Rio Salado PHYS 112 Final Exam Test Bank 2026/2027 – General
Physics II – Complete Practice Questions & Graded 100% Correct
Answers
SECTION 1 — QUESTIONS 1–50
1. A positively charged object is brought near a neutral conductor without touching it.
What happens to the charges in the conductor?
A. They disappear.
B. They redistribute, with negative charge nearer the positive object.
C. They become permanently positive.
D. They remain uniformly distributed.
Rationale: The external positive charge polarizes the conductor, attracting mobile electrons
toward the near side.
2. Two point charges are separated by distance r. If the separation is doubled, the
magnitude of the electric force becomes
A. four times larger.
B. twice as large.
C. one-fourth as large.
D. unchanged.
Rationale: Coulomb’s law gives F ∝ 1/r², so doubling r reduces the force to one-fourth.
,3. A +2 μC charge and a +3 μC charge are placed near each other. The force between
them is
A. attractive.
B. repulsive.
C. zero.
D. alternating.
Rationale: Like charges repel according to Coulomb’s law.
4. The electric field at a point is defined as the
A. force per unit positive test charge.
B. energy per unit mass.
C. charge per unit volume.
D. work per unit time.
Rationale: Electric field is E = F/q for a positive test charge.
5. A small positive test charge is placed in an electric field directed east. The electric
force on it is directed
A. west.
B. north.
C. east.
D. vertically downward.
Rationale: A positive charge experiences force in the direction of the electric field.
6. A negative charge is released from rest in a uniform electric field. Its initial
acceleration is
A. in the field direction.
B. opposite the field direction.
C. perpendicular to the field.
D. zero.
Rationale: Because F = qE and q is negative, the force is opposite the field.
7. Which statement about electric field lines is correct?
A. They can cross at a point.
B. They always form closed loops.
, C. They point in the direction a positive test charge would move.
D. They exist only inside conductors.
Rationale: Electric field lines indicate the direction of force on a positive test charge.
8. A conductor in electrostatic equilibrium has electric field inside the conducting
material equal to
A. zero.
B. the external field.
C. infinity.
D. the surface field.
Rationale: Free charges redistribute until the internal electrostatic field is zero.
9. The electric potential difference between two points is measured in
A. newtons.
B. coulombs.
C. volts.
D. teslas.
Rationale: One volt equals one joule per coulomb.
10. A positive charge moves spontaneously from higher electric potential to lower
electric potential. Its electric potential energy
A. increases.
B. decreases.
C. remains necessarily constant.
D. becomes infinite.
Rationale: For a positive charge, U = qV, so decreasing V decreases U.
11. Which quantity is a scalar?
A. Electric field.
B. Electric force.
C. Electric potential.
D. Acceleration.
Rationale: Electric potential has magnitude only and no direction.
, 12. A 12-V battery moves 3 C of charge through a circuit. The electrical energy
transferred is
A. 4 J.
B. 9 J.
C. 36 J.
D. 48 J.
Rationale: Energy is ΔU = qΔV = 3 C × 12 V = 36 J.
13. Two identical capacitors are connected in parallel. Compared with one capacitor,
the equivalent capacitance is
A. half.
B. the same.
C. twice as large.
D. four times as large.
Rationale: Parallel capacitances add, so two identical capacitors give 2C.
14. A capacitor is charged and then disconnected from its battery. If the plate
separation is increased, the stored charge
A. increases.
B. decreases.
C. remains constant.
D. becomes zero.
Rationale: With the battery disconnected, no conducting path exists for charge to change.
15. If the voltage across a capacitor is doubled while its capacitance stays constant,
the stored energy becomes
A. half.
B. twice.
C. four times.
D. unchanged.
Rationale: U = 1/2 CV², so doubling V quadruples the energy.
16. A dielectric is inserted between the plates of an isolated charged capacitor. What
generally happens to the capacitance?
Physics II – Complete Practice Questions & Graded 100% Correct
Answers
SECTION 1 — QUESTIONS 1–50
1. A positively charged object is brought near a neutral conductor without touching it.
What happens to the charges in the conductor?
A. They disappear.
B. They redistribute, with negative charge nearer the positive object.
C. They become permanently positive.
D. They remain uniformly distributed.
Rationale: The external positive charge polarizes the conductor, attracting mobile electrons
toward the near side.
2. Two point charges are separated by distance r. If the separation is doubled, the
magnitude of the electric force becomes
A. four times larger.
B. twice as large.
C. one-fourth as large.
D. unchanged.
Rationale: Coulomb’s law gives F ∝ 1/r², so doubling r reduces the force to one-fourth.
,3. A +2 μC charge and a +3 μC charge are placed near each other. The force between
them is
A. attractive.
B. repulsive.
C. zero.
D. alternating.
Rationale: Like charges repel according to Coulomb’s law.
4. The electric field at a point is defined as the
A. force per unit positive test charge.
B. energy per unit mass.
C. charge per unit volume.
D. work per unit time.
Rationale: Electric field is E = F/q for a positive test charge.
5. A small positive test charge is placed in an electric field directed east. The electric
force on it is directed
A. west.
B. north.
C. east.
D. vertically downward.
Rationale: A positive charge experiences force in the direction of the electric field.
6. A negative charge is released from rest in a uniform electric field. Its initial
acceleration is
A. in the field direction.
B. opposite the field direction.
C. perpendicular to the field.
D. zero.
Rationale: Because F = qE and q is negative, the force is opposite the field.
7. Which statement about electric field lines is correct?
A. They can cross at a point.
B. They always form closed loops.
, C. They point in the direction a positive test charge would move.
D. They exist only inside conductors.
Rationale: Electric field lines indicate the direction of force on a positive test charge.
8. A conductor in electrostatic equilibrium has electric field inside the conducting
material equal to
A. zero.
B. the external field.
C. infinity.
D. the surface field.
Rationale: Free charges redistribute until the internal electrostatic field is zero.
9. The electric potential difference between two points is measured in
A. newtons.
B. coulombs.
C. volts.
D. teslas.
Rationale: One volt equals one joule per coulomb.
10. A positive charge moves spontaneously from higher electric potential to lower
electric potential. Its electric potential energy
A. increases.
B. decreases.
C. remains necessarily constant.
D. becomes infinite.
Rationale: For a positive charge, U = qV, so decreasing V decreases U.
11. Which quantity is a scalar?
A. Electric field.
B. Electric force.
C. Electric potential.
D. Acceleration.
Rationale: Electric potential has magnitude only and no direction.
, 12. A 12-V battery moves 3 C of charge through a circuit. The electrical energy
transferred is
A. 4 J.
B. 9 J.
C. 36 J.
D. 48 J.
Rationale: Energy is ΔU = qΔV = 3 C × 12 V = 36 J.
13. Two identical capacitors are connected in parallel. Compared with one capacitor,
the equivalent capacitance is
A. half.
B. the same.
C. twice as large.
D. four times as large.
Rationale: Parallel capacitances add, so two identical capacitors give 2C.
14. A capacitor is charged and then disconnected from its battery. If the plate
separation is increased, the stored charge
A. increases.
B. decreases.
C. remains constant.
D. becomes zero.
Rationale: With the battery disconnected, no conducting path exists for charge to change.
15. If the voltage across a capacitor is doubled while its capacitance stays constant,
the stored energy becomes
A. half.
B. twice.
C. four times.
D. unchanged.
Rationale: U = 1/2 CV², so doubling V quadruples the energy.
16. A dielectric is inserted between the plates of an isolated charged capacitor. What
generally happens to the capacitance?
