SF026: PAST YEAR UPS QUESTIONS

CHAPTER 1: ELECTROSTATICS
UPS SEMESTER 2
2005/2006
(i) (a) What is meant by electric field?
[1 mark]
(b)

+q

-q
FIGURE 1

FIGURE 1 shows two isolated charges +q and q of equal magnitude are placed near
each other. Sketch the electric field lines produced by these two charges.
[2 marks]
(c)
A

4 cm

B
q2

3 cm
C
q1

FIGURE 2

FIGURE 2 shows two point charges q1 = - 3 C and q2 = + 7 C placed at C and B.

Determine the resultant electric at A.
[Answer: 4.95 107 N C-1, 37 from negative x-axis]
[7 marks]
2006/2007
2. (a) A 4 C particle of mass 1.22 g traveling horizontally at constant velocity 5 m s -1. It
then enters an upward uniform electric field 3 kN C-1. Explain quantitatively with the
aid of a labeled diagram, the motion of the particle in the electric field.
[6 marks]
(b)
q1 = - 6 C

q3 = 8 C
q2 = 10 C
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3 shows three charges, q1, q2 and q3 at the corners of an equilateral triangle
with side 12 cm. Calculate the potential energy of this system of point charges.
[Answer: -2.1 J]
[4 marks]
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SF026: PAST YEAR UPS QUESTIONS

2007/2008
3. (a) (i)
(ii)

State the relationship between electric field strength and electrostatic force.
Two positive charges P and Q are separated at small distance. Magnitude of
charge P is four times of charges Q. Sketch the electric field pattern formed
around the charges.
[3 marks]

(b)
R
3 cm
S
6 cm

8 cm
FIGURE 4

Two point charges, Q1 = +8 C and Q2 = -5 C are placed at points X and Y

respectively as shown in FIGURE 4. Determine
(i)
the potential difference between points R and S.
[Answer: -3.25 105 V]
(ii)
the work required in moving a positive charge of 2 C from S to R.
[Answer: -0.65 J]
2008/2009
4. (a) (i)
(ii)

What is meant by an equipotential surface?

Calculate the work required to bring a charge q = 3 C from infinity to a point
0.5 m from a charge Q = 20 C. [Answer: -1.08 J]
[5 marks]

(b)
X

+Q1

+Q2
FIGURE 5

Two identical point charges +Q1 and +Q2 are placed at X and Y respectively as shown
in FIGURE 5.
(i)
Sketch the pattern of the electric field for the system.
(ii)
Draw the direction of the electric force X due to charge Q2 if charge Q1 is
negative.
[5 marks]

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SF026: PAST YEAR UPS QUESTIONS

2009/2010
A

5. (a)

15 cm

15 cm

q2

q1
5 cm

15 cm
FIGURE 6

FIGURE 6 shows two points charges q1 and q2 placed 15 cm apart. If the magnitude
of the charges q1 and q2 are +10 nC and -10 nC respectively, calculate the potential
difference between points A and B. [Answer: 1350 V]
[7 marks]
(b)
+
-q

-2q
+q
FIGURE 7

FIGURE 7 shows three point charges entering a uniform electric field, between two
parallel plates. Copy FIGURE 2 and sketch the paths of the three charges in the electric
field.
[3 marks]
2010/2011
6. (a) (i)
(ii)

Define electric field strength.

2 cm
A

120 V
FIGURE 8

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SF026: PAST YEAR UPS QUESTIONS

Two parallel plates are connected to a 120 V battery as shown in FIGURE 8.
Calculate the electric field strength between the plates.
[Answer: 6.0 103 V m-1]
[4 marks]
(b)
M

q0

q
rM = 6 cm

rN = 10 cm
FIGURE 9
A test charge q0 = 5 C is placed at point M, 6 cm from a point charge q as shown in
FIGURE 9. Work done by an electric force to bring the charge q0 from M to N is 4 J.
Calculate
(i)
the potential difference between points M and N. [Answer: 8 105 V]
(ii)
the value of the point charge q. [Answer: 13.3 C]
[6 marks]
2011/2012
7. (a) Write an expression of the force between two point charges q1 and q2 separated by a
diameter r in vacuum.
[1 mark]
(b)
H

108
O
FIGURE 10
FIGURE 10 shows a water molecule consisting of one oxygen atom and two
hydrogen atoms. The oxygen atom acts as a point charge of -1.1 10-19 C and each
hydrogen atom acts as a point charge of +0.6 10-19 C. The oxygen atom is separated
from each hydrogen atom by a distance of 1.0 10-10 m.
(i)
Sketch a diagram showing all the forces acting on the oxygen atom.
(ii)
Determine the magnitude and direction of the resultant force on the oxygen
atom. [Answer: 6.98 10-9 N, upward]
[9 marks]

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SF026: PAST YEAR UPS QUESTIONS

2012/2013
8. (a) (i)
(ii)

(b)

Define electric field strength.

Sketch the electric field pattern due to a pair of equally charged positive
charges placed close to each other.
[3 marks]
- Q1

10 cm

10 cm

+ Q2

- Q3
FIGURE 11

FIGURE 11 shows three point charges of different signs placed at the corners of a
square of sides 10 cm.
(i)
Sketch the direction of the electric field strength by each charge at the centre
of the square.
(ii)
Calculate the net electric field strength at the centre of square if
Q1 = Q2 = Q3 = 10 C. [Answer: 1.8 x 105 N C-1]
2013/2014
9. (a) (i) What is the shape of the equipotential surface of a point charge?
(ii)

FIGURE 12
FIGURE 12 shows three point charges, 5 , 3 and 8 arranged in a straight line.
If the resultant force acting on the 3 charge is 35 , calculate the distance x between the
3 charge and the 8 charge.
[Answer: . ]
[5 marks]
(b) A 0.2 particle carrying a charge of 3 is placed in a vertically upwards uniform
electric field.
(i) Sketch the forces acting on the particle.
(ii) If it accelerates at 20 2, calculate the magnitude of electric field.
[Answer: ]
[5 marks]

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SF026: PAST YEAR UPS QUESTIONS

2014/2015
10.

FIGURE 13
(a) FIGURE 13 shows the electric field produced by two point charges, M and N.
(i) State the sign of charges M and N. Explain your answer.
(ii) Which charge has the largest magnitude, M or N? Explain your answer.
[5 marks]
(b) Two charged parallel plates are separated 5 . The potential difference between the
plates is 2.
(i) Calculate the electric field strength between the plates. [Answer: =
]
(ii) An electron is placed between the plates. Will the force on the electron increases,
remains the same or decreases if the separation distance between the plates is
decreased? Explain your answer.
[5 marks]
2015/2016
1. (a) Three point charges q A 2 C , qB 2 C and qC 4 C are placed in line at the
origin, x 30 cm and x 100 cm , respectively.
(i) Sketch a labelled diagram showing all forces acting on q A .
(ii) Calculate the magnitude of the net force acting on q A . [Ans: Fnet 0.328 N ]
[5 marks]

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SF026: PAST YEAR UPS QUESTIONS

(b)

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1 shows two point charges located at 3 m and 5 m from point P. Calculate the
(i) total electric potential V at point P. [Ans: Vtotal 4800 V ]
(ii) total potential energy U of the system. [Ans: U 3.6 102 J ]
[5 marks]

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