AP Physics 2 Flashcards: Electric Charge And Electric Force

What this deck covers

This deck focuses on Electric Charge And Electric Force, giving you a quick way to review the definitions, rules, and examples that matter most for AP Physics 2.

How to use these flashcards

Work through these flashcards in short sessions. Try to answer each prompt before flipping the card, then revisit any cards you miss until the explanation feels automatic.

Flashcard 1: What is the direction of the electric field due to a positive charge?

Answer: Radially outward from the charge. Field lines point away from positive charges.

Flashcard 2: Find the force on a charge in a uniform electric field.

Answer: $F = qE$. Force equals charge times field strength.

Flashcard 3: Identify the SI unit for electric field strength.

Answer: Newton per Coulomb (N/C). Also equivalent to V/m (volts per meter).

Flashcard 4: What is the electric field on the surface of a charged conductor?

Answer: Perpendicular to the surface. Field is normal to equipotential surfaces.

Flashcard 5: What is the electric field on the surface of a charged conductor?

Answer: Perpendicular to the surface. Field is normal to equipotential surfaces.

Flashcard 6: What is the direction of the electric field due to a negative charge?

Answer: Radially inward toward the charge. Field lines point toward negative charges.

Flashcard 7: State the formula for electric force between two charges.

Answer: $F = k \frac{|q_1 q_2|}{r^2}$. Coulomb's Law for electrostatic force.

Flashcard 8: What is the effect of a charged insulator on a nearby uncharged conductor?

Answer: Induces a charge separation. Creates surface charges that cancel internal field.

Flashcard 9: Find the force on a charge in a uniform electric field.

Answer: $F = qE$. Force equals charge times field strength.

Flashcard 10: What is the charge of an electron?

Answer: $-1.6 \times 10^{-19} \text{ C}$. Fundamental negative charge magnitude.

Flashcard 11: What is the principle of superposition for electric forces?

Answer: Net force is vector sum of individual forces. Forces add vectorially from all charges.

Flashcard 12: What is the electric potential at a point due to a point charge?

Answer: $V = k \frac{q}{r}$. Potential decreases with distance from positive charge.

Flashcard 13: State the relationship between potential energy and work done by electric forces.

Answer: $U_i - U_f = W_{\text{done}}$. Conservation of energy in electric fields.

Flashcard 14: What is the formula for the potential energy of a dipole in an electric field?

Answer: $U = -pE \text{cos}(\theta)$. Energy depends on dipole orientation relative to field.

Flashcard 15: State the formula for electric force between two charges.

Answer: $F = k \frac{|q_1 q_2|}{r^2}$. Coulomb's Law for electrostatic force.

Flashcard 16: Determine the potential difference between two points in an electric field.

Answer: $\triangle V = Ed$. For uniform field, voltage change is field times distance.

Flashcard 17: Calculate the electric potential at $2 \text{ m}$ from a $3 \text{ C}$ charge.

Answer: $V = 1.35 \times 10^{10} \text{ V}$. Using $V = k\frac{q}{r}$ with given values.

Flashcard 18: Calculate the force between two $1 \text{ C}$ charges $1 \text{ m}$ apart.

Answer: $F = 8.99 \times 10^9 \text{ N}$. Using $F = k\frac{|q_1 q_2|}{r^2}$ with given values.

Flashcard 19: What is the electric potential at a point due to a point charge?

Answer: $V = k \frac{q}{r}$. Potential decreases with distance from positive charge.

Flashcard 20: Determine the electric force on a $5 \text{ C}$ charge in a $10 \text{ N/C}$ field.

Answer: $F = 50 \text{ N}$. Using $F = qE$ with given charge and field.

Flashcard 21: State Coulomb's Law.

Answer: $F = k \frac{|q_1 q_2|}{r^2}$. Force between charges is proportional to product of charges, inversely proportional to distance squared.

Flashcard 22: Determine the electric force on a $5 \text{ C}$ charge in a $10 \text{ N/C}$ field.

