Questions about Electrical Potential
Electrical Potential – Multiple Choice Questions
Questions
1. What is electrical potential?
A) The energy required to start a reaction
B) The energy stored in a capacitor
C) The work done to move a unit charge between two points
D) The resistance in a circuit
E) The number of electrons in a conductor
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2. What is the SI unit of electrical potential?
A) Ampere
B) Ohm
C) Watt
D) Coulomb
E) Volt
3. A higher electrical potential means:
A) More resistance
B) Greater capacity for doing electrical work
C) Lower current
D) Less electron movement
E) A neutral charge
4. Which of the following best represents the formula for electrical potential (V)?
A) V = W/Q
B) V = Q/W
C) V = I × R
D) V = P × T
E) V = R/I
5. What is the potential difference?
A) The difference in energy levels between atoms
B) The number of electrons moving per second
C) The difference in electric potential between two points
D) The magnetic field strength
E) The total charge in a conductor
6. If 12 joules of work is done to move 3 coulombs of charge, what is the electrical potential?
A) 2 V
B) 4 V
C) 6 V
D) 36 V
E) 9 V
7. Electrical potential in electrochemistry is most closely related to:
A) Activation energy
B) Reaction enthalpy
C) Electrode potential
D) Atomic radius
E) Boiling point
8. Which instrument is used to measure electrical potential difference?
A) Ammeter
B) Voltmeter
C) Thermometer
D) Barometer
E) Ohmmeter
9. What causes electrons to move in a circuit?
A) Magnetic field
B) Electrical potential difference
C) Temperature
D) Frequency
E) Resistance
10. Which point in a circuit has higher potential?
A) Negative terminal of a battery
B) Ground wire
C) Positive terminal of a battery
D) Neutral point
E) Resistor
11. In electrochemical cells, the cell potential is calculated by:
A) Adding the oxidation potential and reduction potential
B) Subtracting the oxidation potential from the reduction potential
C) Multiplying the current and resistance
D) Multiplying the cell voltage and charge
E) Subtracting charge from resistance
12. What is the standard hydrogen electrode potential (SHE)?
A) +1.00 V
B) −1.00 V
C) 0.00 V
D) +0.76 V
E) −0.76 V
13. In a voltaic cell, which electrode has the higher electrical potential?
A) Anode
B) Electrolyte
C) Cathode
D) Salt bridge
E) All are equal
14. Electrical potential energy depends on:
A) Charge only
B) Voltage only
C) Charge and position in an electric field
D) Mass
E) Resistance
15. What is the electrical potential energy of a 2 C charge at 5 V?
A) 10 J
B) 2.5 J
C) 5 J
D) 7 J
E) 1 J
16. If a positive charge moves toward a region of lower potential, its potential energy:
A) Increases
B) Becomes zero
C) Remains constant
D) Decreases
E) Changes to kinetic energy
17. The electric potential created by a point charge decreases with:
A) Increasing resistance
B) Increasing temperature
C) Increasing distance
D) Increasing voltage
E) Increasing mass
18. Which of the following materials can create a potential difference?
A) Conductors
B) Capacitors
C) Insulators
D) Batteries
E) Resistors
19. In electrochemistry, electrical potential is measured in reference to:
A) A neutral compound
B) A strong acid
C) The standard hydrogen electrode
D) A base
E) A salt
20. Why is the potential of the SHE (Standard Hydrogen Electrode) taken as 0 V?
A) It conducts no current
B) It is a strong base
C) It serves as a universal reference point
D) It oxidizes easily
E) It has no charge
- Questions about Direct Redox Reactions
- Questions about Electrochemical Reactions
- Questions on Voltaic Cells
Answer Key with Explanations
1. C – Electrical potential is the work per unit charge to move a charge between two points.
2. E – The SI unit of electric potential is the volt (V).
3. B – Higher potential means greater electrical work can be done.
4. A – V = W/Q, where V = voltage, W = work, and Q = charge.
5. C – Potential difference is the difference in potential energy between two points.
6. B – V = W/Q = 12 J / 3 C = 4 V.
7. C – Electrode potential directly relates to electrical potential in redox reactions.
8. B – A voltmeter measures voltage or potential difference.
9. B – Potential difference causes electrons to move (i.e., electric current).
10. C – The positive terminal has higher electrical potential.
11. B – Cell potential = E°(cathode) − E°(anode).
12. C – The SHE is defined to be 0.00 V by convention.
13. C – In a voltaic cell, the cathode has higher potential (reduction occurs here).
14. C – Electrical potential energy depends on charge and position in the field.
15. A – U = q × V = 2 C × 5 V = 10 J.
16. D – Potential energy decreases when a positive charge moves to a lower potential.
17. C – Electric potential from a point charge decreases with distance.
18. D – Batteries produce a potential difference through chemical reactions.
19. C – Electrical potential is referenced to the standard hydrogen electrode.
20. C – The SHE is taken as 0 V because it is a universal reference.
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