Static Electricity (Edexcel GCSE Physics)

Exam Questions

2 hours11 questions
1a
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3 marks

Two plastic strips are joined at the top and are hanging by a thread.

The student rubs both strips with a dry cloth.

The diagram shows the two plastic strips before and after the student rubs them.

11-1-e-a1-plastic-strips

Use words from the box to complete the sentences.  

 

attract

neutral

repel

negative

charge

neutrons

electrons

atoms

protons

positive

 

The plastic strips  ............................. each other because they have the same .............................

The cloth is left with a  ............................. charge.

The charged particles that are transferred to the plastic strips from the cloth are called ..............................

1b
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1 mark

When a plastic rod is rubbed with a cloth, the rod gains charge. 

screenshot-2022-10-05-at-15-03-36

State one method to show that the plastic rod has gained charge.
1c
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2 marks

Explain how the plastic rod gains charge when it is rubbed. 

1d
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2 marks

A man pushes a metal trolley along a corridor towards a lift.

The trolley has nylon wheels and the floor of the corridor is covered with plastic.

The man wears shoes with rubber soles. 

2-4-q4a-e-man-pushing-metal-trolley-static-sq-igcse

As he moves the trolley, the man gains an electric charge. 

Explain how the man gains an electric charge. 

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2a
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1 mark
Which of the following pairs of charges shows the correct electric force between them?

2-4-q2a-e-forces-on-charges-mcq-igcse

2b
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1 mark

A student rubs a plastic rod with a cloth. Both are uncharged initially. The cloth becomes positively charged.

Compared with the cloth, which row is correct for the charge on the plastic rod?


   sign of charge size of charge
  square  A positive larger
  square  B positive equal
  square  C negative larger
  square  D negative equal
2c
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1 mark

State what is meant by an electric field.

2d
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4 marks

Describe the shape and direction of the electric field around a

i)
point charge,
[2]
 
ii)
between parallel plates.
[2]

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3a
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2 marks

This question is about electrostatic charges. 

Complete the sentences using words from the box. Each word may be used once, more than once or not at all. 

 

electrons       negative       neutral       neutrons       positive       protons    

When a plastic rod is rubbed with a cloth, the plastic rod gains ..................................... .

After the plastic rod has been rubbed with the cloth, the plastic rod has a .................................... charge. 

3b
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2 marks

Give one hazard caused by electrostatic charges and state how the risk from this hazard can be reduced. 

3c
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1 mark

The student holds the charged plastic rod near a running tap. The student observes the stream of water bend towards the plastic rod.

2-4-q2c-e-static-tap-rod-charges-1-mcq-igcse-png-static-tap-rod-charges-2-mcq-igcse-1

Which of the following shows the correct arrangement of charges in the stream of water?

2-4-q2c-e-static-tap-rod-charges-1-mcq-igcse-png-static-tap-rod-charges-2-mcq-igcse-2

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1a
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6 marks

This question is about static electricity.

A student has a rubber balloon tied to a long piece of cotton thread.

The student gives the balloon an overall electrostatic charge.

i)
Describe one way that the student could give the balloon an overall electrostatic charge.

[2]

ii)
The student gives the balloon an overall negative charge.

Which of these sentences explains why the overall charge on the balloon is negative?

[1]

  A Negative charge has been removed from the balloon.
  B Negative charge has been added to the balloon.
  C Positive charge has been removed from the balloon.
  D Positive charge has been added to the balloon.

iii)
The student charges another balloon on a long thread.

Explain how the student can show that the two balloons have the same type of charge.

[3]

1b
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5 marks
Figure 9 shows a plastic block and a metal disc with an insulating handle.

The top surface of the plastic block has a negative charge.

The metal disc has no overall electric charge.

fig-9-paper2h-june2020-edexcel-gcse-physics

Figure 9

A student uses the insulating handle to hold the metal disc above the plastic block.

i)
Which of these diagrams shows how the charge is distributed on the metal disc?

[1]

p_o7WIE3_q4bi-paper2h-june2020-edexcel-gcse-physics

ii)
The student keeps holding the metal disc above the charged plastic block and taps the metal disc with a finger.

This earths the metal disc for a short time.

Explain why the disc now has an overall positive charge.

[2]

iii)
Figure 10 shows the charges on part of the metal disc and the plastic block.

p5~LBH1l_fig-10-paper2h-june2020-edexcel-gcse-physics

Figure 10

On Figure 10, draw lines to show the shape and direction of the electric field between the metal disc and the plastic block.