Answer: $F = 50 \text{ N}$. Using $F = qE$ with given charge and field.

Flashcard 23: What is the electric field inside a conductor in electrostatic equilibrium?

Answer: Zero. Charges redistribute to cancel internal field.

Flashcard 24: What is the net charge inside a conductor in electrostatic equilibrium?

Answer: Zero inside the conductor. All excess charge resides on surface.

Flashcard 25: Identify the relationship between electric field and force on a charged particle.

Answer: $F = qE$. Definition of electric field strength.

Flashcard 26: State Gauss's Law.

Answer: $\text{Flux} = \frac{Q_{\text{enc}}}{\varepsilon_0}$. Electric flux through closed surface equals enclosed charge over $\varepsilon_0$.

Flashcard 27: Calculate the work done moving a $1 \text{ C}$ charge across $10 \text{ V}$.

Answer: $W = 10 \text{ J}$. Work equals charge times potential difference.

Flashcard 28: Calculate the electric potential at $2 \text{ m}$ from a $3 \text{ C}$ charge.

Answer: $V = 1.35 \times 10^{10} \text{ V}$. Using $V = k\frac{q}{r}$ with given values.

Flashcard 29: What is meant by a conservative electric field?

Answer: Work done is path independent. Electric fields are conservative force fields.

Flashcard 30: What is the principle of superposition for electric forces?

Answer: Net force is vector sum of individual forces. Forces add vectorially from all charges.

Flashcard 31: What is the relationship between electric field and voltage?

Answer: $E = -\frac{dV}{dx}$. Field points from high to low potential.

Flashcard 32: Calculate the force between two $1 \text{ C}$ charges $1 \text{ m}$ apart.

Answer: $F = 8.99 \times 10^9 \text{ N}$. Using $F = k\frac{|q_1 q_2|}{r^2}$ with given values.

Flashcard 33: What is the magnitude of the electric field in a parallel plate capacitor?

Answer: $E = \frac{\text{V}}{d}$. Uniform field between parallel plates.

Flashcard 34: Calculate the work done moving a $1 \text{ C}$ charge across $10 \text{ V}$.

Answer: $W = 10 \text{ J}$. Work equals charge times potential difference.

Flashcard 35: What is the permittivity of free space, $\text{ε}_0$?

Answer: $8.85 \times 10^{-12} \text{ C}^2/\text{N m}^2$. Fundamental constant in electromagnetism.

Flashcard 36: Define electric field.

Answer: Force per unit charge, $E = \frac{F}{q}$. Electric force per unit test charge.

Flashcard 37: Identify the formula for the work done by an electric force.

Answer: $W = qEd$. Work equals force times distance moved.

Flashcard 38: What are the units of electric potential (voltage)?

Answer: Volt (V). One volt equals one joule per coulomb.

Flashcard 39: What is the charge of a proton?

Answer: +1.$6 \times 10^{-19} \text{ C}$. Fundamental positive charge magnitude.

Flashcard 40: State Coulomb's Law.

Answer: $F = k \frac{|q_1 q_2|}{r^2}$. Force between charges is proportional to product of charges, inversely proportional to distance squared.

Flashcard 41: What is the formula for electric potential energy?

Answer: $U = k \frac{q_1 q_2}{r}$. Energy increases when like charges approach.

Flashcard 42: What is the formula for the potential energy of a dipole in an electric field?

Answer: $U = -pE \text{cos}(\theta)$. Energy depends on dipole orientation relative to field.

Flashcard 43: Determine the potential difference between two points in an electric field.

Answer: $\triangle V = Ed$. For uniform field, voltage change is field times distance.

Flashcard 44: State the formula for electric potential (voltage).

Answer: $V = \frac{U}{q}$. Electric potential energy per unit charge.

Flashcard 45: Calculate the potential energy of a $2 \text{ C}$ charge at $5 \text{ V}$.

Answer: $U = 10 \text{ J}$. Using $U = qV$ with given charge and potential.

