AP Physics B – Practice Workbook – Book 2

Electricity and Magnetism, Waves and Optics, Modern Physics

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 Table of Contents

Chapter 10 Electrostatics
Electrostatics Multiple Choice .........................................................................................................5
Electrostatics Free Response..........................................................................................................43
Answers to Electrostatics Questions ..............................................................................................67

Chapter 11 Circuits
Circuits Multiple Choice ................................................................................................................93
Circuits Free Response ................................................................................................................127
Answers to Circuits Questions .....................................................................................................147

Chapter 12 Magnetism and Induction

Magnetism and Induction Multiple Choice
Section A – Magnetostatics .............................................................................................169
Section B – Induction.......................................................................................................181
Magnetism and Induction Free Response
Section A – Magnetostatics .............................................................................................189
Section B – Induction.......................................................................................................209
Answers to Magnetism and Induction Questions ........................................................................219

Chapter 13 Waves and Optics

Waves and Optics Multiple Choice
Section A – Waves and Sound .........................................................................................247
Section B – Physical Optics .............................................................................................255
Section C – Geometric Optics..........................................................................................258
Waves and Optics Free Response
Section A – Waves and Sound .........................................................................................271
Section B – Physical Optics .............................................................................................274
Section C – Geometric Optics..........................................................................................280
Answers to Waves and Optics Questions ....................................................................................311

Chapter 14 Modern Physics

Modern Physics Multiple Choice
Section A – Quantum Physics and Atom Models............................................................353
Section B – Nuclear Physics ............................................................................................359
Modern Physics Free Response
Section A – Quantum Physics and Atom Models............................................................365
Section B – Nuclear Physics ............................................................................................380
Answers to Modern Physics Questions........................................................................................383
This book is a compilation of all the problems published by College Board in AP
Physics B and AP Physics C that are appropriate for the AP B level as well as
problems from AAPT’s Physics Bowl and U.S. Physics Team Qualifying Exams
organized by topic.

The problems vary in level of difficulty and type and this book represents an
invaluable resource for practice and review and should be used… often. Whether
you are struggling or confident in a topic, you should be doing these problems as a
reinforcement of ideas and concepts on a scale that could never be covered in the
class time allotted.

The answers as presented are not the only method to solving many of these
problems and physics teachers may present slightly different methods and/or
different symbols and variables in each topic, but the underlying physics concepts
are the same and we ask you read the solutions with an open mind and use these
differences to expand your problem solving skills.

Finally, we are fallible and if you find any typographical errors, formatting errors
or anything that strikes you as unclear or unreadable, please let us know so we can
make the necessary announcements and corrections.

Problems marked with an asterisk (*) are challenging problems that some would
consider to be outside the scope of the course, but rely on the concepts taught
within the course or they may require information taught in a later part of the
course. These are for those students who wish to go beyond the level needed, but
are not required for success in the AP B course.
Chapter 10

Electrostatics

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AP Physics Multiple Choice Practice – Electrostatics

1. The electron volt is a measure of

(A) charge (B) energy (C) impulse (D) momentum (E) velocity

2. A solid conducting sphere is given a positive charge Q. How is the charge Q distributed in or on the sphere?
(A) It is concentrated at the center of the sphere.
(B) It is uniformly distributed throughout the sphere.
(C) Its density decreases radially outward from the center.
(D) Its density increases radially outward from the center.
(E) It is uniformly distributed on the surface of the sphere only.

3. A parallel–plate capacitor is charged by connection to a battery. If the battery is disconnected and the separation
between the plates is increased, what will happen to the charge on the capacitor and the voltage across it?
(A) Both remain fixed. (B) Both increase. (C) Both decrease.
(D) The charge increases and the voltage decreases. (E) The charge remains fixed and the voltage increases.

Questions 4 – 5.
A point P is 0.50 meter from a point charge of 5.0 × 10–8 coulomb.

4. The intensity of the electric field at point P is most nearly

(A) 2.5 × 10–8 N/C (B) 2.5 × 101 N/C (C) 9.0 × 102 N/C (D) 1.8 × 103 N/C (E) 7.5 × 108 N/C

5. The electric potential at point P is most nearly

(A) 2.5 × l0–8 V (B) 2.5 × 101 V (C) 9.0 × 102 V (D) 1.8 × 103 V (E) 7.5 × 103 V

6. One joule of work is needed to move one coulomb of charge from one point to another with no change in
velocity. Which of the following is true between the two points?
(A) The resistance is one ohm. (B) The current is one ampere.
(C) The potential difference is one volt. (D) The electric field strength is one newton per coulomb.
(E) The electric field strength is one joule per electron.

Questions 7 – 8

Two positive charges of magnitude q are each a distance d from the origin A of a coordinate system as shown
above.

7. At which of the following points is the electric field least in magnitude?

(A) A (B) B (C) C (D) D (E) E

8. At which of the following points is the electric potential greatest in magnitude?

(A) A (B) B (C) C (D) D (E) E

9. A parallel–plate capacitor has a capacitance C o . A second parallel–plate capacitor has plates with twice the area
and twice the separation. The capacitance of the second capacitor is most nearly
(A) ¼C o (B) ½C o (C) C o (D) 2C o (E) 4C o

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10. Two identical conducting spheres are charged to +2Q and –Q. respectively, and are separated by a distance d
(much greater than the radii of the spheres) as shown above. The magnitude of the force of attraction on the left
sphere is F 1 . After the two spheres are made to touch and then are reseparated by distance d, the magnitude of
the force on the left sphere is F 2 . Which of the following relationships is correct?
(A) 2F 1 = F 2 (B) F 1 = F 2 (C) F 1 = 2F 2 (D) F l = 4F 2 (E) F 1 = 8 F 2

11. The capacitance of a parallel–plate capacitor can be increased by increasing which of the following?
(A) The distance between the plates (B) The charge on each plate (C) The area of the plates
(D) The potential difference across the plates (E) None of the above

12. An electron volt is a measure of

(A) energy (B) electric field (C) electric potential due to one electron
(D) force per unit electron charge (E) electric charge

Questions 13 – 14
An electron is accelerated from rest for a time of 10–9 second by a uniform electric field that exerts a force of
8.0 x 10–15 newton on the electron.

