Inspire Academy Senior Secondary Schoo

Multiple Choice Questions: Electrostatic Capacitance and Potential (Class 12

Instructor: SM

Level of Dif culty: Easy/Moderate

Multiple Choice Questions: Electrostatic Potential and Capacitance

1. When an external force does work in taking a body against a conservative force, that
work gets stored as:
a) Kinetic energy
b) Heat energy
c) Potential energy
d) Light energy

2. Which of the following is an example of a conservative force mentioned in the text?

a) Frictional force
b) Air resistance
c) Gravitational force
d) Tension in a string

3. Electrostatic potential energy is de ned for a charge in:

a) A magnetic eld
b) A gravitational eld
c) An electrostatic eld
d) Any type of eld

4. The work done by an external force in moving a charge q from point R to P against an
electric force is stored as:
a) Kinetic energy of the charge
b) Heat dissipated in the process
c) Potential energy of the charge
d) Magnetic energy

5. The work done by an electrostatic eld in moving a charge between two points depends
only on:
a) The path taken
b) The speed of the charge
c) The initial and nal positions
d) The type of charge
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 6. Electrostatic potential (V) at a point is de ned as the work done in bringing a:

a) Unit negative charge from in nity to that point.
b) Test charge q from in nity to that point.
c) Unit positive charge from in nity to that point.
d) Unit positive charge from that point to in nity.

7. The SI unit of electrostatic potential is:

a) Joule (J)
b) Coulomb (C)
c) Volt (V)
d) Newton (N)

8. The potential due to a point charge Q at a distance r is proportional to:

a) Q/r²
b) Q²/r
c) Q/r
d) Qr

9. An electric dipole consists of:

a) A single positive charge
b) A single negative charge
c) Two equal and opposite charges separated by a small distance
d) Two equal positive charges separated by a small distance

10. The total charge of an electric dipole is:

a) Positive
b) Negative
c) Zero
d) Twice the magnitude of one charge

11. An equipotential surface is a surface where the potential is:

a) Always zero
b) Always maximum
c) Constant at all points
d) Linearly increasing

12. The electric eld at every point is ________ to the equipotential surface passing through
that point.
a) Parallel
b) At 45 degrees
c) Normal (perpendicular)
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 d) In the opposite direction

13. The work done in moving a test charge on an equipotential surface is:
a) Always positive
b) Always negative
c) Zero
d) Dependent on the path

14. Electric eld is in the direction in which the potential:

a) Increases steepest
b) Remains constant
c) Decreases steepest
d) Is zero

15. A capacitor is a system of:

a) A single conductor
b) Two conductors separated by an insulator
c) Two insulators separated by a conductor
d) A conductor and an insulator in contact

16. The SI unit of capacitance is:

a) Volt (V)
b) Coulomb (C)
c) Ohm (Ω)
d) Farad (F)

17. 1 Farad (F) is equal to:

a) 1 Joule / Coulomb
b) 1 Coulomb / Volt
c) 1 Volt / Coulomb
d) 1 Newton / Coulomb

18. For a parallel plate capacitor, the capacitance is directly proportional to:
a) The distance between the plates
b) The charge on the plates
c) The area of the plates
d) The potential difference between the plates

19. Dielectrics are generally:

a) Good conductors of electricity
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 b) Semi-conductors
c) Non-conducting substances (insulators)
d) Superconductors

20. The phenomenon where an external electric eld induces a net dipole moment in a
dielectric is called:
a) Conduction
b) Induction
c) Polarisation
d) Capacitance

21. When a dielectric slab is inserted between the plates of a capacitor (with battery
disconnected), the electric eld inside the dielectric:
a) Increases
b) Decreases
c) Remains the same
d) Becomes zero

22. The dielectric constant (K) of a substance is always:

a) Less than 1
b) Equal to 1
c) Greater than 1 (for materials other than vacuum)
d) Zero

