AP PHYSICS 2 Test Booklet

AP Physics 2- Resistance & Capacitance MCQ's +FRQ

1. An air-filled parallel-plate capacitor of capacitance C is connected to a battery and charged to a voltage V. The
capacitor is then disconnected from the battery. If the distance between the capacitor plates is halved while the
charge on the capacitor remains the same, which of the following is true?
(A) Neither C nor V will change.
(B) Both C and V will be halved.
(C) C will be doubled and V will be halved.
(D) C will be halved and V will be doubled.
(E) Both C and V will be doubled.

A battery of emf is connected to three resistors, a switch, and a capacitor, as shown above. The resistance of resistor 1 is
greater than that of resistor 2, which is greater than that of resistor 3.

2.

After the switch is closed and the circuit has reached a steady state, an ideal ammeter is connected between points X
and Y, as shown above. The circuit is again allowed to reach steady state. Which of the following correctly indicates
the reading on the ammeter and explains why it has that reading?

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(A) , because the capacitor will be fully charged and no current will exist in that branch.
(B) The same as the current in resistor 3, because the ammeter is connected in parallel with it.
The same as the current in resistor 1, because ammeters have very low resistance and it will create a short
(C)
between the top and bottom wires.
(D) The sum of the currents in resistors 2 and 3, because that current also goes through the capacitor.

3. Which of the following correctly explains why resistor 1 has more current than each of the other resistors, whether
or not the switch is closed?
(A) It has the largest resistance.
(B) It is located farthest from the capacitor, which blocks current.
(C) It is located closest to the battery.
(D) It is the only resistor in series with the battery.

4. A student has a variable resistor with no markings and wants to determine its resistance for various settings. The
student connects it in a circuit with a battery of known , a fixed resistor of known resistance, and a meter.
Which of the following circuits will allow the student to complete the calibration? Select two answers.

(A)

(B)

(C)

(D)

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5. Charges Q of equal magnitude and opposite sign are on the plates of an isolated parallel-plate capacitor of
capacitance C. The voltage between the plates is V, and the energy stored in the capacitor is U. If Q is doubled and
C is not changed, how are V and U affected?

V U
(A)
Halved Halved

V U
(B)
Halved Quartered

V U
(C)
Not changed Not changed

V U
(D)
Doubled Doubled

V U
(E)
Doubled Quadrupled

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AP Physics 2- Resistance & Capacitance MCQ's +FRQ

6.
Capacitance Plate Separation
(arbitrary units) (arbitrary units)
20 80.2
40 39.8
50 32.4
70 22.8

The table above shows experimental data for the capacitance of a parallel-plate capacitor as a function of the
plate separation . The students who took the data neglected to record their units. Do the data support the accepted
relationship between capacitance and plate separation? Why or why not?
(A) No, because the data show that is proportional to .
(B) No, because the data show that is proportional to .
(C) Yes, because the data show that is proportional to .
(D) Yes, because the data show that is proportional to .

7. Two parallel conducting plates, separated by a distance d, are connected to a battery of emf ɛ. Which of the
following is correct if the plate separation is doubled while the battery remains connected?
(A) The electric charge on the plates is doubled.
(B) The electric charge on the plates is halved.
(C) The potential difference between the plates is doubled.
(D) The potential difference between the plates is halved.
(E) The capacitance is unchanged.

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8.

A parallel-plate capacitor is connected in series with a battery and a resistor, as shown above. The capacitor
consists of two circular metal plates with radius that are separated only by a circular piece of paper with the
same radius as the plates. When the capacitor is fully charged, each plate has an excess charge of magnitude
. The capacitor is replaced by a new capacitor made from two circular metal plates with radius
that are now separated by two circular pieces of paper with the same radius as the plates. What is the
magnitude of the charge on each plate of the new capacitor after it is fully charged?
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)

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9. This question is a long free-response question. Show your work for each part of the question.

(12 points, suggested time 25 minutes)

Students have a battery of with negligible internal resistance and many identical resistive heating elements
and will connect a circuit so the heating elements can be used to heat some water. Each of the heating elements
has resistance .

(a) First the students consider connecting the heating elements in series with the battery, as shown above. One
student says that to heat the water faster, they should use as many heating elements as possible.

i. Write an equation for the power dissipated by a circuit containing heating elements in series, in terms of ,
, , and physical constants, as appropriate.

ii. Does your equation support or refute the student’s claim about the time it takes to heat the water? Justify your
answer.

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(b) Another student suggests that connecting the heating elements in parallel might be a better idea. The student
says that a certain number of elements in parallel will heat the water faster than the same number of elements in
series, because the current in the parallel circuit will be less.

i. Write an equation for the power dissipated by a circuit containing heating elements in parallel, in terms of
, , , and physical constants, as appropriate.

ii. Does your equation support or refute the student’s claim about the time it takes to heat the water? Justify your
answer.

iii. Is the student’s claim about the current correct? Justify your answer.

