JEE Main · Physics · Electric Charges and Fields
Coulomb's Law: JEE Main previous year questions
30 questions in the 108 JEE Main shifts Lumi analysed, in 6 of 8 years. Pattern: Asked most years. 11 came in 2024–26. Here is how it is asked and which ideas come back.
- Questions
- 30
- in 28 of 108 shifts
- Years asked
- 6/8
- last asked 2026
- Weighted estimate
- 0.2
- model; history: 0.2 a shift on average, typically 0.0–0.3
Key findings
- 01
Asked in 6 of 8 years with analysed shifts and in 28 of 108 shifts: 30 questions, #111 of 196 topics.
- 02
60% of its questions since 2020 tested an idea no earlier year had asked; 10 repeated an idea from the year before.
- 03
The most repeated idea is Superposition of Forces, asked 5 times in 5 shifts (2021, 2022, 2023), most often as “net coulomb force on collinear charge”.
- 04
JEE Main has asked 15 of the 60 ideas in this topic; 44 have never been asked, directly or inside another question.
- 05
Mostly asked as single correct (53%); 40% need a numerical answer, 33% are easy and 10% hard.
- 06
The skill tested most is calculation (37%), then multi-step (33%).
Questions a shift, year by year
Out of the 25 Physics questions in a shift. Years differ in how many shifts Lumi analysed, so each year is scaled to one shift.
Raw count: 2017: 0 in 1 shift · 2020: 0 in 12 shifts · 2021: 7 in 24 shifts · 2022: 8 in 24 shifts · 2023: 4 in 12 shifts · 2024: 8 in 18 shifts · 2025: 1 in 8 shifts · 2026: 2 in 9 shifts.
- Up to 2023
- 0.2
- a shift, of 25
- Since 2024
- 0.2
- 0.1
- Usual gap
- 1.0 yrs
- between years asking it
- Shifts with it
- 28/108
- 26% of analysed shifts
How it is asked
Difficulty, format and skill
Across all 30 questions on Coulomb's Law since 2017.
Difficulty
QUESTIONS- Easy10 · 33%
- Medium17 · 57%
- Hard3 · 10%
Format
SHARE- Single correct · 16 Q53%
- Numerical value · 12 Q40%
- Other · 1 Q3%
- Diagram based · 1 Q3%
Skill tested
SHARE- Calculation · 11 Q37%
- Multi-step · 10 Q33%
- Application · 5 Q17%
- Conceptual · 2 Q7%
- Recall · 2 Q7%
Repeats
New idea, or one asked before?
Each column is a year. Blue questions tested an idea no earlier year had asked; navy ones went back to an idea from an earlier year. 2017 is the first year, so everything in it counts as new. Heights are question counts, and Lumi analysed 1 to 24 shifts a year, so compare the split inside a column rather than heights across years.
- Idea asked for the first time
- Idea asked in an earlier year
Coverage of the topic
JEE Main has asked 15 of the 60 ideas in this topic. 44 have never been asked yet.
- Asked directly15 · 25%
- Touched inside another question1 · 2%
- Never asked44 · 73%
Ideas come from Lumi’s JEE syllabus map. A never-asked idea is not a safe skip: across all of JEE Main, 22% of questions since 2024 tested an idea no earlier year had asked.
Drill down
Chapter, idea, question
Every idea JEE Main tested in this topic, with its eight years. Open one to read the questions.
11 ideas inside
Squares are the 8 years with analysed shifts, 2017 to 2026. A number is the questions that year when there is more than one; the shade is scaled to one shift, so a year with more analysed shifts (1 to 24 a year) does not look darker. Share is of the level above.
Ideas
Every idea inside this topic
15 different ideas were tested; 9 came more than once.
net coulomb force on collinear charge
Numerical value · 5 shifts · 3 numericaldimension of physical quantity from formula
Single correct · 3 shiftsforce after contact with identical uncharged sphere
Single correct · 3 shifts · 1 numericalangular frequency of displaced charge shm
Single correct · 3 shifts · 1 numericalcount correct statements on rutherford scattering
Numerical value · 2 shifts · 1 numericaldielectric constant from suspended charges in liquid
Numerical value · 2 shifts · 2 numericalequilibrium of charges on incline
Numerical value · 2 shifts · 1 numericalcharge division for maximum force
Single correct · 2 shiftselectrostatic force on suspended unequal masses
Diagram based · 2 shifts · 1 numericalvector force between two point charges
Single correct · 1 shiftspeed from distance of closest approach
Numerical value · 1 shift · 1 numericalorder of ratio of electric to gravitational force
Single correct · 1 shiftforce in medium at changed distance
Single correct · 1 shifttension in charged ring
Numerical value · 1 shift · 1 numericalposition of third charge for zero net force
Single correct · 1 shift
| Idea | Years asked | Times | Shifts | Format | Numerical |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Superposition of Forcesnet coulomb force on collinear charge | 5 | 5 | Numerical valueCalculation | 3 | |
| Dimensional Analysis of Permittivitydimension of physical quantity from formula | 3 | 3 | Single correctApplication | – | |
| Charge Redistribution via Conductionforce after contact with identical uncharged sphere | 3 | 3 | Single correctMulti-step | 1 | |
| Small Oscillations of a Displaced Chargeangular frequency of displaced charge shm | 3 | 3 | Single correctMulti-step | 1 | |
| Coulomb Force in Rutherford Scatteringcount correct statements on rutherford scattering | 2 | 2 | Numerical valueCalculation | 1 | |
| Suspended Charges Immersed in Liquiddielectric constant from suspended charges in liquid | 2 | 2 | Numerical valueMulti-step | 2 | |
| Charge Equilibrium Analysisequilibrium of charges on incline | 2 | 2 | Numerical valueCalculation | 1 | |
| Maximizing Force via Charge Divisioncharge division for maximum force | 2 | 2 | Single correctApplication | – | |
| Suspended Charge Mechanicselectrostatic force on suspended unequal masses | 2 | 2 | Diagram basedCalculation | 1 | |
| Vector Form of Coulomb Lawvector force between two point charges | 1 | 1 | Single correctCalculation | – | |
| Distance of Closest Approachspeed from distance of closest approach | 1 | 1 | Numerical valueCalculation | 1 | |
| Electrostatic vs Gravitational Force Ratioorder of ratio of electric to gravitational force | 1 | 1 | Single correctRecall | – | |
| Medium Dielectric Effectforce in medium at changed distance | 1 | 1 | Single correctCalculation | – | |
| Self-Repulsion Tension in a Charged Ringtension in charged ring | 1 | 1 | Numerical valueMulti-step | 1 | |
| Null Point Location Calculationposition of third charge for zero net force | 1 | 1 | Single correctApplication | – |
Times and shifts count every analysed shift. Across JEE Main, 78% of questions since 2024 went back to an idea an earlier year had asked; the rest were new. All repeated ideas
Every question
Coulomb's Law questions, year by year
The opening words of each question as it appeared in the official paper, with the idea it tested. Open one for its options and the official answer.