23. When capacitors are connected in series, the ________ on each capacitor is the same.
a) Potential difference
b) Capacitance
c) Charge
d) Energy stored

24. When capacitors are connected in parallel, the ________ across each capacitor is the
same.
a) Potential difference
b) Capacitance
c) Charge
d) Energy stored

25. The energy stored in a capacitor is proportional to:

a) Q
b) V
c) Q² and V²
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 d) 1/C

26. If potential energy of a charge q at a point P is de ned as W∞P, what does U∞ represent?
a) Potential energy at point P
b) Work done from P to in nity
c) Potential energy at in nity (often taken as zero)
d) Initial potential energy

27. The potential energy of a charge q at a point (in the presence of a eld) is the work done
by the _________ force in bringing the charge q from in nity to that point.
a) Electric
b) Magnetic
c) Gravitational
d) External

28. For a point charge Q, the equipotential surfaces are:

a) Concentric cylinders
b) Parallel planes
c) Concentric spheres
d) Ellipsoids

29. The magnitude of the electric eld |E| is related to the potential gradient by |E| = :
a) -δV * δl
b) -δl / δV
c) -δV / δl (where δl is perpendicular displacement)
d) δV * δl

30. The potential energy of a system of two charges q₁ and q₂ separated by r₁₂ is positive if:
a) q₁ and q₂ are unlike charges
b) q₁ and q₂ are like charges (both positive or both negative)
c) One charge is zero
d) The distance r₁₂ is very large

31. Electrostatic eld is zero inside a conductor in a static situation. This means the potential
inside the conductor is:
a) Zero
b) Variable
c) Constant
d) In nite
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 32. Any excess charge given to a conductor resides:
a) Uniformly throughout its volume
b) Only at its center
c) Only on its surface
d) Alternating between surface and interior

33. The effect where a cavity inside a conductor remains shielded from outside electric
in uence is known as:
a) Magnetic shielding
b) Electrostatic induction
c) Electrostatic shielding
d) Dielectric breakdown

34. The maximum electric eld a dielectric medium can withstand without breakdown is
called its:
a) Capacitance
b) Permittivity
c) Dielectric strength
d) Polarisability

35. If C₀ is the capacitance of a capacitor with vacuum and C is the capacitance with a
dielectric of constant K, then:
a) C = C₀ / K
b) C = K / C₀
c) C = K C₀
d) C = C₀

36. For three capacitors C₁, C₂, C₃ in series, the equivalent capacitance C is given by 1/C = :
a) C₁ + C₂ + C₃
b) 1/C₁ + 1/C₂ + 1/C₃
c) (C₁C₂C₃) / (C₁C₂+C₂C₃+C₃C₁)
d) K(C₁ + C₂ + C₃)

37. For three capacitors C₁, C₂, C₃ in parallel, the equivalent capacitance C is given by C = :
a) C₁ + C₂ + C₃
b) 1/C₁ + 1/C₂ + 1/C₃
c) (C₁C₂C₃) / (C₁C₂+C₂C₃+C₃C₁)
d) (1/K)(C₁ + C₂ + C₃)
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 38. The unit 'electron volt' (eV) is a unit of:
a) Potential
b) Charge
c) Energy
d) Capacitance

39. The dipole moment vector p of an electric dipole points from:

a) Positive charge to negative charge
b) Negative charge to positive charge
c) The center to the positive charge
d) The center to the negative charge

40. At large distances (r >> a), the potential due to an electric dipole falls off as:
a) 1/r
b) 1/r²
c) 1/r³
d) r

41. If the work done by an external force in moving a charge is independent of the path, the
force eld is:
a) Non-conservative
b) Frictional
c) Conservative
d) Variable

42. The potential energy of an electric dipole p in a uniform electric eld E is given by:
a) pE
b) p × E
c) -p ⋅ E
d) p / E

43. In a region where the electric eld is uniform, the equipotential surfaces are:
a) Concentric spheres
b) Concentric cylinders
c) Parallel planes perpendicular to the eld
d) Parallel planes parallel to the eld