Flashcard 46: What is the magnitude of the electric field in a parallel plate capacitor?

Answer: $E = \frac{\text{V}}{d}$. Uniform field between parallel plates.

Flashcard 47: What is the formula for electric field due to a point charge?

Answer: $E = k \frac{|q|}{r^2}$. Field strength decreases with distance squared.

Flashcard 48: What is the formula for electric field due to a point charge?

Answer: $E = k \frac{|q|}{r^2}$. Field strength decreases with distance squared.

Flashcard 49: What is the charge of an electron?

Answer: -1.$6 \times 10^{-19} \text{ C}$. Fundamental negative charge magnitude.

Flashcard 50: What is the net charge inside a conductor in electrostatic equilibrium?

Answer: Zero inside the conductor. All excess charge resides on surface.

Flashcard 51: What is the charge of a proton?

Answer: +1.$6 \times 10^{-19} \text{ C}$. Fundamental positive charge magnitude.

Flashcard 52: State the formula for the torque on a dipole in a uniform electric field.

Answer: $\tau = pE \text{sin}(\theta)$. Maximum torque when dipole perpendicular to field.

Flashcard 53: What is the value of the Coulomb constant, $k$?

Answer: $8.99 \times 10^9 \text{ N m}^2/\text{C}^2$. Also written as $\frac{1}{4\pi\varepsilon_0}$.

Flashcard 54: Identify the formula for the work done by an electric force.

Answer: $W = qEd$. Work equals force times distance moved.

Flashcard 55: Define electric field.

Answer: Force per unit charge, $E = \frac{F}{q}$. Electric force per unit test charge.

Flashcard 56: Calculate the potential energy of a $2 \text{ C}$ charge at $5 \text{ V}$.

Answer: $U = 10 \text{ J}$. Using $U = qV$ with given charge and potential.

Flashcard 57: What is the electric field inside a conductor in electrostatic equilibrium?

Answer: Zero. Charges redistribute to cancel internal field.

Flashcard 58: What is the relationship between electric field and voltage?

Answer: $E = -\frac{dV}{dx}$. Field points from high to low potential.

Flashcard 59: What is the effect of a charged insulator on a nearby uncharged conductor?

Answer: Induces a charge separation. Creates surface charges that cancel internal field.

Flashcard 60: State the formula for the torque on a dipole in a uniform electric field.

Answer: $\tau = pE \text{sin}(\theta)$. Maximum torque when dipole perpendicular to field.

Flashcard 61: State the formula for electric potential (voltage).

Answer: $V = \frac{U}{q}$. Electric potential energy per unit charge.

Flashcard 62: What are the units of electric potential (voltage)?

Answer: Volt (V). One volt equals one joule per coulomb.

Flashcard 63: What is the permittivity of free space, $\text{ε}_0$?

Answer: $8.85 \times 10^{-12} \text{ C}^2/\text{N m}^2$. Fundamental constant in electromagnetism.

Flashcard 64: What is the direction of the electric field due to a negative charge?

Answer: Radially inward toward the charge. Field lines point toward negative charges.

Flashcard 65: State the relationship between potential energy and work done by electric forces.

Answer: $U_i - U_f = W_{\text{done}}$. Conservation of energy in electric fields.

Flashcard 66: What is the direction of the electric field due to a positive charge?

Answer: Radially outward from the charge. Field lines point away from positive charges.

Flashcard 67: Identify the SI unit for electric field strength.

Answer: Newton per Coulomb (N/C). Also equivalent to V/m (volts per meter).

Flashcard 68: Identify the relationship between electric field and force on a charged particle.

Answer: $F = qE$. Definition of electric field strength.

Flashcard 69: What is the value of the Coulomb constant, $k$?

Answer: $8.99 \times 10^9 \text{ N m}^2/\text{C}^2$. Also written as $\frac{1}{4\pi\varepsilon_0}$.

Flashcard 70: What is meant by a conservative electric field?

Answer: Work done is path independent. Electric fields are conservative force fields.