5 E LE CTRIC IT Y AN D MAGN E TISM

Questions
1 (IB) Four point charges of equal magnitude, are The electric force between them is + F (i.e.
held at the corners of a square as shown below. attractive). The spheres are touched together and
are then returned to their original separation.
2a
+Q a) Calculate the charge on X and the charge on Y.
+Q
b) Calculate the value of the electric force
between them after being returned to their
original separation. (7 marks)
P 2a
4 (IB) Two charged plastic spheres are separated by a
distance d in a vertical insulating tube, as shown.

−Q
−Q tube

The length of each side of the square is 2a and spheres

the sign of the charges is as shown. The point P
is at the centre of the square.
d
a) (i) Determine the magnitude of the electric
field strength at point P due to one of
the point charges.
(ii) On a copy of the diagram above, draw
an arrow to represent the direction of
the resultant electric field at point P.
(iii) Determine, in terms of Q, a and k, the The charge on each sphere is doubled. Friction
magnitude of the electric field strength with the walls of the tube is negligible.
at point P. (7 marks) Deduce the new separation of the spheres.
(5 marks)
2 (IB) Two point charges of magnitude +2Q and −Q
are fixed at the positions shown below. Discuss
the direction of the electric field due to the two 5 (IB)
charges between A and B. Suggest at which
a) Electric fields may be represented by lines
point the electric field is most likely to be zero.
of force. The diagram below shows some
(3 marks)
lines of force.
−Q +2Q
A + + B

3 (IB) Two identical spherical conductors X and Y are

mounted on insulated stands. X carries a charge of
+6.0 nC and Y carries a charge of –2.0 nC. A B

+6.0 nC −2.0 nC

conductor X insulated stands conductor Y (i) State whether the field strength at
A and at B is constant, increasing or
decreasing, when measured in the
direction from A towards B.
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(ii) Explain why field lines can never touch
or cross.
b) The diagram below shows two insulated
metal spheres. Each sphere has the same
positive charge.
+ +
Copy the diagram and in the shaded area
between the spheres, draw the electric field
pattern due to the two spheres. (8 marks)
6 (IB) A lamp is at normal brightness when
there is a potential difference of 12 V across its
filament and a current in the filament of 0.50 A.
a) For the lamp at normal brightness,
calculate:
(i) the power dissipated in the filament
(ii) the resistance of the filament.
b) In order to measure the voltage–current
(V–I) characteristics of the lamp, a student
sets up the following electrical circuit.
12 V battery
State the correct positions of an ideal
ammeter and an ideal voltmeter for the
characteristics of the lamp to be measured.
c) The voltmeter and the ammeter are
connected correctly in the previous circuit.
Explain why the potential difference across
the lamp
(i) cannot be increased to 12 V
(ii) cannot be reduced to zero.
13
QUESTIONS
d) An alternative circuit for measuring the V–I
characteristic uses a potential divider.
(i) Draw a circuit that uses a potential
divider to enable the V–I characteristics
of the filament to be found.
(ii) Explain why this circuit enables the
potential difference across the lamp to
be reduced to 0 V. (13 marks)
7 (IB) The graph below shows the V–I
characteristic for two 12 V filament lamps A
and B.
lamp B
12
lamp A
potential difference/V
0
0 0.5 1.0
current/A
a) (i) Explain why the graphs indicate that
these lamps do not obey Ohm’s law.
(ii) State and explain which lamp has the
greater power dissipation for a potential
difference of 12 V.
The two lamps are now connected in series
with a 12 V battery as shown below.
12 V battery
lamp A lamp B
b) (i) State how the current in lamp A
compares with that in lamp B.
(ii) Use the V–I characteristics of the lamps
to deduce the total current from the
battery.
(iii) Compare the power dissipated
by the two lamps. (11 marks)
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5 E LE CTRIC IT Y AN D MAGN E TISM

8 (IB)
a) Explain how the resistance of the filament
in a filament lamp can be determined from
the V–I characteristic of the lamp.
b) A filament lamp operates at maximum
brightness when connected to a 6.0 V
supply. At maximum brightness, the current
in the filament is 120 mA.
(i) Calculate the resistance of the filament
when it is operating at maximum
brightness.
(ii) You have available a 24 V supply and
a collection of resistors of a suitable
power rating and with different values
of resistance. Calculate the resistance
of the resistor that is required to be
connected in series with the supply
such that the voltage across the
filament lamp will be 6.0 V. (4 marks)
X R
2.0 Ω
E
(i) Copy the graph in (a), and draw the I–V
characteristics for the resistor R.
(ii) Determine the total potential
difference E that must be applied across
component X and across resistor R
such that the current through X and
R is 3.0 A. (7 marks)
10 (IB) A student is to measure the current–voltage
(I–V) characteristics of a filament lamp. The
following equipment and information are
available.

