Lesson 7.1.1

7.1.1 Electric fields and electric field strength Quiz: Pearson Edexcel Physics, Unit 7

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

In partnership with Revision Ninja

Lesson 7.1.1, Electric fields and electric field strength: 20 multiple choice questions for the Pearson Edexcel Physics (9PH0), Unit 7: Electric and Magnetic Fields, written with Revision Ninja.

Host it live on the board and students join with a game code on their own devices, or revise alone with Free Play. The answers are revealed in the game.

Host this setFree Play

The 20 questions

  1. How is an electric field (force field) defined?

    • A region in which an electron is always stationary in space
    • A region in which a neutral particle experiences a gravitational pull
    • A region in which a magnetic monopole experiences a torque
    • A region in which a charged particle experiences a force

  2. Electric field strength is defined by which equation, where F is force and Q is charge?

    • E = F Q
    • E = F / Q^2
    • E = F / Q
    • E = Q / F

  3. What is the SI unit of electric field strength?

    • C N^-1
    • N C
    • J C^-1
    • N C^-1

  4. Which unit is equivalent to newton per coulomb for electric field strength?

    • V m^-1
    • V m
    • V m^-2
    • J m^-1

  5. In which direction does the electric field point at a point in space?

    • The direction of the force that would act on a negative test charge placed at that point
    • The direction of motion of an electron that is released from rest at that point
    • The direction perpendicular to all the field lines through that point
    • The direction of the force that would act on a positive test charge placed at that point

  6. A 2.0 microcoulomb charge experiences a force of 0.010 N in an electric field. What is the field strength?

    • 2.0 x 10^-4 N C^-1
    • 5.0 x 10^-3 N C^-1
    • 5.0 x 10^3 N C^-1
    • 2.0 x 10^4 N C^-1

  7. What is the magnitude of the force on an electron, charge 1.6 x 10^-19 C, in a field of 300 N C^-1?

    • 1.9 x 10^-16 N
    • 4.8 x 10^-19 N
    • 5.3 x 10^-16 N
    • 4.8 x 10^-17 N

  8. The potential difference between two parallel plates is 12 V and they are separated by 0.040 m. What is the field strength between them?

    • 0.0033 V m^-1
    • 480 V m^-1
    • 300 V m^-1
    • 3.0 V m^-1

  9. A proton, charge 1.6 x 10^-19 C, is placed in a uniform electric field of strength 2.0 x 10^4 N C^-1. What is the force on the proton?

    • 3.2 x 10^-19 N
    • 1.3 x 10^-23 N
    • 3.2 x 10^-15 N
    • 8.0 x 10^-15 N

  10. Two parallel plates are 5.0 cm apart with a potential difference of 1.5 kV between them. What is the electric field strength between the plates?

    • 7.5 x 10^1 V m^-1
    • 75 V m^-1
    • 3.3 x 10^-5 V m^-1
    • 3.0 x 10^4 V m^-1

  11. A positive charge is released from rest in a uniform electric field pointing east. In which direction does it accelerate?

    • East, in the same direction as the field
    • West, opposite to the direction of the field
    • North, perpendicular to the field
    • It does not accelerate because it is at rest initially

  12. An electron is released from rest in a uniform electric field. In which direction does it accelerate?

    • It does not accelerate because electrons are not affected by electric fields
    • In the same direction as the electric field
    • Opposite to the direction of the electric field
    • Perpendicular to the electric field lines

  13. What does the spacing of electric field lines indicate?

    • The field is weaker where the field lines are closer together
    • The field is stronger where the field lines are closer together
    • The field strength is the same everywhere regardless of line spacing
    • The charge on the nearby object is proportional to the number of lines

  14. What is the pattern of electric field lines in a uniform electric field?

    • Parallel straight lines that are equally spaced
    • Radial lines that converge on a single point
    • Concentric circles centred on a point charge
    • Random curved lines that cross each other at many points

  15. A charge of -5.0 microcoulomb is placed in an electric field of 200 N C^-1 directed east. What is the force on the charge?

    • 1.0 x 10^-3 N, directed west
    • 1.0 x 10^-3 N, directed east
    • 2.5 x 10^-8 N, directed west
    • 4.0 x 10^-2 N, directed east

  16. An oil droplet of charge 3.2 x 10^-18 C is held stationary between two plates in a field of 2.0 x 10^3 V m^-1. What is the weight of the droplet?

    • 3.2 x 10^-15 N
    • 6.4 x 10^-15 N
    • 6.4 x 10^-21 N
    • 6.3 x 10^-12 N

  17. A 2.0 g particle of charge +6.0 microcoulomb is to be held stationary in a uniform field. What field strength is needed to balance its weight?

    • 3.3 x 10^6 N C^-1
    • 3.3 x 10^3 N C^-1
    • 1.2 x 10^2 N C^-1
    • 1.2 x 10^-8 N C^-1

  18. An electron moves in a uniform electric field of strength 2000 N C^-1. What is its acceleration? The electron mass is 9.11 x 10^-31 kg.

    • 1.8 x 10^11 m s^-2
    • 3.2 x 10^-16 m s^-2
    • 3.5 x 10^14 m s^-2
    • 9.0 x 10^-7 m s^-2

  19. Why can two electric field lines never cross each other?

    • At any point the field has only one direction, so two field lines cannot pass through the same point with different directions
    • Field lines are always circular and so cannot meet at any point in space
    • Crossing lines would cancel out and make the field strength zero everywhere
    • Field lines repel each other because they carry the same charge

  20. A student says a stationary charge cannot experience a force in an electric field. Which response is correct?

    • The student is wrong: a stationary charge experiences a magnetic force but never an electric force
    • The student is right: only moving charges can produce an electric field in a region
    • The student is right: a force on a charge requires the charge to be moving at the time
    • The student is wrong: any charge in an electric field experiences a force F = QE, whether it is moving or stationary

All Pearson Edexcel Physics quizzes