DP IB Physics: HL

Topic Questions

IBPhysics: HLDPTopic Questions10. Fields (HL only)10.1 Describing Fields

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First teaching 2014

Last exams 2024

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10.1 Describing Fields

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1
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Which of the following terms best describes the shape of an electric field created by a point charge? 

  • Radial

  • Uniform

  • Inverse

  • Vector

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2
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The gravitational field strength at a point P in a gravitational field is defined as:

The force...

  • per unit mass on a mass placed at P

  • on a mass placed at P

  • per unit mass on a small point mass placed at P

  • on a small point mass placed at P

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3
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An equipotential is perpendicular to a field line:

  • for both electric and gravitational fields

  • for electric fields only

  • for gravitational fields only

  • for neither electric or gravitational fields

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4
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Which of the following correctly describes the value of the gravitational potential at a point infinitely far away from every massive body in the universe? 

  • infinity

  • negative infinity

  • 0

  • pi

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5
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Which of the diagrams is not an accurate representation of equipotential lines?

sGby7Iif_10-1-ib-hl-mcqs-easy-q5-answers

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6
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Which of the following statements regarding gravitational potential is incorrect?

  • It is analogous to the electric potential at a point in an electric field

  • It is a vector quantity

  • It is defined as negative because work must be done on a mass to move it to infinity

  • It is inversely proportional to the distance between masses

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7
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Which of the following statements is not true about equipotential surfaces in a uniform electrostatic field?

  • The equipotential lines are straight

  • The equipotential lines are evenly spaced

  • The equipotential lines become progressively further apart

  • The equipotential lines are perpendicular to the field lines

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8
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The diagram below shows the field lines and equipotential lines around an isolated negative point charge.

fDSWBntR_10-1-ib-hl-mcqs-easy-q8-question

Which one of the following statements, when a small charge is moved in the field, is incorrect?

  • When the small charge is moved from Q to P or R to S the work done is the same in each case

  • The small charge has a larger potential energy at Q than at S

  • When the small charge is moved from Q to R it is twice the work done in moving it from P to S

  • The small charge has a larger electric potential energy at R than at S

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9
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Which of the following is incorrect regarding the similarities between gravitational and electrostatic fields?

  • The field lines around a point mass and negative point charge are identical

  • The work done in each field is either the product of the mass and change in potential or charge and change in potential

  • The gravitational potential and electric potential both have a 1 over r relationship

  • The gravitational and electrostatic forces are always attractive

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10
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What are the standard units of gravitational potential?

  • J

  • V

  • N kg–1

  • J kg–1

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1
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The shape of equipotential surfaces in the gravitational field depends on perspective. 

The image below shows equipotential surfaces (represented by dotted lines) due to the Earth’s gravitational field in a ‘local’ frame of reference (close to the Earth’s surface) and in a ‘non–local’ frame of reference (far from the Earth’s surface):

qu15-intro

Which line, A to D, in the table shows the variation of gravitational potential V with radial distance r from the Earth’s surface?

You may assume each dotted line represents equal changes in potential ΔV and that rE represents the radius of the Earth.

 

  • qu15a-

  • qu15b

  • qu15c

  • qu15d

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2
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The relative positions of a binary star system is shown below:

qu14-intro

The line XY joins the surface of the star of mass m to the surface of the star of mass M > m. Assume the stars have the same diameter.

Which graph correctly represents the variation of the gravitational potential ϕ along the line XY? 

qu14

 

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3
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Planet Z, with centre O, is shown in the figure below.

qu11

The radial distances OP is equal to the OX, and OQ is equal to OY, such that PX and QY are loci of Planet Z.

Which of the following statements is incorrect?

  • The work done by the gravitational field on a test mass moving from P to Q is negative

  • The gravitational field does zero work on a test mass moving along the locus PX

  • V subscript X over V subscript Q equals fraction numerator O Y over denominator O X end fraction

  • The work done by an external force to move a test mass from Y to X is positive

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4
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What is the electric field pattern between a conducting sphere and an earthed metal plate?

48~pRoOZ_qu-14

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5
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Two points charges of +4Q and –Q are placed 150 mm apart.

 Which of the following graphs shows the variation of the potential V against the distance x along the line joining the two point charges?

qu-12

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61 mark

Which of the following statements about gravitational fields is correct?

  • The gravitational potential is zero whenever the gravitational field strength is zero

  • The gravitational potential is negative because the gravitational field is repulsive

  • The gradient of the gravitational potential at a point is inversely proportional to the radial distance from some massive body

  • The area under a field strength–distance curve represents the change in gravitational potential between two points

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71 mark

Point charges, each of magnitude Q are placed at three corners of a square as shown in the diagram.

qu-13

What is the direction of the resultant electric field at the fourth corner?

