College Physics Quiz: Redistribution Of Charge Between Conductors

What this quiz covers

This quiz focuses on Redistribution Of Charge Between Conductors, giving you a quick way to practice the rules, question types, and explanations that matter most for College Physics.

How to use this quiz

Try each quiz question before looking at the correct answer. Use the explanations to review missed ideas, then come back to similar questions until the pattern feels familiar.

Question 1

1. Sphere A has a final charge of +2 μC (correct answer)
2. Sphere A has a final charge of +4 μC
3. Sphere A has a final charge of +6 μC
4. Sphere A has a final charge of +1 μC

Question 2

1. Each: $+1.5\,\text{nC}$ (correct answer)
2. Charged rod: $+3\,\text{nC}$, neutral rod: $0\,\text{nC}$
3. Each: $+3\,\text{nC}$
4. Each: $0\,\text{nC}$

Question 3

1. Each: $+4\,\text{nC}$ (correct answer)
2. Each: $+8\,\text{nC}$
3. Each: $-4\,\text{nC}$
4. Each: $0\,\text{nC}$

Question 4

1. A: $-4\,\text{nC}$, B: $-4\,\text{nC}$ (correct answer)
2. A: $-12\,\text{nC}$, B: $+4\,\text{nC}$
3. A: $+4\,\text{nC}$, B: $-12\,\text{nC}$
4. A: $0\,\text{nC}$, B: $-8\,\text{nC}$

Question 5

1. $Q_1=+1.6\,\mu\text{C}$, $Q_2=+6.4\,\mu\text{C}$ (correct answer)
2. $Q_1=+4.0\,\mu\text{C}$, $Q_2=+4.0\,\mu\text{C}$
3. $Q_1=+2\,\mu\text{C}$, $Q_2=+6\,\mu\text{C}$
4. $Q_1=+6.4\,\mu\text{C}$, $Q_2=+1.6\,\mu\text{C}$

Question 6

1. Each sphere ends with $+7.0\,\mu\text{C}$ (correct answer)
2. Each sphere ends with $+14\,\mu\text{C}$
3. Neutral stays $0\,\text{C}$; charged stays $+14\,\mu\text{C}$
4. Each sphere ends with $+3.5\,\mu\text{C}$

Question 7

1. Charge redistributes until both spheres reach the same potential (correct answer)
2. Both spheres end with equal charge because they are connected
3. Only the smaller sphere can hold charge after contact
4. Total charge changes because the wire supplies electrons

Question 8

1. Each sphere ends with $-8\,\mu\text{C}$
2. Each sphere ends with $-4\,\mu\text{C}$ (correct answer)
3. Each sphere ends with $+4\,\mu\text{C}$
4. Each sphere ends with $-16\,\mu\text{C}$

Question 9

1. $+14\,\mu\text{C}$
2. $-14\,\mu\text{C}$
3. $0\,\text{C}$ (correct answer)
4. Cannot be determined because charge is not conserved

Question 10

1. Each sphere ends with $+6.0\,\mu\text{C}$
2. Each sphere ends with $+3.0\,\mu\text{C}$ (correct answer)
3. Each sphere ends with $0\,\text{C}$
4. Each sphere ends with $+12.0\,\mu\text{C}$

Question 11

1. Each sphere has $(Q_1+Q_2)/2$ due to equal sharing and charge conservation (correct answer)
2. Each sphere has $Q_1-Q_2$ because opposite charges subtract on contact
3. Sphere 1 keeps $Q_1$ and sphere 2 keeps $Q_2$ because charges are fixed
4. Each sphere becomes neutral because conductors always discharge when touched

Question 12

1. $Q_1=+4\,\mu\text{C}$, $Q_2=+2\,\mu\text{C}$ (correct answer)
2. $Q_1=+3\,\mu\text{C}$, $Q_2=+3\,\mu\text{C}$
3. $Q_1=+6\,\mu\text{C}$, $Q_2=0\,\mu\text{C}$
4. $Q_1=+2\,\mu\text{C}$, $Q_2=+4\,\mu\text{C}$

Question 13

1. A: $+1.0\,\mu\text{C}$, B: $+1.0\,\mu\text{C}$ (correct answer)
2. A: $+2.0\,\mu\text{C}$, B: $0\,\text{C}$
3. A: $+1.2\,\mu\text{C}$, B: $+0.8\,\mu\text{C}$
4. A: $+0.2\,\mu\text{C}$, B: $+1.8\,\mu\text{C}$

Question 14

1. Each sphere ends with $-2.0\,\mu\text{C}$ (correct answer)
2. Each sphere ends with $+2.0\,\mu\text{C}$
3. They keep $+1.0\,\mu\text{C}$ and $-5.0\,\mu\text{C}$
4. Each sphere ends with $-4.0\,\mu\text{C}$

Question 15

1. Total charge is conserved; charge redistributes until voltages match (correct answer)
2. Total charge increases because connecting wires create charge
3. Each capacitor keeps its initial charge because plates are isolated
4. Both capacitors end with equal charge regardless of capacitance

Question 16

1. Each rod ends with $+1.0\,\mu\text{C}$ (correct answer)
2. Each rod ends with $+2.0\,\mu\text{C}$
3. They keep $+4.0\,\mu\text{C}$ and $-2.0\,\mu\text{C}$
4. Each rod ends with $0\,\text{C}$

Question 17

1. Each: $-2\,\text{nC}$ (correct answer)
2. Each: $+2\,\text{nC}$
3. One: $+5\,\text{nC}$, other: $-9\,\text{nC}$
4. Each: $-7\,\text{nC}$

Question 18

1. Total charge is conserved; it only redistributes between conductors (correct answer)
2. Total charge increases because contact generates additional free charge
3. Total charge decreases because some charge is lost during separation
4. Total charge becomes zero because charges always neutralize on contact

Question 19

1. It stays the same; charge only transfers between spheres (correct answer)
2. It increases because electrons are created during contact
3. It decreases because some charge disappears as heat
4. It becomes zero because charges always neutralize

Question 20

1. Both end with $+3\,\text{nC}$ because charge always splits equally
2. Total stays $+6\,\text{nC}$, but larger sphere holds more charge than smaller (correct answer)
3. Neutral sphere remains $0\,\text{nC}$ because it starts uncharged
4. Total charge increases above $+6\,\text{nC}$ when the wire is attached