Electric & Magnetic Forces — Drills · Grade 8 Science

Chapter: Forces

What these drills covers

By the end of Electric & Magnetic Forces you should be able to:

6 questions, written answer and multiple choice, each with a worked explanation.

Vocabulary used: field, repel, controlled variable, model, evidence, system boundary, assumption, electric charge, polarization, current, coil, electromagnet, compass.

Problem 1

Why repeat a magnet test?
Answer and explanation

To see whether the pattern is consistent and reduce the effect of random variation.

Problem 2

Opposite electric charges…
  1. repel
  2. attract
  3. always vanish
  4. have no interaction
Answer and explanation

attract

Unlike charges attract.

Problem 3

Two like magnetic poles brought together will
  1. attract
  2. repel
  3. do nothing
  4. become neutral
Answer and explanation

repel

Like poles repel; unlike poles attract.

Problem 4

Electric and magnetic forces differ from friction because they
  1. are always stronger
  2. act without the objects touching
  3. only act on metals
  4. require motion
Answer and explanation

act without the objects touching

They are non-contact forces, acting through a field across a distance.

Problem 5

Two objects carry the same sign of charge. They will
  1. attract
  2. repel
  3. not interact
  4. neutralise instantly
Answer and explanation

repel

Like charges repel, as like magnetic poles do.

Problem 6

Explain what a field is and why it is a useful idea for forces that act at a distance.
Answer and explanation

A field is a region in which an object would experience a force without anything touching it. The idea is useful because it lets you describe the strength and direction of the force at every point in space before a second object is even placed there, which explains how one object can affect another across a gap.

Response criteria

  • State a scientifically accurate conclusion.
  • Show the data, mechanism, or calculation that supports it.
  • Include units, conditions, or limits where relevant.

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