physics quiz 1

Question 1

What is electric charge?

Answer 1

A property of matter that causes objects to experience a force when placed in an electric field.

Question 2

What are the two types of electric charge?

Answer 2

• Positive (protons)
• Negative (electrons)

Question 3

What happens to the number of protons and electrons in neutral objects?

Answer 3

Objects have an equal number of protons and electrons.

Question 4

How do electrons move compared to protons and neutrons?

Answer 4

Electrons move easily, while protons and neutrons remain in the nucleus.

Question 5

What two factors does the force between charged objects depend on?

Answer 5

• The amount of charge on each object
• The distance between objects

Question 6

What does the Law of Electrostatics state?

Answer 6

• Like charges repel
• Opposite charges attract
• A neutral object is attracted to a charged object.

Question 7

What are conductors?

Answer 7

Materials that allow electrons to move freely.

Question 8

Give examples of conductors.

Answer 8

• Copper
• Aluminum
• Water

Question 9

What are insulators?

Answer 9

Materials that do not allow electrons to move easily.

Question 10

Give examples of insulators.

Answer 10

• Plastic
• Rubber
• Glass

Question 11

What are semiconductors?

Answer 11

Materials that can conduct electricity under certain conditions.

Question 12

What is static electricity?

Answer 12

Occurs when electric charges build up on an object.

Question 13

What are the three ways to charge an object?

Answer 13

• Friction
• Contact
• Induction

Question 14

What happens during friction charging?

Answer 14

When two objects rub together, electrons move from one object to another, causing a buildup of charge.

Question 15

How does contact charging work?

Answer 15

When a charged object comes in direct contact with a neutral object, electrons transfer, and the neutral object becomes charged.

Question 16

What is induction in charging?

Answer 16

When a charged object is brought near a neutral object, the charges in the neutral object rearrange without direct contact.

Question 17

What is the Electrostatic Series?

Answer 17

A list of materials ranked by how easily they gain or lose electrons.

Question 18

What happens to materials higher on the Electrostatic Series?

Answer 18

They lose electrons and become positive.

Question 19

What happens to materials lower on the Electrostatic Series?

Answer 19

They gain electrons and become negative.

Question 20

What is lightning?

Answer 20

A large-scale example of static electricity.

Question 21

Describe the formation of lightning.

Answer 21

• Friction inside storm clouds causes electrons to move.
• The bottom of the cloud becomes negatively charged, while the top is positively charged.
• The ground becomes positively charged due to induction.
• When the charge difference is too great, electrons jump to the ground, creating a lightning strike.

Question 22

What happens when an atom loses electrons?

Answer 22

It becomes positively charged.

Question 23

What is the primary difference between static electricity and current electricity?

Answer 23

Static electricity occurs when electric charges build-up on an object; current electricity involves the flow of electric charge through a conductor.

Question 24

What is a conductor?

Answer 24

Materials that allow electrons to move freely.

Question 25

What is an insulator?

Answer 25

Materials that do not allow electrons to move easily.

Question 26

How do neutral objects behave when placed near a strongly charged object?

Answer 26

They are attracted to the object.

Question 27

What does a positively charged object have in relation to electrons?

Answer 27

It has less electrons than protons.

Question 28

What is the process called when an object gains charge without direct contact?

Answer 28

Induction.

Question 29

Why do negatively charged balloons stick to neutral walls?

Answer 29

Due to induction, where the charges in the neutral object rearrange without direct contact.

Question 30

Describe an experiment that demonstrates the difference between a conductor and an insulator.

Answer 30

* Test the conductor: Place a metal spoon between the two loose ends of the wire. If the spoon is a good conductor, the light bulb will light up. * Test the insulator: Replace the metal spoon with a plastic or rubber object. The light bulb should not light up because the insulator does not allow the flow of electricity.

Question 31

How does humidity affect static electricity?

Answer 31

* High humidity: Water molecules help dissipate static charges. * Low humidity: Fewer water molecules cause static electricity to accumulate more easily.

Question 32

Why are static shocks more common in dry air?

Answer 32

In dry air, static electricity accumulates more easily because electrons cannot move freely.

Question 33

What charge does a glass rod acquire when rubbed with silk?

Answer 33

Positive charge.

Question 34

What charge does silk acquire when rubbed with a glass rod?

Answer 34

Negative charge.

Question 35

How does a lightning rod protect buildings from lightning strikes?

Answer 35

* Attracts the negative charge in the cloud. * Provides a safe path for the electrical charge to travel to the ground. * Prevents damage to the building and reduces the risk of fire or electrical hazards.