AP Physics Conceptual Questions

<p>My AP Physics class just started Electrostatics today. We only finished Mechanics and Thermal Physics. Do you think we are on track, too slow, or too fast?</p>

<p>And also, I just have 3 questions in which I am not sure about…</p>

<li><p>A positively charged rod is brought close to a neutral piece of paper, which it attracts. Explain why attraction occurs.</p></li>
<li><p>Contrast the ‘net charge’ on a conductor to the “free charges” in the conductor.</p></li>
<li><p>Is the electric force a conservative force? Why or why not?</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Can anyone help me?</p>

<p>you guys are on track. we're doing thermal next week.
for 4, because the paper is neutral there are positive AND negative charges on the paper, so the negative ones attract the positvely charged rod. idk about the terms used in 6 and 11, but u prolly can work em</p>

<p>For 4, who is doing the attracting? The question is unclear to me...</p>

<ol>
<li><p>The rod is positively charged, which means it has more positive charges than negative charges. The paper is neutral, which means it has equal numbers of positive and negative charges. The positive charges attract the negative charges of the paper.</p></li>
<li><p>A conductor has no net charge, but it has equal amounts of positive and negative free charge.</p></li>
<li><p>Yes, the electric force is a conservative force. This means that the energy it takes to move a charge between two points is independent of the path.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>im_blue, thanks!</p>

<p>For you answer to #4, won't the positive charges from the rod repell the positive charges from the paper?</p>