CBSE Test Paper-02

Class - 12 Physics (Electrostatics Potential and Capacitance)

1. Equal charges q each are placed at the vertices A and B of an equilateral triangle ABC
of side a. The magnitude of electric intensity at the centre is:

a.

b.

c.

d.
2. The force with which the plates of a parallel plate capacitor, having charge Q and area
of each plate as A, attract each other is
a. directly proportional to Q only
b. directly proportional to A and Q
c. directly proportional to A only
d. inversely proportional to
3. In electrolytic capacitors positive terminal is
a. one on which aluminium oxide film is not formed
b. one on which aluminium oxide film is formed
c. none of the these
d. either of the two terminals
4. Work done by a uniform electric field E in moving a charge q a distance d from a to b
is
a.
b.
c.
d.
5. The capacitance of a parallel plate capacitor is 5 . When a glass slab of thickness
equal to the separation between the plates is introduced between the plates, the
potential difference reduces to 1/8 of the original value. The dielectric constant of
glass is
a. 8

1/8
b. 5
c. 1.6
d. 40
6. Two point charges q and -2q are kept d distance apart. Find the location of point
relative to charge q at which potential due to this system of charges is zero.
7. A hollow metal sphere of radius 5 cm is charged such that potential on its surface is
10V. What is the potential at the centre of the sphere?
8. Why there is no work done in moving a charge from one point to another on an
equipotential surface?
9. Given a battery how would you connect two capacitors, in series or in parallel for
them to store the greater (a) total charge (b) total energy?
10. A man fixes outside his house one evening a two metre high insulating slab carrying

on its top a large aluminium sheet of area 1m2 . Will he get an electric shock if he
touches the metal sheet next morning?
11. A small test charge is released at rest at a point in an electrostatic field configuration.
Will it travel along the field line passing through that point?
12. i. Plot a graph comparing the variation of potential V and electric field E due to a
point charge Q as a function of distance R from the point charge.
ii. Find the ratio of the potential differences that must be applied across the parallel
and the series combination of two capacitors, C1 and C2 with their capacitances in

the ratio 1 : 2, so that the energy stored in the two cases becomes the same.
13. Three capacitors each of capacitance 9 pF are connected in series:
a. What is the total capacitance of the combination?
b. What is the potential difference across each capacitor if the combination is
connectedto a 120 V supply?
14. What is the area of the plates of a 2 F parallel plate capacitor, given that the
separation between the plate is 0.5 cm?
15. Two tiny spheres carrying charges and are located 30 cm apart. Find
the potential and electric field:(a) at the mid point of the line joining the two charges,
and(b) at a point 10 cm from this mid point in a plane normal to the line and passing
through the mid point.

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CBSE Test Paper-02
Class - 12 Physics (Electrostatics Potential and Capacitance)
Answers

1. b.

Explanation: If a =side of the triangle then, the height of the equilateral

triangle
Now, the centroid of a triangle divides the median in the ratio 2:1
Therefore, the distance between centroid to any vertices of the equilateral
triangle
of a height of the equilateral triangle

2. b. directly proportional to A and Q

Explanation: Consider a parallel plate capacitor with area A and energy
density ( energy per unit volume) u and let the force between the plates be F.
If the plate separation be increased by , the work done .
The volume of the capacitor increases by .
The increase in the potential energy of the capacitor
The work done is equal to the increase in potential energy.

therefore .
Since

3/8
therefore
Since ,
therefore

3. b. one on which aluminium oxide film is formed

Explanation: Aluminium electrolytic capacitors have the Aluminium foil anode
(positive terminal) which is etched and covered with a layer of Aluminium
Oxide which acts as a dielectric. The whole assembly is covered using a paper
separator soaked in electrolyte such as, Borax or Glycol and covered by
Aluminium foil which acts as cathode (negative electrode)

4. a. qEd
Explanation : Force F = qE and the work done w = F . d = qED

5. a. 8
Explanation: When a dielectric of constant K is introduced between the plates
of a capacitor,the capacitnce becomes KC where C is initial capacitance with air
as medium between plates.
Q=CV after filling the medium charge remains same thus potential V changes
thus V thus, the potential V reduces to V/K. Therefore K=8
6. According to the question, qA = q and qB = -2q. Say at a distance x from the charge qA,

potential will be zero.

As, the potential due to system of charges is zero,

hence

7. Electric field inside the hollow spherical charged conductor is zero, as no charge
resides inside the hollow portion where there is no material of the body.
The relation between electric field intensity and potential is
So if . Thus, the potential(V) is constant throughout the whole
spehere and equal to the value at the surface, i.e. equal to its value at the surface =

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10V.
8. An equipotential surface is a surface at which electric potential at each and every
point on the surface is same.
As, work done in moving a charged particle having charge +q from one point to
another on any surface is defined as
(Say, VA and VB are potentials at two points A and B on the

surface)
On an equipotential surface, the potential everywhere always remains constant. So,
change in potential
Work done,
9. Total charge q = CV, and total energy . Now V is constant and Cp > Cs'

therefore, parallel combination is required for storing greater charge and greater
energy.
10. Yes, the aluminium sheet gradually is charged up by the steady discharging current in
the atmosphere and raises its voltage to an extent depending on the capacitance of the
capacitor. (formed by the sheet, slab and the ground).
11. Not definitely. If the field line is a straight line then only the small test charge will
move along the line of force. The direction of velocity is not given by line of force, it
gives direction of acceleration.
12. i. The graph comparing the variation of potential V and electric field.

ii. Let C1 = C and C2 = 2C

Equivalent capacitance
In parallel combination, CP = 2C + C = 3C

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In series combination,
Let VP and Vs are potential difference across the equivalent capacitance in parallel

and series combination respectively, to have same potential energy.

i.e. UP=Us

, this is the required ratio of the potential differences across

the parallel and series combination of the capacitors.
13. Given three capacitors
C 1 = C 2 = C 3 = 9pF

a. Since the capacitors are connected in series.

b. Given, V = 120 volt

V = V1 + V2 + V3

as capacitance are equal so

V1 = V2 = V3 = V'(let)

V = 3V'

= 40 volt.

14. Given, the separation between plates (d) = 0.5 cm the capacitance (c) =
2F
Now,

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The area of plates should be in kilometers in order to get the capacitance in Farads.
Therefore, the ordinary capacitors are in the range of .

15. a. Potential at the mid point of the line joining the two charges is

Or

Electric field at the mid point O due to charge at A

along OB
Electric field at the mid point O due to charge at B

along OA
Thus, the total electric field at the mid point O is

(along BA)
b. Potential at the point C due to the two charges is

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Electric field at C due to charge at A

Electric field at C due to charge at B

If the angle between E1 and E2 be then

Thus, magnitude of resultant field at C is

Let the field E makes angle with the field E1

Now,

= 4.2876
= 76.9°
If field E makes angle with the direction BA, then

= 90° + 56.3° - 76.9° = 69.4°

Therefore, angle of 69.4° is made by the electric field with the line joining the two
charges q2 to q1.

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