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A student is performing experiments to determine the dielectric constant of various materials. The figure above shows one
of the student’s circuits, containing three parallel-plate capacitors arranged in a circuit with a battery of . The
capacitors have the same plate area but have different separations, as shown, and are filled with dielectrics of unknown
dielectric constant. The circuit has reached steady state.

10. The student has no way to directly measure the capacitances but measures the potential difference across each
capacitor and finds that they are the same. What can be concluded about the dielectric constants of the materials?
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D) Nothing can be concluded about the dielectric constants without knowing the capacitances of the capacitors.

11. The dielectric is now removed from capacitor , and the circuit is again allowed to reach steady state. Which of the
following statements about the potential difference across each capacitor and the charge on each capacitor is true?

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(A) Neither will change, because the total potential difference across the capacitors is the same.
Only the charge on each capacitor will change, because the ratio of potential differences across the capacitors
(B)
will remain the same.
Only the potential difference across each capacitor will change, because the charges on the capacitors must
(C)
still be equal to each other.
(D) Both will change, because the charge on each capacitor will change due to the change in total capacitance.

12.

The figure above shows a battery and an open switch connected to two resistors and a capacitor. The switch is
closed, and the circuit reaches a steady state. Then the switch is opened again. Which of the following best
describes the current in resistor immediately before and immediately after the switch is opened again?
(A) Zero before and after
(B) Zero before and nonzero after
(C) Nonzero both before and after, but greater before
(D) Nonzero both before and after, but less before

13.

The figure above represents a section of a circuit containing three resistors, X, Y, and Z, of different sizes but made
of the same material. Which of the following correctly ranks the current in the resistors?
(A) IZ > IX > IY
(B) IZ = IX > IY
(C) IY = IX = IZ
(D) IY > IX > IZ

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14. Wire 1 2 3 4 5

Current (A) 0.5 1.0 2.0 2.5 3.0

A student was given five wires of the same length and diameter. The student connected the wires to the same battery
one by one and measured the current through each wire. The table above shows the data collected. Which of the
following can be concluded from the data?
(A) The wires are ohmic.
(B) The wires are made of different materials.
(C) The resistance of the wires depends on their size and shape.
(D) The battery has internal resistance.

15.

A student takes a capacitor of known capacitance and inserts a material of unknown dielectric constant between the
plates. The student connects the capacitor in the circuit shown above and records the current in the circuit and the
potential difference across the capacitor immediately after the switch is closed. Will the measurements allow the
student to determine the dielectric constant, and why or why not?

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Yes. The measurements can be used to determine the new capacitance, and the two capacitances can be
(A)
compared to determine the dielectric constant.
Yes. The measurements can be used to determine the charge on the capacitor, and the expression
(B)
ε can then be used to find the dielectric constant.
No. Since , information about potential difference across the capacitor and charge on the
(C)
capacitor at some point in time is needed to determine the new capacitance.
No. The potential difference across the capacitor is always zero, so nothing about the capacitance or
(D)
dielectric constant can be determined.

The figure above shows a 10 V battery connected in a circuit with two resistors, a parallel-plate capacitor of capacitance
C, and three ammeters. The circuit has been connected for a long time.

16. Assume the capacitance C of the capacitor is known. The gap between the capacitor’s plates is now filled with an
unknown insulating material, and the circuit is again left connected for a long time. Measuring which of the
following provides enough information to determine the unknown material’s dielectric constant k ?
(A) The potential difference across the capacitor and the current in each branch of the circuit
(B) The potential difference across the capacitor and the charge on one of its plates
(C) The potential difference across the capacitor and the charge on the dielectric material
(D) The separation between the capacitor plates and the area of the plates

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17.

A capacitor initially has only air between its plates. The charge on the capacitor as a function of applied potential
difference is measured, and the results are shown in graph 1 above. The capacitor is discharged, a dielectric material
is inserted between the plates, and the charge as a function of applied potential difference is measured again. The
results are shown in graph 2. Which of the following is equal to the dielectric constant of the material inserted into
the capacitor?
(A) The slope of graph 1 divided by the slope of graph 2
(B) The slope of graph 2 divided by the slope of graph 1
(C) The vertical intercept of graph 1 divided by the vertical intercept of graph 2
(D) The vertical intercept of graph 2 divided by the vertical intercept of graph 1

18. When a voltage V is connected across a capacitor of capacitance C, charges of equal magnitude Q and opposite sign
are on the plates, and the energy stored in the capacitor is U. If C is doubled and V is not changed, how are Q and U
affected?

