Lesson T5.2.1

T5.2.1 Charge transfer by rubbing Quiz: KS3 Physics, Unit 5

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson T5.2.1, Charge transfer by rubbing: 20 multiple choice questions for the KS3 Physics (National Curriculum), Unit 5: Electricity and magnetism, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. When two objects are rubbed together and become charged, which particles move from one object to the other?

    • Atomic nuclei
    • Electrons
    • Protons
    • Neutrons

  2. What is the charge on a proton?

    • Negative
    • Positive
    • Neutral, with no charge
    • It changes with temperature

  3. What charge does an electron carry?

    • Neutral, with no charge
    • Negative
    • Positive
    • Both positive and negative

  4. A neutral object contains which of these?

    • A larger number of electrons than protons overall
    • A larger number of protons than electrons overall
    • No protons or electrons, so it has no charge at all
    • Equal numbers of protons and electrons

  5. An object becomes negatively charged when it:

    • Loses protons
    • Gains electrons
    • Loses electrons
    • Gains protons

  6. An object becomes positively charged when it:

    • Loses electrons
    • Loses neutrons
    • Gains electrons
    • Gains protons

  7. Which action produces static electricity on an object?

    • Rubbing two insulating materials together
    • Passing current through a coil of wire
    • Shining light onto a metal plate
    • Heating a metal wire until it glows

  8. Two charged objects are brought close together. Which pair will attract each other?

    • Two objects with no charge at all
    • Two positive objects
    • Two negative objects
    • A positive object and a negative object

  9. What do like charges do to each other?

    • Have no effect
    • Attract
    • Cancel out completely
    • Repel

  10. A balloon rubbed on a woollen jumper sticks to a wall. What is the best explanation?

    • The balloon is charged and induces opposite charges in the wall
    • The balloon has become magnetised by rubbing
    • The balloon has grown heavier than the wall it touches
    • The wall has become hotter than the balloon

  11. A glass rod becomes positively charged when rubbed with silk. What has happened to the glass rod?

    • It has lost electrons to the silk
    • It has gained protons from the silk
    • It has gained electrons from the silk
    • It has lost neutrons to the silk

  12. Two polythene rods, each rubbed with cloth, push each other apart. What can you say about their charges?

    • They are both electrically neutral
    • One is charged and the other is neutral
    • They carry opposite types of charge
    • They carry the same type of charge

  13. Hair stands up and spreads apart after a balloon is rubbed on it. Why?

    • Each hair gains the same charge and the hairs repel
    • Each hair becomes hot and expands
    • Each hair becomes heavier and falls apart
    • Each hair becomes magnetised and repels

  14. Which statement about charge transfer during rubbing is correct?

    • Charge is created from nothing each time objects are rubbed together
    • Charge is moved from one object to the other, and the total stays the same
    • Protons move freely from one object across to the other object
    • Charge is destroyed as soon as the two objects are pulled apart again

  15. Object A gains 1000 electrons and object B loses 1000 electrons when they are rubbed together. What is their total charge?

    • Zero, because the charges cancel out
    • The same charge as object A alone
    • Twice the charge on object A
    • The same charge as object B alone

  16. Why does rubbing leave charge on an insulator but not on a metal held in the hand?

    • Metals absorb all the charge into their nuclei, so none is left behind
    • Metals contain no free electrons, so they cannot hold any charge at all
    • Insulators are heavier, so the charge cannot be lost from them easily
    • Electrons in an insulator cannot flow freely, so the charge stays put

  17. A charged object touches an identical neutral metal sphere, and the sphere then repels it. What has happened?

    • The object has become magnetised by the sphere it was touching earlier
    • Charge has moved onto the sphere, so both now have the same type of charge
    • The sphere has become much heavier, so it pushes the object away from it
    • The sphere has lost all its protons to the object it was touching

  18. Which particles does an atom's nucleus contain?

    • Electrons and neutrons
    • Electrons and protons
    • Protons and neutrons
    • Only electrons

  19. A charged balloon left against a wall eventually falls off. What is the main reason?

    • Charge keeps building up until the balloon is pushed off the wall
    • The balloon becomes much heavier as it picks up charge from the wall
    • The wall repels the balloon with a magnetic force that builds up slowly
    • Charge slowly leaks away, so the attraction becomes weaker

  20. Which object is most likely to keep static charge for a long time after rubbing?

    • A plastic ruler
    • An aluminium can
    • A steel spoon
    • A copper wire

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