Question 1

What are the three components of every electric circuit?

Accepted Answer

The components are a source of energy like a battery, a closed path through which current can flow, and a device such as a motor or light bulb that uses the electrical energy.

Question 2

Which of the following can produce magnetic fields?

Accepted Answer

A)  gravitational force 
B)  static electrical force 
C)  moving electrical charges 
D)  winding a coil of wire 
E)  rubbing amber against a magnet 
A)  gravitational force 
B)  static electrical force 
C)  moving electrical charges 
D)  winding a coil of wire 
E)  rubbing amber against a magnet C

Question 3

Why is it no longer possible to start automobile engines by using a hand crank?

Accepted Answer

Early cars required approximately 100 watts of power to start, which could be accomplished with a hand crank. Modern high compression engines are much more powerful and, as a result, require much more starting power.

Question 4

Which of the following items would use only low-resistance wires?

Accepted Answer

A)  a toaster 
B)  a space heater (electric heater for a room in your house) 
C)  an electrical transmission line 
D)  an incandescent light bulb 
E)  a hair dryer 
A)  a toaster 
B)  a space heater (electric heater for a room in your house) 
C)  an electrical transmission line 
D)  an incandescent light bulb 
E)  a hair dryer

Question 5

In what way does Newton's law of universal gravitation differ from Coulomb's law?

Accepted Answer

A)  Electrical forces can be either attractive or repulsive, while gravity is only attractive. 
B)  Only Newton's law of gravity requires a universal constant. 
C)  Only Coulomb's law addresses distance in describing the effect of one object on another. 
D)  Newton's law required experimentation but Coulomb's law did not. 
E)  Newton's and Coulomb's laws are really identical, so there is no significant difference. 
A)  Electrical forces can be either attractive or repulsive, while gravity is only attractive. 
B)  Only Newton's law of gravity requires a universal constant. 
C)  Only Coulomb's law addresses distance in describing the effect of one object on another. 
D)  Newton's law required experimentation but Coulomb's law did not. 
E)  Newton's and Coulomb's laws are really identical, so there is no significant difference.

Question 6

What is the difference between series and parallel circuits?

Accepted Answer

While both circuits carry an electric si

Question 7

What was Benjamin Franklin's contribution to the understanding of the electrical "fluid"?

Accepted Answer

At the time that Mr. Franklin was conduc

Question 8

How does a magnetic compass work?

Accepted Answer

A compass needle is a magnet that will a

Question 9

How does electricity differ from gravity?

Accepted Answer

Although both electricity and gravity ar

Question 10

Describe events at the atomic level when a thunderstorm results in the lightning strike of a tall tree.

Accepted Answer

During the storm, wind and rain interrup

Question 11

What is the force field surrounding a charged object?

Accepted Answer

A)  Gravitational field 
B)  Gravitational force 
C)  Electrical field 
D)  Electrical force 
E)  Magnetic field 
A)  Gravitational field 
B)  Gravitational force 
C)  Electrical field 
D)  Electrical force 
E)  Magnetic field

Question 12

The load in an electric hair dryer is located

Accepted Answer

A)  where the dryer plugs into the electrical outlet. 
B)  where the electrical cord is attached to the dryer. 
C)  in the on/off switch. 
D)  in the heating element and fan. 
E)  where the heated air is exhausted. 
A)  where the dryer plugs into the electrical outlet. 
B)  where the electrical cord is attached to the dryer. 
C)  in the on/off switch. 
D)  in the heating element and fan. 
E)  where the heated air is exhausted.

Question 13

Explain the operation of a car battery.

Accepted Answer

A battery is made of alternating plates

Question 14

In his famous experiment of the late 1700s, Charles Coulomb

Accepted Answer

A)  repeated Benjamin Franklin's kite and lightning demonstration. 
B)  measured static electricity using a piece of amber. 
C)  proved Newton's three laws of motion. 
D)  measured the force of the electric charge in objects. 
E)  showed that muscle contractions are both electric and chemical. 
A)  repeated Benjamin Franklin's kite and lightning demonstration. 
B)  measured static electricity using a piece of amber. 
C)  proved Newton's three laws of motion. 
D)  measured the force of the electric charge in objects. 
E)  showed that muscle contractions are both electric and chemical.