13. What is the magnitude of the electric field?

(A) 8.0 × 10–24 N/C (B) 9.1 × 10–22 N/C (C) 8.0 × 10–6 N/C (D) 2.0 × 10–5 N/C (E) 5.0 × 104 N/C

14. The speed of the electron after it has accelerated for the 10–9 second is most nearly
(A) 101 m/s (B) 103 m/s (C) 105 m/s (D) 107 m/s (E) 109 m/s

15. A hollow metal sphere of radius R is positively charged. Of the following distances from the center of the
sphere, which location will have the greatest electric field strength?
(A) 0 (center of the sphere) (B) 3R/2 (C) 5R/4 (D) 2R
(E) None of the above because the field is of constant strength

16. Two isolated charges, + q and – 2q, are 2 centimeters apart. If F is the magnitude of the force acting on charge
–2Q, what are the magnitude and direction of the force acting on charge +q?
Magnitude Direction
(A) (1/2) F Toward charge – 2q
(B) 2 F Away from charge –2q
(C) F Toward charge – 2q
(D) F Away from charge – 2q
(E) 2F Toward charge – 2q

17. Charges + Q and – 4Q are situated as shown above. The net electric field is zero nearest which point?
(A) A (B) B (C) C (D) D (E) E

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18. A positive charge of 10–6 coulomb is placed on an insulated solid conducting sphere. Which of the following is
true?
(A) The charge resides uniformly throughout the sphere.
(B) The electric field inside the sphere is constant in magnitude, but not zero.
(C) The electric field in the region surrounding the sphere increases with increasing distance from the sphere.
(D) An insulated metal object acquires a net positive charge when brought near to, but not in contact with, the
sphere.
(E) When a second conducting sphere is connected by a conducting wire to the first sphere, charge is
transferred until the electric potentials of the two spheres are equal.

19. Two large parallel conducting plates P and Q are connected to a battery of emf E, as shown above.
A test charge is placed successively at points I, II, and III. If edge effects are negligible, the force on the charge
when it is at point III is
(A) of equal magnitude and in the same direction as the force on the charge when it is at point I
(B) of equal magnitude and in the same direction as the force on the charge when it is at point II
(C) equal in magnitude to the force on the charge when it is at point I, but in the opposite direction
(D) much greater in magnitude than the force on the charge when it is at point II, but in the same direction
(E) much less in magnitude than the force on the charge when it is at point II, but in the same direction

20. Forces between two objects which are inversely proportional to the square of the distance between the objects
include which of the following?
I. Gravitational force between two celestial bodies
II. Electrostatic force between two electrons
III. Nuclear force between two neutrons
(A) I only (B) III only (C) I and II only (D) II and III only (E) I, II, and III

21. The diagram above shows an isolated, positive charge Q. Point (B) is twice as far away from Q as point A. The
ratio of the electric field strength at point A to the electric field strength at point B is
(A) 8 to 1 (B) 4 to 1 (C) 2 to 1 (D) 1 to 1 (E) 1 to 2

22. Which of the following is true about the net force on an uncharged conducting sphere in a uniform electric
field?
(A) It is zero. (B) It is in the direction of the field. (C) It is in the direction opposite to the field.
(D) It produces a torque on the sphere about the direction of the field.
(E) It causes the sphere to oscillate about an equilibrium position.

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23. Two conducting spheres of different radii, as shown above, each have charge –Q. Which of the following
occurs when the two spheres are connected with a conducting wire?
(A) No charge flows.
(B) Negative charge flows from the larger sphere to the smaller sphere until the electric field at the surface of
each sphere is the same.
(C) Negative charge flows from the larger sphere to the smaller sphere until the electric potential of each
sphere is the same.
(D) Negative charge flows from the smaller sphere to the larger sphere until the electric field at the surface of
each sphere is the same.
(E) Negative charge flows from the smaller sphere to the larger sphere until the electric potential of each
sphere is the same.

24. Two parallel conducting plates are connected to a constant voltage source. The magnitude of the electric field
between the plates is 2,000 N/C. If the voltage is doubled and the distance between the plates is reduced to 1/5
the original distance, the magnitude of the new electric field is
(A) 800 N/C (B) 1,600 N/C (C) 2,400 N/C (D) 5,000 N/C (E) 20,000 N/C

Questions 25 – 26

The figure above shows two particles, each with a charge of +Q, that are located at the opposite corners of a
square of side d.

25. What is the direction of the net electric field at point P ?

(A) (B) (C) (D) (E)

26. What is the potential energy of a particle of charge +q that is held at point P ?
2 qQ 1 qQ 2 qQ 2 2 qQ
(A) Zero (B) (C) (D) (E)
4πε 0 d 4πε 0 d 4πε 0 d 4πε 0 d

27. Two parallel conducting plates, separated by a distance d, are connected to a battery of emf E. Which of the
following is correct if the plate separation is doubled while the battery remains connected?
(A) The electric charge on the plates is doubled.
(B) The electric charge on the plates is halved.
(C) The potential difference between the plates is doubled.
(D) The potential difference between the plates is halved
(E) The capacitance is unchanged.