[2]

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2a2 marks

A student gives a plastic strip an overall electric charge.

i)
Describe one way that the student can give the plastic strip an overall electric charge.

[1]

ii)
Figure 1 shows a gold leaf electroscope that can be used to investigate static electricity.

fig-1-paper2h-oct2021-edexcel-gcse-physics

Figure 1


The electroscope has no overall charge.
The gold leaf has a very small mass and can bend very easily.
The student brings a negatively charged plastic strip near to the cap of the electroscope.

The gold leaf bends away from the metal rod.
Which diagram shows the way that electric charge is now distributed?

[1]

q1a-paper2h-oct2021-edexcel-gcse-physics

2b2 marks
Figure 2a shows another gold leaf electroscope that has been given an overall negative charge.

A student connects the metal cap of the charged electroscope to earth with a piece of wire as shown in Figure 2b.

fig-2a-2b-paper2h-oct2021-edexcel-gcse-physics

Explain why the gold leaf has moved.

2c3 marks
Two small objects, P and Q, are each given an electric charge.
Figure 3 represents the electric fields around the objects, P and Q.

fig-3-paper2h-oct2021-edexcel-gcse-physics

Figure 3

i)
Use information from Figure 3 to give two differences between the charge on P and the charge on Q.

[2]

ii)
Object P and object Q are held near to each other so that their electric fields interact with each other.


State the effect that the electric field of object Q has on object P.

[1]

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3a5 marks
Figure 13 shows a negatively charged metal sphere, M.

fig-13-paper2f-oct2021-edexcel-gcse-physics

Figure 13

i)
Sphere M is negatively charged because it has

[1]

  A gained electrons
  B lost electrons
  C gained protons
  D lost protons

ii)
A metal sphere, N, is connected to earth by a wire.

N is moved near to M as shown in Figure 14.

fig-14-paper2f-oct2021-edexcel-gcse-physics

Figure 14

A spark jumps between the spheres, discharging sphere M.

Describe what happens in the wire connecting sphere N to earth when the spark jumps between M and N.

[2]

iii)
Describe a use of earthing in everyday life.

Your answer should state the use and describe why earthing is needed.

[2]

3b2 marks
Figure 15 shows two parallel metal plates.

The plates are charged using a very high voltage.

fig-15-paper2f-oct2021-edexcel-gcse-physics

Figure 15

Draw on Figure 15 the shape and direction of the electric field between the plates.

3c6 marks
This question is about electrostatic charges and the forces between them.
Figure 16 shows some apparatus that can be used to show that like charges repel and unlike charges attract.

fig-16-paper2f-oct2021-edexcel-gcse-physics

Figure 16


An acetate strip can be charged positively.

A polythene strip can be charged negatively.

A coulombmeter can be used to measure charge and whether the charge is positive or negative.

Explain how you would use the apparatus in Figure 16 to show that like charges repel and unlike charges attract.

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4a5 marks
Figure 1 shows a paint sprayer.

fig-1-paper2h-june2019-edexcel-gcse-physics

Figure 1

Some paint sprayers give the paint drops a positive charge as they leave the sprayer.

i)
The paint drops have a positive charge because the sprayer
[1]
  A removes electrons from the paint drops
  B adds electrons to the paint drops
  C removes protons from the paint drops
  D adds protons to the paint drops

ii)
Figure 2 shows the spray pattern from two different paint sprayers.

fig-2-paper2h-june2019-edexcel-gcse-physics
Figure 2

Sprayer X does not charge the paint drops. Sprayer Y gives the paint drops a positive charge.

Explain how charging the paint drops changes the shape of the spray pattern.

[2]

iii)
Sprayer Y is used in a factory to paint a metal object.

The object hangs by a metal wire that is connected to earth.

Explain why a metal wire is used to connect the object to earth.
[2]
4b2 marks
Figure 3 shows two charged metal plates.
fig-3-paper2h-june2019-edexcel-gcse-physics
Figure 3


The top plate has a negative electric charge.

The bottom plate has a positive electric charge.

On Figure 3, draw the electric field lines between the two plates and show the direction of this electric field.

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5a4 marks

A student uses a cloth to give a plastic rod a positive charge.

i)
Explain how the rod becomes positively charged.

[3]

ii)
Figure 12 shows four light balls, Q, R, S and T.
                
Each ball is suspended on a nylon string.
                         
Balls Q, R and T are coated with a conducting material.
                              
Ball S is an insulator.

