Name_________________________ Period_______ Date__________________

Electrostatics Review
1. Electrostatic force is _____________ (stronger/weaker) than gravity.

2. The law of electric charges states that like charges _______________ and opposite charges
__________________.

3. Shuffling your feet across the floor and getting a shock when you reach for a doorknob is an example of
charging by

____________________ .

4. Determining the electric field strength of an object can be accomplished by placing a small (positive)
_____________ __________________ in an electric field and measuring the force it experiences at that
location.

5. The SI (metric) unit of charge is the _________________ . (Hint: It is a name!)

6. Rubbing a balloon on your hair is an example of charging by ________________ .

7. All of the following are insulators except

a. glass
b. rubber
c. copper
d. wood

8. All of the following are conductors except

a. silver
b. humans
c. saltwater
d. cotton

9. If electrons are rubbed from fur (or a natural fiber) onto a rubber balloon then the balloon would become
____________ charged and the fur would become ____________ charged.

10.A charged atom is called a(n) _________ .

11.A proton has a ______________ charge.

12.An electron has a _______________ charge.

13.An object is neutral if it has _________________ (a greater / the same / a smaller) number of protons vs
electrons.
14.When we transfer a charge to an object, it means that ________________ (protons / neutrons / electrons) have
been moved from one object to another.

15.The charge on one electron is _____________________.

16.Coulomb’s Law is Fe =

17.The constant, k, has a value of _____________________.

18.How will the electrostatic force (Fe) be changed if the distance between the charges is tripled (goes up by 3x)?

19.If the electrostatic force between two charges is 5 N, what will the electrostatic force be if the distance between
the charges is reduced by half?

20.How will the electrostatic force (Fe) be changed if the first charge is doubled and the second charge is tripled?

21.How will the electrostatic force (Fe) be changed if the first charge is quadrupled and the second charge is
tripled distance between the charges is cut in half?

22.In the following diagram, which of the charges is the strongest? How can you tell?

23.If the value of an electrostatic force is positive (+), this indicates that the electrostatic force is
a. Forward
b. Large
c. Attracting
d. Repelling
24.Draw the field lines for the following charges:
25.If you bring a charge near the top of an electroscope, and the leaves on the electroscope diverge as you bring
the charge near, then the leaves of the electroscope must have ______________ (the same / opposite / neutral)
charge(s) on them.

26.A negatively charged rod is brought close to the top of an electroscope, but does
not make contact. Describe how the leaves of the electroscope interact (repel or
attract) and why!

27.What is a strength and a limitation of the model below comparing the Gravitational Force and the Electrostatic
Force?

28.A student charges an insulated metal ball by touching a positively charged rod to the metal ball. Describe the
charge on the sphere and indicate the method of charging used. Is the charge permanent or temporary?