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Q U
(A)
Halved Halved

Q U
(B)
Halved Quartered

Q U
(C)
Not changed Not changed

Q U
(D)
Doubled Doubled

Q U
(E)
Doubled Quadrupled

19. When charges Q of equal magnitude and opposite sign are placed on the plates of a parallel-plate capacitor of
capacitance C, the voltage between the plates is V and the energy stored in the capacitor is U. If C is doubled and Q
is not changed, how are V and U affected?

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V U
(A)
Halved Halved

V U
(B)
Halved Quartered

V U
(C)

Not changed Not changed

V U
(D)

Doubled Doubled

V U
(E)
Doubled Quadrupled

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20.

In the diagram above, what is the equivalent capacitance between points P and Q ?
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)

21. The following diagram shows part of a closed electrical circuit.

The electrical resistance of the part of the circuit shown between point X and point Y is
(A)
(B) 2Ω
(C)
(D) 4Ω
(E) 6Ω

22. The total capacitance of several capacitors in parallel is the sum of the individual capacitances for which of the
following reasons?

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(A) The charge on each capacitor depends on its capacitance, but the potential difference across each is the same.
The charge is the same on each capacitor, but the potential difference across each capacitor depends on its
(B)
capacitance.
(C) Equivalent capacitance is always greater than the largest capacitance.
(D) Capacitors in a circuit always combine like resistors in series.
(E) The parallel combination increases the effective separation of the plates.

23. A student is asked to determine the cross-sectional area of a thin wire of resistivity . The student determines the
resistance of various lengths of the wire, graphs as a function of to obtain a straight line, and calculates
the slope of the line as . Which of the following is equal to the area of the wire?
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)

24.

The circuit shown above contains a capacitor, a battery, and four lightbulbs, , , , and , with the same
resistance. The circuit has been connected for a long time. The capacitor is now removed from the circuit and
replaced with a connecting wire. Which bulbs are dimmer at equilibrium in the second circuit compared to the first
circuit?
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)

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25.

A student conducts an experiment to investigate the relationship between the geometry of a capacitor and its
capacitance. The student can adjust both the area and separation of the capacitor plates. The capacitance is measured
using the capacitance setting on a digital multimeter. The student conducts five trials, numbering them in order from
to , and creates the graph of capacitance as a function of trial number shown above. Which of the following
describes how the capacitor geometry could have been changed between successive trials to generate this data?
Select two answers.
(A) Both the plate area and separation were increased.
(B) The plate area was increased, and the plate separation was held constant.
(C) The plate area was held constant, and the plate separation was increased.
(D) The plate area was increased, and the plate separation was decreased.

26. A student wants to investigate how different values of capacitance affect the potential difference across capacitors
in series. Which of the following circuits will allow the student to do this?

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(A)

(B)

(C)

(D)

27. A student wants to investigate how different values of resistance affect the total current in a circuit when the
resistors are connected in parallel. Which of the following circuits will allow the student to do this?

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(A)

(B)

(C)

(D)

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28.

A student has parallel plate capacitors with the same plate separation and dielectric material, but different known
plate areas. The student wants to experimentally determine the effect of plate area on capacitance. The student
connects each capacitor in the circuit shown above. Which of the following indicates quantities to be measured that
will provide useful information and explains why the information is useful?
Current in the circuit and potential difference across the resistor immediately after the switch is closed,
(A)
because that will indicate how much charge the capacitor can store.
Current in the circuit and potential difference across the capacitor immediately after the switch is closed,
(B)
because that will indicate how much charge the capacitor can store.
Current in the circuit and charge on the capacitor a short time after the switch is closed, because that will
(C)
allow the capacitance to be determined.
Potential difference across the capacitor and charge on it a short time after the switch is closed, because that
(D)
will allow the capacitance to be determined.

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29.

The figures above show two circuits with identical batteries, resistors, and capacitors. The circuits have reached a
steady state. Which of the following is true about the charge on the capacitor plates to which the arrows point?
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D) The charges on the plates cannot be compared without knowing the values of the resistance and capacitance.

30. The capacitance of a parallel-plate capacitor depends on which of the following?

I. The plate area

II. The plate separation

III. The charge stored on the capacitor

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31.

A piece of a thick ring of metal with height h and resistance R is connected to a battery, creating a uniform current I
throughout the piece of ring, as shown in the figure above. A second piece of a ring has height 2h but is otherwise
identical to the first piece. The second piece of ring is connected to the battery in the same way as the first piece.
What is the resistance of the second piece?
(A) R/4
(B) R/2
(C) 2R
(D) 4R

Two concentric circular loops of radii b and 2b, made of the same type of wire, lie in the plane of the page, as shown
above.