Q and S have no charge, R is positively charged and T is negatively charged.
fig-12-paper2f-june2019-edexcel-gcse-physics
Figure 12


The student brings the positively charged rod near to each ball in turn.

                             
Which ball is repelled by the positively charged rod?

[1]

  A Q
  B R
  C S
  D T

5b3 marks

Figure 13 shows part of a cloud, above the ground.

The base of the cloud is negatively charged.

                             
fig-13-paper2f-june2019-edexcel-gcse-physics
Figure 13


Explain how lightning is produced between the cloud and the Earth.

Your answer should refer to induced charges.

You may add to the diagram in Figure 13 to help your answer.

5c6 marks
Figure 14 shows fuel being transferred to an aeroplane.

fig-14-paper2f-june2019-edexcel-gcse-physics

Figure 14

Explain why transferring fuel can be dangerous and how the use of metal wires makes the process much safer.

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1a6 marks
A student rubs a plastic comb with a dry cloth to give the comb a positive electric charge.

Figure 6 shows the charged plastic comb picking up small pieces of paper.

P44fAyRX_fig-6-paper2h-june2018-edexcel-gcse-physics

Figure 6

i)
Explain how rubbing the comb with a dry cloth gives the comb a positive electric charge.
[3]

ii)
Explain how the positively-charged plastic comb picks up the small pieces of paper.
[3]
1b1 mark
Which of these diagrams shows the shape and direction of the electric field around a positive point charge?

qvjcXPlw_q4b-paper2h-june2018-edexcel-gcse-physics
1c4 marks
Figure 7 shows two metal spheres.


Metal sphere A is fixed to a table.
Metal sphere B can be moved.
Metal sphere B is placed at a short distance from metal sphere A.

fig-7-paper2h-june2018-edexcel-gcse-physics
Figure 7

Both spheres are insulated from the table and given a negative charge.

The force between the charged spheres is measured.

i)
Explain, in terms of electric fields, why a force is exerted on sphere B.

[2]

ii)
Sphere B is moved and the force between the spheres is measured at several different distances.

Figure 8 is a graph of force on sphere B against distance between the centres of the spheres.

fig-8-paper2h-june2018-edexcel-gcse-physics
Figure 8

Describe how the force on sphere B varies with the distance between the centres of the spheres.

[2]

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2a
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1 mark

Figure 1 shows a van der Graaff generator, a device that can reach extremely high voltages.

21-q3a-h-van-de-graaff-voltage-charge-sq-igcse

Figure 1

When the handle is turned, the dome becomes positively charged.

In terms of electron movement, give a reason why the metal dome becomes positively charged.

2b
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3 marks

Calculate the energy transferred to an electron when it passes through a voltage of 180 kV.

Charge of an electron = 1.6 × 10–19 C

2c
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5 marks

When the van der Graaff generator is fully charged, it stores 3.5 × 10–8 C of charge.

i)
Calculate the number of electrons stored on a fully charged van der Graaff generator.
[2]
ii)
The charge on the generator discharges through the air as a spark.
 
The charge takes a time of 0.56 ms to leave the generator.
 
Calculate the mean (average) current in the air. Give the unit.
[3]
2d
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7 marks

The metal dome is discharged. A thin metal case is then placed on top of the metal dome, as shown in Figure 2.

11-1-h-2d-van-de-graaf-metal-dome-edx-gcse-sq

Figure 2

 

i)
When the handle is turned, the thin metal case moves upwards away from the dome.
 
Explain why the thin metal case starts to move upwards.
[3]
 
ii)
Explain why the metal case reaches a maximum height above the metal dome.
[4]

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3a
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2 marks

A student investigating static electricity charges two balloons and hangs them side by side. They observe the balloons do not hang vertically, as shown in Figure 1.

2-4-q4a-h-electrostatic-balloon-experiment-sq-igcse

Figure 1

Explain why the cotton threads are not vertical.

3b
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6 marks

The student charges the balloon by rubbing it with a cloth. The balloon becomes negatively charged.

i)
Explain how the balloon becomes negatively charged.
[3]
ii)
Compare the charge on the cloth compared to the balloon before and after rubbing the balloon.
[3]
3c
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4 marks

The student investigates the effect of putting charged balloons on different surfaces. They put one charged balloon against a metal cabinet and one charged balloon against a wall.

i)
Describe what happens to the charge on the balloon when it touches the metal cabinet.
[2]
ii)
The student charges another balloon and holds it against a wall. The charged balloon sticks to the wall when he lets go.
 
Suggest why the balloon sticks to the wall.
[2]

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