Information
9 (IB) The graph below shows the I–V characteristics emf = 3.0 V, negligible internal
for component X. Battery
resistance
I/A6 Filament lamp marked “3 V, 0.2 A”
4 resistance = 30 kΩ, reads
Voltmeter
values between 0.0 and 3.0 V
2 resistance = 0.1 Ω, reads values
Ammeter
between 0.0 and 0.5 A
0
-8 -6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6 8 Potentiometer resistance = 100 Ω
V/V
-2
a) For the filament lamp operating at normal
-4 brightness, calculate:
(i) its resistance
-6
(ii) its power dissipation.
The student sets up the following incorrect circuit.
The component X is now connected across
the terminals of a battery of emf 6.0 V and
negligible internal resistance.
a) Use the graph to determine: V
(i) the current in component X
(ii) the resistance of component X.
b) A resistor R of constant resistance 2.0 Ω is
now connected in series with component X
A
as shown below.

b) (i) Explain why the lamp will not light.

(ii) State the approximate reading on the
voltmeter. Explain your answer.
(6 marks)

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 QUESTIONS

11 (IB) A particular filament lamp is rated at 12 V, a) (i) State the value of the current for which
6.0 mA. It just lights when the potential the resistance of X is the same as the
difference across the filament is 6.0 V. resistance of Y and determine the value
A student sets up an electric circuit to measure of this resistance.
the I–V characteristics of the filament lamp. (ii) Describe and suggest an explanation for
A the I–V characteristic of conductor Y.
b) The two conductors X and Y are connected
in series with a cell of negligible internal
resistance. The current in the conductors
100 kΩ is 0.20 A.
12 V V
S Use the graph to determine:
(i) the resistance of Y for this value of
current
(ii) the emf of the cell. (8 marks)

In the circuit, shown below, the student has 13 (IB) A cell of electromotive force (emf) E and
connected the voltmeter and the ammeter into internal resistance r is connected in series with
the circuit incorrectly. a resistor R, as shown below.

The battery has emf 12 V and negligible

internal resistance. The ammeter has negligible r
E
resistance and the resistance of the voltmeter
is 100 kΩ.
The maximum resistance of the variable resistor
is 15 Ω. R
a) Explain, without doing any calculations,
whether there is a position of the slider S at The cell supplies 8.1 × 103 J of energy when
which the lamp will be lit. 5.8 × 103 C of charge moves completely round
the circuit. The current in the circuit
b) Estimate the maximum reading of the
is constant.
ammeter. (5 marks)
a) Calculate the emf E of the cell.
b) The resistor R has resistance 6.0 Ω. The
12 (IB) The graph below shows the current–voltage potential difference between its terminals is
(I–V) characteristics of two different conductors 1.2 V. Determine the internal resistance r of
X and Y. the cell.
0.50 c) Calculate the total energy transfer in R.
0.45 d) Describe, in terms of a simple model of
0.40 electrical conduction, the mechanism by
0.35 which the energy transfer in R
0.30 takes place. (12 marks)
Y X
I/A 0.25
0.20
0.15 14 (IB) A battery is connected in series with a
0.10
resistor R. The battery transfers 2000 C of
0.05
charge completely round the circuit. During
0.00
0.0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 this process, 2500 J of energy is dissipated
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
V/V
R and 1500 J is expended in the battery.
Calculate the emf of the battery. (3 marks)

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5 E LE CTRIC IT Y AN D MAGN E TISM

15 (IB) A student connects a cell in series with The electric field strength is 3.8 × 105 V m–1
a variable resistor and measures the terminal and the magnetic field strength is 2.5 × 10–2
pd V of the cell for a series of currents I in the T. Calculate the speed of the electron if the
circuit. The data are shown in the table. net force acting on it due to the fields is zero.
V/V I/mA (3 marks)
1.50 120
1.10 280 18 (IB) A straight wire lies in a uniform magnetic
0.85 380 field as shown.
0.75 420
0.60 480 current I
0.50 520
magnetic field
Use the data to determine the emf and internal
resistance of the cell. (5 marks)
θ

16 (IB) A battery is connected to a resistor as shown.

The current in the wire is I and the wire is at an

angle of θ to the magnetic field. The force per
unit length on the conductor is F. Determine
the magnetic field strength. (2 marks)
6.0 V V 10 Ω
19 (IB) A straight wire of length 0.75 m carries a
current of 35 A. The wire is at right angles to a
magnetic field of strength 0.058 T. Calculate the
force on the wire. (2 marks)

When the switch is open the voltmeter reads

12 V, when the switch is closed it reads 11.6 V.
a) Explain why the readings differ.
b) (i) State the emf of the battery.
(ii) Calculate the internal resistance of the
battery.
c) Calculate the power dissipated in the
battery. (6 marks)
20 (IB) An ion with a charge of +3.2 × 10–19 C and
a mass of 2.7 × 10–26 kg is moving due south at
a speed of 4.8 × 103 m s–1. It enters a uniform
magnetic field of strength 4.6 × 10–4 T directed
downwards towards the ground. Determine the
force acting on the ion. (4 marks)

17 (IB) An electron enters a pair of electric and

magnetic fields in a vacuum as shown in
the diagram.

region of magnetic field

E + B
electron

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