32. The total resistance of the wire loop of radius b is R. What is the resistance of the wire loop of radius 2b ?

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(A) R/4
(B) R/2
(C) R
(D) 2R
(E) 4R

33.

Ɛ
Resistor Resistor

Two different cylindrical resistors are placed at the location of resistor in the circuit shown above, with the wires
connected to the circular ends of the resistors. The current in the circuit is measured for different values of Ɛ.
The results are shown in the table. If only one thing is different about the resistors, which of the following
differences in the resistors could be the cause of the difference in data? Select two answers.
(A) Resistor resistivity is four times that of resistor .
(B) Resistor length is one-fourth that of resistor .
(C) Resistor circular cross-sectional area is twice that of resistor .
(D) Resistor radius is twice that of resistor .

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34.

A student has a collection of resistors made of the same material and wants to experimentally determine the effect
of a resistor’s geometry on its resistance. The student connects each different resistor in the circuit shown above,
using the same other components. Which of the following indicates quantities to measure that will provide useful
information and explains why the information is useful?
The current through and potential difference across each resistor, because the resistance of the resistors can
(A)
then be determined.
The current through each resistor and each resistor’s dimensions, because the resistance of the resistors can
(B)
then be determined and analyzed as a function of its dimensions.
The potential difference across each resistor and each resistor’s dimensions, because the resistance of the
(C)
resistors can then be determined and analyzed as a function of its dimensions.
The current through and potential difference across each resistor and each resistor’s dimensions, because the
(D)
resistance of the resistors can then be determined and analyzed as a function of its dimensions.

35. A cylindrical resistor is connected to a battery with an of , resulting in a current of in the circuit.
The resistor is removed, and a new resistor of the same material with twice the radius and twice the length of the
original resistor is connected to the battery. What is the new current in the circuit?
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)

36. A student has several conducting rods made from the same material. The rods have the same length but different
square cross-sectional areas. The student places the rods in a circuit so that they have the same potential difference
across them and then measures the current in each conducting rod. Which of the following graphs most likely
contains a best-fit line to the graph of the current as a function of the cross-sectional area of the rods?

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(A)

(B)

(C)

(D)

37. Air-filled parallel plate capacitor is designed with two flat circular metallic disks of radius at a distance
apart. A second air-filled capacitor has one third the capacitance of . Which of the following are possible
values of the radius and plate separation of ? Select two answers.

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Radius Plate Separation

Radius Plate Separation

Radius Plate Separation

Radius Plate Separation

38. A resistor and an initially uncharged capacitor are connected in series with a battery. A long time after the circuit is
connected, which of the following is true?
(A) The voltage across the resistor is at its maximum.
(B) The voltage across the capacitor is at its minimum.
(C) The charge on the capacitor is at its minimum.
(D) The current in the circuit is at its maximum.
(E) The current in the circuit is zero.

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39.

Students are performing an experiment to determine how changing the area of the plates of a parallel-plate capacitor
affects its behavior in a circuit. They connect a capacitor with plate area A to a battery and allow it to become fully
charged. They take measurements that they believe will allow them to calculate the charge q on one plate of the
capacitor. The students then repeat the procedure with other capacitors. The capacitors each have a different plate
area but are otherwise identical. The students plot the calculated charge q as a function of plate area A. Their results,
including a best fit to the data, are represented above. Is this graph a reasonably accurate representation of the
relationship between q and A?
(A) Yes, because the relationship should result in a graph that is curved and decreasing.
(B) No, because the relationship should result in a graph that is linear and decreasing.
(C) No, because the relationship should result in a graph that is linear and increasing.
(D) No, because the relationship should result in a graph that is curved and increasing.

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40.

In the circuit shown above, bulbs , , and are identical and capacitor is initially uncharged. The switch is
closed at time . Which of the following describes the brightness of bulbs and after the switch is closed?
(A) Both bulbs light and remain lit.
(B) Bulbs and are both initially lit, and bulb eventually goes out.
(C) Bulbs and are both initially lit, and bulb eventually goes out.
(D) Bulb is always lit and bulb is always out.

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The figure above shows a battery of emf and negligible internal resistance connected in series with resistors 1, 2, and 3,
which have resistances , , and , respectively. The resistance can be varied.

41. The resistance of the variable resistor is gradually increased. Which of the following equations would fit a graph
of potential difference across resistor 3 as a function of , where and are positive constants?
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)

42. Two parallel conducting plates are connected to a constant voltage source. The magnitude of the electric field
between the plates is 2,000 N/C. If the voltage is doubled and the distance between the plates is reduced to 1/5 the
original distance, the magnitude of the new electric field is
(A) 800 N/C
(B) 1,600 N/C
(C) 2,400 N/C
(D) 5,000 N/C
(E) 20,000 N/C

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