Coulomb\'s Law Force Changes Quiz

  • Grade 10th
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| By Catherine Halcomb
Catherine Halcomb
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Quizzes Created: 4351 | Total Attempts: 7,027,064
| Questions: 10 | Updated: Oct 22, 2026
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1. Charge 1 is tripled, Charge 2 is doubled, and the distance is constant. By what factor does the electrostatic force change?

Explanation

According to Coulomb's Law, the electrostatic force between two charges is directly proportional to the product of the magnitudes of the charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. When Charge 1 is tripled, it becomes 3Q1, and when Charge 2 is doubled, it becomes 2Q2. Thus, the new force is proportional to (3Q1 * 2Q2), which is 6 times the original force (1Q1 * 1Q2). Therefore, the electrostatic force increases by a factor of 6 when these changes are applied, while the distance remains constant.

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About This Quiz
Coulomb\s Law Force Changes Quiz - Quiz

This assessment focuses on Coulomb's Law and how changes in charge and distance affect electrostatic force. By exploring various scenarios, learners will deepen their understanding of the relationships between charge magnitudes and distances. This knowledge is essential for grasping fundamental principles in physics and helps in applying these concepts to... see morereal-world situations. see less

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2. Charge 1 is constant, Charge 2 is constant, and the distance is halved. Is the new force greater or less than the original, and by what factor?

Explanation

According to Coulomb's Law, the electrostatic force between two charges is directly proportional to the product of the magnitudes of the charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. When the distance is halved, the force increases by a factor of \( (1/(1/2)^2) \), which simplifies to \( 1/(1/4) = 4 \). Therefore, the new force is four times greater than the original force when the distance is halved, resulting in an increase by a factor of 4.

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3. Charge 1 is doubled, Charge 2 is doubled, and the distance is doubled. By what factor does the electrostatic force change?

Explanation

According to Coulomb's law, the electrostatic force between two charges is directly proportional to the product of the magnitudes of the charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. When both charges are doubled, the force increases by a factor of four (2 x 2). However, since the distance is also doubled, the force is divided by four (2^2). Therefore, the increase and decrease in force cancel each other out, resulting in no change in the electrostatic force, which remains unchanged.

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4. Charge 1 is halved, Charge 2 is halved, and the distance is constant. By what factor does the electrostatic force change?

Explanation

According to Coulomb's law, the electrostatic force between two charges is directly proportional to the product of the magnitudes of the charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. When both Charge 1 and Charge 2 are halved, the product of the charges becomes one-fourth of its original value. Since the distance remains constant, the force is reduced to one-fourth, resulting in a change factor of x1/4.

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5. Charge 1 is tripled, Charge 2 is tripled, and the distance is tripled. By what factor does the electrostatic force change?

Explanation

According to Coulomb's law, the electrostatic force \( F \) between two charges is given by \( F = k \frac{q_1 q_2}{r^2} \), where \( k \) is a constant, \( q_1 \) and \( q_2 \) are the magnitudes of the charges, and \( r \) is the distance between them. When both charges are tripled, the force increases by a factor of \( 3 \times 3 = 9 \). However, since the distance is also tripled, the force decreases by a factor of \( 3^2 = 9 \). Thus, the increase and decrease cancel each other out, resulting in no change in the electrostatic force.

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6. Charge 1 is constant, Charge 2 is quintupled, and the distance is doubled. By what factor does the electrostatic force change?

Explanation

According to Coulomb's law, the electrostatic force \( F \) between two charges is given by \( F = k \frac{|q_1 q_2|}{r^2} \). If Charge 2 is quintupled, it becomes \( 5q_2 \), and if the distance is doubled, it becomes \( 2r \). Substituting these into the formula gives \( F' = k \frac{|q_1 (5q_2)|}{(2r)^2} = k \frac{5|q_1 q_2|}{4r^2} \). Thus, the new force \( F' \) is \( \frac{5}{4} \) times the original force, leading to a change factor of \( x5/4 \).

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7. Charge 1 is quadrupled, Charge 2 is constant, and the distance is doubled. Is the new force greater or less, and by what factor?

Explanation

When Charge 1 is quadrupled, its effect on the force increases. According to Coulomb's Law, the force between two charges is directly proportional to the product of their magnitudes and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. By quadrupling Charge 1, the force increases by a factor of 4. However, since the distance is doubled, the force decreases by a factor of 2 (since \(2^2 = 4\)). Therefore, the net effect is an increase in force by a factor of 2, combining both changes.

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8. Charge 1 is halved, Charge 2 is tripled, and the distance is halved. By what factor does the electrostatic force change?

Explanation

The electrostatic force between two charges is given by Coulomb's Law: \( F = k \frac{|q_1 q_2|}{r^2} \). Halving Charge 1 reduces the force by a factor of 1/2. Tripling Charge 2 increases the force by a factor of 3. Halving the distance decreases the force by a factor of \( 1/(1/2)^2 = 4 \). Therefore, the overall factor is \( (1/2) \times 3 \times 4 = 6 \). Thus, the electrostatic force changes by a factor of 6.

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9. Charge 1 is doubled, Charge 2 is constant, and the distance is tripled. Is the new force greater or less, and by what factor?

Explanation

According to Coulomb's law, the electrostatic force between two charges is directly proportional to the product of the magnitudes of the charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. When Charge 1 is doubled, the force increases by a factor of 2. However, tripling the distance decreases the force by a factor of 9 (since \(3^2 = 9\)). Therefore, the overall effect is a reduction in force by a factor of \(2/9\), resulting in a lesser force by that factor.

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10. Charge 1 is quintupled, Charge 2 is doubled, and the distance is tripled. By what factor does the electrostatic force change?

Explanation

The electrostatic force between two charges is described by Coulomb's Law, which states that the force is proportional to the product of the magnitudes of the charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. When Charge 1 is quintupled, it increases the force by a factor of 5. When Charge 2 is doubled, it further increases the force by a factor of 2. However, tripling the distance reduces the force by a factor of 3² (or 9). Thus, the overall change in force is (5 * 2) / 9 = 10/9.

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Charge 1 is tripled, Charge 2 is doubled, and the distance is...
Charge 1 is constant, Charge 2 is constant, and the distance is...
Charge 1 is doubled, Charge 2 is doubled, and the distance is doubled....
Charge 1 is halved, Charge 2 is halved, and the distance is constant....
Charge 1 is tripled, Charge 2 is tripled, and the distance is tripled....
Charge 1 is constant, Charge 2 is quintupled, and the distance is...
Charge 1 is quadrupled, Charge 2 is constant, and the distance is...
Charge 1 is halved, Charge 2 is tripled, and the distance is halved....
Charge 1 is doubled, Charge 2 is constant, and the distance is...
Charge 1 is quintupled, Charge 2 is doubled, and the distance is...
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