Question 15

The functioning of an electric motor depends on the fact that

Accepted Answer

A)  like charges attract, unlike charges repel. 
B)  like magnetic poles attract, unlike magnetic poles repel. 
C)  an electrical current produces a magnetic field. 
D)  permanent magnets are always stronger than electromagnets. 
E)  all motors must have several electromagnets. 
A)  like charges attract, unlike charges repel. 
B)  like magnetic poles attract, unlike magnetic poles repel. 
C)  an electrical current produces a magnetic field. 
D)  permanent magnets are always stronger than electromagnets. 
E)  all motors must have several electromagnets.

Question 16

Describe how the electromagnet operates.

Accepted Answer

A magnetic field is created ar

Question 17

List Maxwell's equations (in statement form). Explain at least one of these equations by giving examples from everyday life.

Accepted Answer

Maxwell's equations include Coulomb's la

Question 18

Explain how someone shipwrecked on an island might "discover" and use electricity.

Accepted Answer

The simplest electricity to make under t

Question 19

In the equation for Ohm's law, resistance is in the unit

Accepted Answer

A)  volts 
B)  amps 
C)  ohms 
D)  watts 
E)  coulombs 
A)  volts 
B)  amps 
C)  ohms 
D)  watts 
E)  coulombs

Question 20

What important practical device followed directly from Michael Faraday's work?

Accepted Answer

A)  the battery 
B)  the thermostat 
C)  the electromagnet 
D)  the electric switch 
E)  the electric generator 
A)  the battery 
B)  the thermostat 
C)  the electromagnet 
D)  the electric switch 
E)  the electric generator

Exam 5: Electricity and Magnetism: What Is Lightning

What are the three components of every electric circuit?

Which of the following can produce magnetic fields?

Why is it no longer possible to start automobile engines by using a hand crank?

Which of the following items would use only low-resistance wires?

In what way does Newton's law of universal gravitation differ from Coulomb's law?

What is the difference between series and parallel circuits?

What was Benjamin Franklin's contribution to the understanding of the electrical "fluid"?

How does a magnetic compass work?

How does electricity differ from gravity?

Describe events at the atomic level when a thunderstorm results in the lightning strike of a tall tree.

What is the force field surrounding a charged object?

The load in an electric hair dryer is located

Explain the operation of a car battery.

In his famous experiment of the late 1700s, Charles Coulomb

The functioning of an electric motor depends on the fact that

Describe how the electromagnet operates.

List Maxwell's equations (in statement form). Explain at least one of these equations by giving examples from everyday life.

Explain how someone shipwrecked on an island might "discover" and use electricity.

In the equation for Ohm's law, resistance is in the unit

What important practical device followed directly from Michael Faraday's work?

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Heat and the Second Law of Thermodynamics: Why Is It Easier to Make an Omelet From an Egg Than to Make an Egg From an Omelet

Waves and Electromagnetic Radiation: What Is Color

Albert Einstein and the Theory of Relativity: Can a Human Ever Travel Faster Than the Speed of Light, at Warp Speed

The Atom: Why Are There so Many Different Materials in the World

Quantum Mechanics: How Can the Electron Behave Like Both a Particle and a Wave

Atoms in Combination: the Chemical Bond: How Does Blood Clot

Materials and Their Properties: How Have Computers Gotten so Much Faster

The Nucleus of the Atom: How Do Scientists Determine the Age of the Oldest Human Fossils

The Ultimate Structure of Matter: How Can Antimatter Be Used to Probe the Human Brain

The Stars: How Much Longer Can the Sun Sustain Life on Earth

Cosmology: Will the Universe End

Earth and Other Planets: Is Earth the Only Planet With Life

Plate Tectonics: Can We Predict Destructive Earthquakes

Earths Many Cycles: Will We Ever Run Out of Fresh Water

Ecology, Ecosystems, and the Environment: Are Human Activities Affecting the Global Environment

Strategies of Life: What Is Life

The Living Cell: What Is the Smallest Living Thing

Molecules of Life: What Constitutes a Healthy Diet

Classical and Modern Genetics: Why Do Offspring Resemble Their Parents

The New Science of Life: Can We Cure Cancer

Evolution: How Did Life Emerge on the Ancient Earth

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