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Leaving Cert Physics: Static electricity

How often Static electricity comes up on the Physics papers, every year it was asked, and questions to try.

HL Asked on 10 of the last 10 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2026. banker

OL Asked on 10 of the last 10 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2026. banker

June 2027 is the first exam on the new Physics course. These come from the 2016–2026 papers, so read them as a guide.

Static electricity, Higher Level(6 marks)

Quick ones on Static electricity.

(a)SI unit of electric charge?
  1. Ampere (A)
  2. Coulomb (C)
  3. Volt (V)
(b)Where does the charge reside on a charged hollow metal conductor?
  1. At the centre of the hollow space
  2. Spread evenly through the metal
  3. On the outside surface
(c)Unit of electric field strength?
  1. N C⁻¹
  2. C N⁻¹
  3. N m⁻¹
Show the answers

(a) Coulomb (C)

(b) On the outside surface

(c) N C⁻¹

Your turn: Higher Level questions on Static electricity.

Higher Level

Asked on 10 of the last 10 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2026. banker

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2026Q14(c)
2025Q14(d)
2024Q6(h), Q6(j), Q11
2023Q10
2022Q6(g), Q9
2021Q12
2019Q7
2018Q5(g), Q12(c)
2017Q5(e), Q5(f)
2016Q12(b)

Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.

More Static electricity questions

Static electricity, 3 marks

State Coulomb's law.

  1. The force between two point charges is proportional to the sum of the charges and inversely proportional to the distance between them
  2. The force between two point charges is inversely proportional to the product of the charges and proportional to the square of the distance between them
  3. The force between two point charges is proportional to the product of the charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them
Show the answer

The force between two point charges is proportional to the product of the charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them

Like Newton's law of gravitation it is an inverse square law, but this force can either attract or repel depending on the signs of the charges.

Static electricity, 2 marks

Why can a charged balloon stick to a neutral wall?

  1. Gravity and air pressure hold the balloon flat against the wall
  2. It induces an opposite charge on the near surface of the wall, which is attracted
  3. The wall is always negatively charged, so it attracts the balloon
Show the answer

It induces an opposite charge on the near surface of the wall, which is attracted

The balloon repels like charges in the wall slightly away, leaving opposite charge nearer. Attraction to the near side beats repulsion from the far side.

Static electricity, 2 marks

What is the difference between free electrons and bound electrons?

  1. Free electrons can move through the material; bound electrons stay with their atoms
  2. Bound electrons move through the material; free electrons stay with their atoms
  3. Free electrons have no charge
Show the answer

Free electrons can move through the material; bound electrons stay with their atoms

Metals have many free electrons, so they conduct. In insulators nearly all electrons are bound, so charge stays where it is put.

Ordinary Level

Asked on 10 of the last 10 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2026. banker

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2026Q14(c)
2025Q6(h), Q6(j), Q14(c)
2024Q14(d)
2023Q14(c)
2022Q6(e)
2021Q6(g), Q13, Q14(b)
2019Q5(c)
2018Q9
2017Q12(d)
2016Q5(f), Q5(h)

Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.

More Static electricity questions

Static electricity, 2 marks

How do two like charges affect each other?

  1. They attract
  2. They have no effect on each other
  3. They repel
Show the answer

They repel

Like charges repel and unlike charges attract. Two negatively charged balloons push each other away.

Static electricity, 3 marks

A conductor is charged by induction using a negatively charged rod. The charge left on the conductor?

  1. None
  2. Positive
  3. Negative
Show the answer

Positive

The rod repels electrons, which escape to earth. With the earth removed, then the rod, the conductor is left short of electrons, so positive.

Static electricity, 2 marks

A charged rod is brought near the cap of a gold leaf electroscope. What happens to the leaf?

  1. It rises (diverges)
  2. It falls
  3. Nothing happens
Show the answer

It rises (diverges)

The rod causes charge to move in the electroscope, so the leaf and the metal stem get the same charge and repel. This is how charge is detected.

Other Physics topics

All of Leaving Cert Physics