates a way of making sandpaper with static electricity. Glue is sprayed onto paper that is moving. The sticky paper then travels between two metal plates. One plate is positive and the other is negative. An electric field exists between the plates.
May/June 2021
Two metal spheres are supported on insulating stands. Sphere X starts off uncharged, and sphere Y starts off positively charged. A metal rod, held using an insulating handle, is then put into contact with X and Y as shown. What charge will X have and what charge will Y have after the rod has been in contact with them?
May/June 2022
Which device makes use of static electrical charges?
May/June 2022
A copper rod that starts off uncharged is positioned in a uniform electric field $E$. The rod lies parallel to the field. Which diagram illustrates the charges induced on the rod?
May/June 2022
The diagram illustrates a simple electric circuit. Which row gives the charge of an electron and the direction in which electrons flow through the resistor?
May/June 2022
A positively charged rod is brought close to a neutral metal sphere placed on an insulating stand. How is the charge distributed on the sphere?
May/June 2022
Two metal spheres are fixed on insulating stands. Sphere X starts off uncharged and sphere Y starts off positively charged. A metal rod, which is held using an insulating handle, is brought into contact with X and Y as shown. What charges do X and Y have after the rod has been placed in contact with them?
May/June 2022
The diagram illustrates a basic electric circuit. Which row gives the electron’s charge and the direction in which electrons move through the resistor?
May/June 2022
During an electrostatics experiment, a plastic rod is rubbed using a cloth. The cloth acquires a negative charge. Which diagram indicates the charge on the rod and states how charge moves?
May/June 2023
Object X is at rest and has a positive charge. It is acted on by a force because of the field created by object Y. The arrows indicate the direction of the field produced by Y. Which statement about the direction of the force acting on X is correct?
May/June 2023
A shoe gains a positive charge through friction when it is rubbed against a carpet. What occurs as the shoe is charging?
May/June 2023
Plastic and wool act as insulating materials. When samples of plastic and wool are rubbed together, electrons are transferred. Which row indicates the direction of electron transfer and the final charge on each material?
May/June 2024
A rubber balloon that starts off uncharged is rubbed against a woollen cloth, as shown in Fig. 5.1. After rubbing, the balloon becomes negatively charged. Fig. 5.1 includes boxes with the words: "balloon gains [blank] and becomes negatively charged" and "woollen cloth loses [blank] and becomes [blank] charged".
May/June 2024
A polythene rod acquires a charge when it is rubbed with a dry woollen cloth. The charge produced arises from
Oct/Nov 2015
An insulated metal sphere that is positively charged is moved close to another insulated metal sphere with no net charge. Which diagram illustrates the charge distribution on the spheres?
Oct/Nov 2015
What particles are released from the hot filament of a cathode-ray oscilloscope (c.r.o.), and what type of field is used to speed them up?
Oct/Nov 2015
A positively charged insulated metal sphere is moved near an uncharged insulated metal sphere. Which diagram shows how the charge is distributed on the spheres?
Oct/Nov 2015
A metal sphere carrying a positive charge is positioned exactly halfway between two metal rods that were previously uncharged, with one of the rods connected to earth. Which diagram shows the charges on the rods?
Oct/Nov 2016
A positively charged metal sphere is positioned halfway between two metal rods that were both initially uncharged, with one of the rods connected to earth. Which diagram shows the charges on the rods?
Oct/Nov 2016
A polythene rod becomes charged when it is rubbed with a cloth. Which statement explains the reason the cloth becomes charged?
Oct/Nov 2017
What particles are given off by a hot metal filament?
Oct/Nov 2017
A plastic block is rubbed using a silk handkerchief, and the block then becomes charged. What makes the block become charged?
Oct/Nov 2017
A rod with a negative charge is held close to a neutral metal sphere placed on an insulating stand. Which diagram shows how the charge is distributed on the sphere?
Oct/Nov 2017
What particles are given off by a hot metal filament?
