P202 Quiz Archive.

Study questions for Physics P202

What is the difference between charging by induction and charging by conduction?
If a uniform electric field points South, which direction would the force on a proton be as a result of this field? What direction would the force be if this were an electron?
What is the difference between a uniform electric field and the electric field of a point charge?
What is the difference between the electric force and the electric field?
What are the similarities and differences between the electric force and the gravitational force?
Why is the electric force stronger than the gravitational force? Describe a laboratory experiment which would verify this?
Another student tells you that the equation F=qE cannot be right since the field of a charge cannot act on itself. How would you respond?
What would happen to the world if the charges on the proton and electron suddenly reversed so that the proton was negative and the electron positive?

What is the difference between electric potential and electric field?
Capacitance is defined to be C=Q/V. Why is the capacitance not zero when the charge Q is zero?
What is an equipotential surface?
What is the relationship between an equipotential surface and an electric field?
What are some examples of capacitors?
If a proton goes from a higher to a lower potential does it gain or lose energy? Explain.
If an electron goes from a higher to a lower potential does it gain or lose energy? Explain.

Explain the difference between a conductor, a semi-conductor and an insulator.
Drift velocity for electrons in a copper wire is very slow (it takes more than an hour for electrons to move one meter). How is it possible that when you turn the light switch the light comes on almost instantly?
What quantities affect the resistance of a wire?
Why does resistance vary with temperature?
What is the difference between how a voltmeter is connected in a circuit and an ammeter? Why?
What are some examples of capacitors?
What is the difference between resistance and resistivity?
Why do current carrying wires often get hot?
How are Joules, Watts, and Kilowatt hours related?
Sometimes people say "It's not the volts that kill you, it's the amps." What are they tring to say here?

What is the difference between the electric force and the magnetic force?
What three things affect the amount of force felt by a charge moving in a region of uniform magnetic field?
A magnetic field points from West to East. Describe the motion of a proton which initially is moving; a) West, b) East, c) North, d) South. Repeat for an electron.
Describe how does a simple electric motor works?
How does a velocity selector work?
How is a magnetic dipole different from an electric dipole?
What is a magnetic domain?
What is a solenoid?
What direction does the magnetic field point relative to a current carrying wire?
What is the direction and magnitude of the force on a wire with current going parallel to a nearby wire? What if the currents are anti-parallel? What if the currents are perpendicular?

NOTE: We may not get to all of this by the time of the quiz.

How does a velocity selector work?
How is a magnetic dipole different from an electric dipole?
What is a magnetic domain?
What is a solenoid?
What direction does the magnetic field point relative to a current carrying wire?
What is the direction and magnitude of the force on a wire with current going parallel to a nearby wire? What if the currents are anti-parallel? What if the currents are perpendicular?

How does a generator work?
What is the difference between magnetic field and magnetic flux?
What three things in the flux may change to cause an emf?
You have a coil of wire and you insert the north pole of a magnet. Use Lenz's law to find the direction of the induced emf.
What is motional emf? Give an example.
Does a current have to flow in cases where there is a changing magnetic flux in a coil of wire? Given an example to support your answer.

When you use a step up transformer the output voltage is higher than the input voltage. Why isn't this an example of a problem with the law of conservation of energy?
What, exactly does rms mean? How is an rms value calculated?
Why is AC rather than DC used to transmit power from the power station to your neighborhood?
What is the difference between x-rays and microwaves?
What are Maxwell's equations?
How do you make an electromagnetic wave?
Why can you not have a pure electric wave or a purely magnetic wave?

What is the physical cause of the refraction of light?
What does Snell's law tell you?
What is dispersion?
Why do rainbows form?
Under what conditions do we see total internal reflection?
What is the difference between refraction and reflection?
Why does light passing through a flat piece of glass not appear distorted but light through a curved piece of glass does appear distorted? Doesn't light bend at both surfaces?
What are the rules for drawing ray diagrams for curved mirrors and thin lenses?

What are the rules for drawing ray diagrams for curved mirrors different than those of thin lenses?
How is the fact that the sky is blue related to the fact that sunsets are orange?
What is the difference between diffration and interferenece?
What is the difference between polarized and unpolarized light?
What is the difference between refraction and difraction?
Why does a laser beam go straight through a large opening like a door but create several spots when going through a small opening?

Contact Kyle Forinash, kforinas@ius.edu, for comments/suggestions/corrections.