AQA · GCSE · Physics
Course version: 8463 · Version from Sept 2016
When two electrically charged objects are brought close together they…
Full specification wording
Static charge: When two electrically charged objects are brought close together they exert a force on each other.
Two charged objects push or pull on each other without touching.
Checked against the AQA 8463 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 5 of 9
- 3 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
Two charged objects push or pull on each other without touching. The force acts along the line joining them, it acts on both objects equally and in opposite directions, and it grows as they are brought closer together. You can see it and even measure it: a charged rod held above another charged rod resting on a balance changes the balance reading, because the rod on the balance is being pushed down or pulled up by the rod above it. Since nothing is touching, this is evidence that the force acts through the space between them, and that space is described as an electric field. Only the change in the balance reading matters in that experiment, so a zero error on the balance does not affect the result.
What earns the marks
- The two charged objects exerting a force on each other without touching.
- The force acting on both objects, equal in size and opposite in direction.
- The force increasing as the separation decreases.
- A change in a balance reading offered as evidence of the non-contact force.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Saying only the charged object being held exerts a force and the other merely responds.
Describing the force as a contact force because there is air between the objects.
Reading the absolute balance value rather than the change in the reading.
Assuming the force disappears once the objects are a few centimetres apart.
Exam tips
- When asked for evidence, give an observation and say what it shows, not just the theory.
- Say the force acts on both objects, because questions often award a mark for the pair.
- For balance experiments, work with the change in reading so that any zero error cancels.
Try the lesson
The start of the Static charge: When two electrically charged objects are brought close together they exert a force on each other. lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
Two negatively charged balloons are held near each other. What happens to the balloons?
Listen
Two charged objects push or pull on each other without touching. The force acts along the line joining them, it acts on both objects equally and in opposite directions, and it grows as they are brought closer together. You can see it and even measure it: a charged rod held above another charged rod resting on a balance changes the balance reading, because the rod on the balance is being pushed down or pulled up by the rod above it. Since nothing is touching, this is evidence that the force acts through the space between them, and that space is described as an electric field. Only the change in the balance reading matters in that experiment, so a zero error on the balance does not affect the result. A strong answer earns marks for these points. the two charged objects exerting a force on each other without touching. the force acting on both objects, equal in size and opposite in direction. the force increasing as the separation decreases. a change in a balance reading offered as evidence of the non-contact force. Exam tip: When asked for evidence, give an observation and say what it shows, not just the theory.
Key words
Say what each word means before you turn the card.
force between charges
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effect of separation
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equal and opposite forces
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See every definition
- force between charges
- When two electrically charged objects are brought close together they exert a force on each other.
- effect of separation
- The force grows as the charged objects are brought closer together.
- equal and opposite forces
- The force acts on both objects equally and in opposite directions.
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