Oct/Nov 2017
Which diagram illustrates the electric field surrounding a single positive point charge?
Oct/Nov 2018
Two isolated charges P and Q, equal in magnitude but opposite in sign, create an electric field. How does the field at X differ from the field at Y?
Oct/Nov 2018
A positively charged rod is brought near an insulated metal sphere. The sphere is connected to earth, as shown. The earth link is then taken away, and after that the rod is removed. Which diagram indicates the charges on the sphere once the rod has been removed?
Oct/Nov 2018
Two uncharged conducting spheres, K and L, are placed on insulating stands, with Fig. 5.1 showing a positively charged insulating rod positioned beside K.
Oct/Nov 2018
The cloud base carries a negative charge. The cloud is positioned above a metal mast, as shown. Which row states the charge induced at the top of the mast and explains how it is created?
Oct/Nov 2019
An aircraft travelling through the air acquires an electric charge. What is the reason for this?
Oct/Nov 2019
A metal plate X is connected to earth via a battery. The plate carries a positive charge. A second metal plate Y is at first uncharged and linked to earth. It is arranged parallel to X. What occurs as Y is moved nearer to X?
Oct/Nov 2019
A polythene rod is moved close to a stream of water coming from a metal tap that is earthed. Tap water is an electrical conductor. The water is attracted towards the rod, as illustrated. Which description of the rod and water is correct?
Oct/Nov 2020
A small negative charge is put at a point where the electric field points vertically upwards. A force acts on the charge because of the field. Which direction does the force act in?
Oct/Nov 2020
A plastic ball carrying electric charge is stationary. What kinds of field does the ball produce?
Oct/Nov 2020
A plastic ball carrying an electric charge is stationary. Which kinds of field does the ball produce?
Oct/Nov 2020
An electron has mass. In what region does an electron at rest experience a force?
Oct/Nov 2021
A positively charged plastic rod is brought close to, but kept away from, an insulated metal ball that was initially uncharged. No charge is transferred from the rod. What charges could be present on the left-hand side and the right-hand side of the ball?
Oct/Nov 2021
A plastic rod that begins neutral is rubbed with a woollen cloth. After the rubbing, the rod has a positive charge.
Oct/Nov 2021
A plastic rod and a cloth are both initially uncharged. The rod is then rubbed against the cloth, and the cloth becomes positively charged. What sign does the charge on the plastic rod have, and why does the rod become charged?
Oct/Nov 2022
Two plastic rods carrying opposite charges are positioned near each other. Which row states and explains their motion?
Oct/Nov 2022
A plastic rod that is initially uncharged is rubbed with an uncharged woollen cloth. The rod then becomes negatively charged.
Oct/Nov 2022
As an aircraft moves through the air, it acquires an electric charge. What is the reason for this?
Oct/Nov 2023
Two metal spheres are moved nearer to one another. They push apart from each other. Which statement explains this?
Oct/Nov 2023
A student rubs several rods while holding them in his hand. Which rod acquires a large electrostatic charge?
Oct/Nov 2023
When a plastic strip is rubbed using a cloth, the plastic ends up with a negative charge. Which statement accounts for this?
Oct/Nov 2024
Two conducting plates are placed parallel to each other and charged. The upper plate has a positive charge. The lower plate has a charge of the same magnitude, but it is negative. Which diagram shows the pattern and direction of the electric field between the two plates?
Oct/Nov 2024
A plastic rod is charged after being rubbed with a cloth. Which statement explains why the rod has a charge?
Oct/Nov 2024
A student carries out an investigation into electrostatic charge using a balloon and a cloth. At the start, neither the balloon nor the cloth has any charge. The student then rubs the balloon with the cloth. As a result, the balloon acquires a negative charge of magnitude Q. The cloth also becomes charged, and a force acts between the balloon and the cloth. Which row gives the correct magnitude and sign of the charge on the cloth, together with the type of force between the balloon and the cloth?
Oct/Nov 2025