44. If a 900 pF capacitor is charged by a 100 V battery, the charge on the capacitor is:
a) 9 × 10⁻¹⁰ C
b) 9 × 10⁻⁸ C
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 c) 9 × 10⁻⁶ C
d) 9 C

45. The energy density (energy per unit volume) in an electric eld E in vacuum is given by:
a) ½ ε₀ E
b) ε₀ E²
c) ½ ε₀ E²
d) E² / (2ε₀

46. If two charges 3 × 10⁻⁸ C and –2 × 10⁻⁸ C are located 15 cm apart, the potential is zero at
a point between them. If the positive charge is at the origin, this point is at:
a) 6 cm
b) 9 cm
c) 12 cm
d) 7.5 c

47. When a dielectric is polarised, induced surface charges appear. The eld produced by
these induced charges:
a) Adds to the external eld
b) Opposes the external eld
c) Is perpendicular to the external eld
d) Is always zer

48. The potential energy of a system of three charges q₁, q₂, q₃ involves terms like:
a) q₁V(r₁), q₂V(r₂), q₃V(r₃) only if an external eld exists
b) Interaction energies between (q₁,q₂), (q₁,q₃), and (q₂,q₃)
c) Only the self-energy of each charge
d) The sum of individual charges multiplied by a common potentia

49. If a capacitor is charged and then disconnected from the battery, and then a dielectric slab
is inserted, what happens to the charge Q and potential V across it?
a) Q remains same, V decreases
b) Q decreases, V remains same
c) Q remains same, V increases
d) Q increases, V decreases

50. Consider a uniformly charged spherical shell. The electric eld inside the shell is zero.
This implies that the potential inside the shell is:
a) Zero
b) Variable, decreasing towards the center
c) Constant and equal to the potential at the surface
d) In nite
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Answers for Electrostatics and Capacitance MCQs:
1. c) Potential energy
2. c) Gravitational force (Spring force is also conservative, as mentioned)
3. c) An electrostatic eld
4. c) Potential energy of the charge
5. c) The initial and nal positions
6. c) Unit positive charge from in nity to that point.
7. c) Volt (V)
8. c) Q/r
9. c) Two equal and opposite charges separated by a small distance
10. c) Zero
11. c) Constant at all points
12. c) Normal (perpendicular)
13. c) Zero
14. c) Decreases steepest
15. b) Two conductors separated by an insulator
16. d) Farad (F)
17. b) 1 Coulomb / Volt
18. c) The area of the plates
19. c) Non-conducting substances (insulators)
20. c) Polarisation
21. b) Decreases
22. c) Greater than 1 (for materials other than vacuum)
23. c) Charge
24. a) Potential difference
25. c) Q² and V² (Energy U = ½ QV = ½ CV² = Q²/2C)
26. c) Potential energy at in nity (often taken as zero)
27. d) External
28. c) Concentric spheres
29. c) -δV / δl (where δl is perpendicular displacement)
30. b) q₁ and q₂ are like charges (both positive or both negative)
31. c) Constant
32. c) Only on its surface
33. c) Electrostatic shielding
34. c) Dielectric strength
35. c) C = K C₀
36. b) 1/C₁ + 1/C₂ + 1/C₃
37. a) C₁ + C₂ + C₃
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38. c) Energy
39. b) Negative charge to positive charge
40. b) 1/r²
41. c) Conservative
42. c) -p ⋅ E
43. c) Parallel planes perpendicular to the eld
44. b) 9 × 10⁻⁸ C (Q = CV = 900 × 10⁻¹² F × 100 V)
45. c) ½ ε₀ E²
46. b) 9 cm (From Example 2.2)
47. b) Opposes the external eld
48. b) Interaction energies between (q₁,q₂), (q₁,q₃), and (q₂,q₃)
49. a) Q remains same, V decreases
50. c) Constant and equal to the potential at the surface
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