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8
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Two objects X and Y of equal mass, m and distance, D apart move with a constant speed v in circular orbit about their common centre of mass CM. X has a charge of +6.0 nC and Y has a charge of –6.0 nC.

10-1-ib-hl-mcq-q8

Which graphs shows the electric potential, V and gravitational potential, φ,  against position along the straight-line joining X and Y?

10-1-ib-hl-mcq-q8-2

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9
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A positive charge is placed at S and a negative charge is placed at T. The electric potential at different points between the charges is shown below.

10-1-ib-hl-mcq-q9_1

Which graph correctly shows the variation with x along the line ST of the electric field strength, E?

10-1-ib-hl-mcq-q9-2

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10
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A weighted, positively charged sphere is released from rest, in a vacuum, between two parallel, vertical metal plates one at +100 V and the other grounded. The sphere is initially 4.0 cm from the edge of the grounded plate and 3.0 cm from the bottom of the plates. The sphere takes one of the paths P, Q, R or S and reaches the end of its trajectory in 60 ms.

10-1-ib-hl-mcq-q10

By choosing the correct path, what is the speed of the sphere at the end of its trajectory?

  • 1 over 6 m s–1

  • 5 over 6 m s–1

  • 5 over 3 m s–1

  • square root of 3 over 5 end root m s–1

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1
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A test mass m moves between position A and B as shown, in the presence of a source mass M. 

10-1-hl-mcq-medium-q1

Which of the following statements is correct? 

  • Negative work is done on m by the gravitational field from A to B

  • The gravitational field of M does negative work on m

  • m moves along an equipotential

  • The gravitational field of M does work on m

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2
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3
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A positive charge Q is deposited on the surface of a small sphere. The dotted lines represent equipotentials.

10-1-hl-mcq-medium-q3

A small positive point charge is moved from point P closer to the sphere along two different paths X and Y. What is the best comparison of the work done along X and Y, WX and WY?

  • WX = WY

  • WX < WY

  • WX > WY

  • WX ≈ WY

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4
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Two point charges are at rest as shown. Four positions, each of distance r from the nearest point charge, are marked in the image. 

10-1-hl-mcq-medium-q4

At which position is the electric field strength greatest?

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5
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Equipotential surfaces corresponding to lines of constant gravitational potential are conventionally drawn so that the difference in potential between any two adjacent surfaces is the same. 

Consider the equipotential surfaces for a spherical mass M. Which of the following statements is incorrect? 

  • Equipotential surfaces are spheres of constant radius around M

  • The distance between equipotential surfaces increases with distance from M

  • No work is done by the gravitational field of M if a test mass moves along an equipotential surface

  • The radius of each equipotential surface depends on the diameter of M

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6
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A helium nucleus is accelerated from rest across a potential difference of 5.0 kV.

If mp and mn is the rest mass of a proton and neutron respectively, which expression for the final velocity of the nucleus is correct? 

  • square root of fraction numerator 2 e over denominator m subscript p plus m subscript n end fraction end root

  • 50 square root of fraction numerator 2 e over denominator m subscript p plus m subscript n end fraction end root

  • 100 square root of fraction numerator e over denominator m subscript p plus m subscript n end fraction end root

  • square root of fraction numerator e over denominator m subscript p plus m subscript n end fraction end root

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7
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A small point charge +q descends vertically into a region where there is an electric field. The equipotentials of this field are shown. 

10-1-hl-mcq-medium-q7

What is the subsequent path followed by the particle?  

10-1-hl-mcq-medium-q7-diagram-2

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8
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Which diagram shows a correct equipotential line due to two point charges P and Q of equal sign? 

10-1-hl-mcq-medium-q8

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9
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Four point charges, W, X, Y and Z, are fixed to the edges of a square with midpoint O.

10-1-hl-mcq-medium-q9

W, X and Z are negatively charged, and Y is positively charged. What is the direction of the resultant electric field at O? 

  • Towards W

  • Towards X

  • Horizontally right

  • Towards Z

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10
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The diagram shows equipotential lines around two sources. 

10-1-hl-mcq-medium-q10

Possible combinations of sources for this potential field are: 

  1. Two equal point charges of the opposite sign
  2. Two equal point charges of same sign
  3. Two equal point masses

What is/are the possible source(s) for the equipotential lines? 

  • I and III only

  • II and III only

  • I only

  • II only

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