Test 1

Question 1

conductor

Answer 1

a material that allows electrons to move separately from their atomic orbits

Question 2

conductor*

Answer 2

an object with properties that allow charges to move about freely within it

Question 3

Coulomb force

Answer 3

the interaction between two charged particles generated by the coulomb forces they exert on one another

Question 4

Coulomb’s law

Answer 4

the mathematical equation stating the electro static force vector between two charged particles

Question 5

dipole

Answer 5

a molecule’s lack of symmetrical charge distribution, causing one side to be more positive and another to be more negative

Question 6

electric charge

Answer 6

a physical property of an object that causes it to be attracted toward or repelled from another charged object; each charged object generates and is influence by a force called an electromagnetic force

Question 7

electric field

Answer 7

a 3D map of the electric force extended out into space from a point charge

Question 8

electric field lines

Answer 8

A series of lines drawn from a point charge representing the magnitude and direction of force exerted by that charge

Question 9

electromagnetic force

Answer 9

one of the four fundamental forces of nature; the electromagnetic force consists of static electricity, moving electricity and magnetism

Question 10

electron

Answer 10

a particle orbiting the nucleus of an atom and carrying the smallest unit of negative charge

Question 11

electrostatic force

Answer 11

the amount and direction of attraction or repulsion between two charged bodies

Question 12

electrostatic precipitators

Answer 12

filters that apply charges to particles in the air, then attract those charges to a filter, removing them from the airstream

Question 13

electrostatic repulsion

Answer 13

the phenomenon of two objects with like charges repelling each other

Question 14

electrostatics

Answer 14

the study of electric forces that are static or slow moving

Question 15

faraday cage

Answer 15

a metal shield which prevents electric charge from penetrating its surface

Question 16

field

Answer 16

a map of the amount and direction of a force acting on other objects, extending out into space

Question 17

free charge

Answer 17

an electrical charge (either positive or negative) which can move about separately from its base molecule

Question 18

free electron

Answer 18

an electron that is free to move away from its atomic orbit

Question 19

grounded

Answer 19

When a conductor is connected to the Earth, allowing charge to freely flow to and from earth’s unlimited reservoir.

Question 20

grounded*

Answer 20

connected to the ground with a conductor, so that charge flows freely to and from the earth to the grounded object

Question 21

induction

Answer 21

the process by which an electrically charged object brought near a neutral object creates a charge in that object

Question 22

insulator

Answer 22

a material that holds electrons securely within their atomic orbits

Question 23

Photoconductor

Answer 23

a substance that is an insulator until it is exposed to light, when it becomes a conductor

Question 24

point charge

Answer 24

A charged particle, denoted Q, generating an electric field

Question 25

polar molecule

Answer 25

a molecule with an asymmetrical distribution of positive and negative charge

Question 26

polarization

Answer 26

slight shifting of positive and negative charges of an atom or molecule

Question 27

polarized

Answer 27

a state in which the positive and negative charges within an object have collected in separate locations

Question 28

proton

Answer 28

a particle in the nucleus of an atom and carrying a positive charge equal in magnitude and opposite in sign to the amount of negative charge carried by an electron

Question 29

static electricity

Answer 29

a buildup of electric charge on the surface of an object

Question 30

test charge

Answer 30

a particle, denoted q, with either a positive or negative charge set down within an electric field generated by a point charge

Question 31

Van de Graaff generator

Answer 31

a machine that produces a large amount of excess charge, used for experiments with high voltage

Question 32

vector

Answer 32

a quantity with both magnitude and direction

Question 33

vector addition

Answer 33

Mathematical combination of 2 or more vectors, including their magnitudes, directions, and positions.

Question 34

capacitance C

Answer 34

amount of charge stored per unit volt (V)

Question 35

capacitor

Answer 35

a device that stores electric charge

Question 36

dielectric

Answer 36

an insulating material

Question 37

dielectric strength

Answer 37

the maximum electric field above which an insulating material begins to break down and conduct

Question 38

electric potential

Answer 38

potential energy per unit charge

Question 39

electron volt eV

Answer 39

the energy given to a fundamental charge accelerated through a potential difference of one volt

Question 40

equipotential line

Answer 40

a line along which the electric potential is constant

Question 41

Grounding

Answer 41

fixing a conductor at 0 volts by connecting it to the earth or ground

Question 42

mechanical energy

Answer 42

sum of the kinetic energy and potential energy of a system; this sum is a constant

Question 43

parallel plate conductor

Answer 43

two identical conducting plates separated by a distance

Question 44

polar molecule

Answer 44

a molecule with inherent separation of charge

Question 45

potential difference: Voltage (V)

Answer 45

change in potential energy of a charge moved from one point to another, divided by the charge; units of potential difference are joules per coulomb, known as volt

Question 46

scalar

Answer 46

physical quantity with magnitude but no direction

Question 47

vector

Answer 47

Physical quantity with both magnitude and direction