JEE Main 20262 questions in 2 shifts
- 4 Apr, Shift 2Q43In Rutherford's alpha-particle scattering experiment, only a few alpha particles rebound back because A. The size of gold nucleus is very…
Idea: Coulomb Force in Rutherford Scattering
MediumOther - 8 Apr, Shift 2Q41Two point charges C and C are placed at points and…
Idea: Vector Form of Coulomb Law
New ideaEasySingle correct
JEE Main 20251 question in 1 shift
- 2 Apr, Shift 2Q35If and are the permeability and permittivity of free space, respectively, then the dimension of…
Idea: Dimensional Analysis of Permittivity
Asked the year beforeEasySingle correct
JEE Main 20248 questions in 8 shifts
- 5 Apr, Shift 1Q41In hydrogen like system the ratio of coulombian force and gravitational force between an electron and a proton is in the order of :
Idea: Electrostatic vs Gravitational Force Ratio
New ideaEasySingle correct - 6 Apr, Shift 2Q42Two identical conducting spheres and with charge on each, repel each other with a force 16 N. A third identical uncharged…
Idea: Charge Redistribution via Conduction
MediumSingle correct - 8 Apr, Shift 1Q58In an alpha particle scattering experiment distance of closest approach for the particle is m. If target…
Idea: Distance of Closest Approach
New ideaMediumNumerical value - 8 Apr, Shift 2Q31If is the permittivity of free space and E is the electric field, then has the dimensions :
Idea: Dimensional Analysis of Permittivity
Asked the year beforeEasySingle correct - 1 Feb, Shift 1Q55Two identical charged spheres are suspended by strings of equal lengths. The strings make an angle with each other. When…
Idea: Suspended Charges Immersed in Liquid
New ideaMediumNumerical value - 27 Jan, Shift 1Q55A thin metallic wire having cross sectional area of m is used to make a ring of radius 30 cm. A positive charge of C…
Idea: Self-Repulsion Tension in a Charged Ring
New ideaHardNumerical value - 30 Jan, Shift 2Q55Two identical charged spheres are suspended by strings of equal lengths. The strings make an angle of with each other. When…
Idea: Suspended Charges Immersed in Liquid
New ideaHardNumerical value - 31 Jan, Shift 2Q40Force between two point charges and placed in vacuum at 'r' cm apart is . Force between them when placed in a medium having…
Idea: Medium Dielectric Effect
New ideaEasySingle correct
JEE Main 20234 questions in 3 shifts
- 8 Apr, Shift 1Q46Dimension of should be equal to
Idea: Dimensional Analysis of Permittivity
New ideaEasySingle correct - 11 Apr, Shift 1Q55As shown in the figure, a configuration of two equal point charges ( C) is placed on an inclined plane. Mass of each point…
Idea: Charge Equilibrium Analysis
Asked the year beforeMediumNumerical value · figure - 13 Apr, Shift 2Q41A C charge is divided into two parts and placed at cm distance so that the repulsive force between them is maximum. The…
Idea: Maximizing Force via Charge Division
Asked the year beforeEasySingle correct - 13 Apr, Shift 2Q55Three point charges q, and are placed on x-axis at a distance , and respectively from origin as…
Idea: Superposition of Forces
Asked the year beforeMediumNumerical value · figure
JEE Main 20228 questions in 8 shifts
- 26 Jul, Shift 2Q57Three point charges of magnitude , and are located at the vertices , , of a right angled triangle…
Idea: Superposition of Forces
Asked the year beforeMediumNumerical value - 27 Jul, Shift 1Q40Two identical positive charges Q each are fixed at a distance of '2a' apart from each other. Another point charge q with mass 'm' is…
Idea: Small Oscillations of a Displaced Charge
Asked the year beforeMediumSingle correct - 27 Jul, Shift 2Q40A charge of 4 C is to be divided into two. The distance between the two divided charges is constant. The magnitude of the divided…
Idea: Maximizing Force via Charge Division
New ideaEasySingle correct - 29 Jul, Shift 2Q31Two identical metallic spheres A and B when placed at certain distance in air repel each other with a force of F. Another identical…
Idea: Charge Redistribution via Conduction
Asked the year beforeMediumSingle correct - 24 Jun, Shift 2Q34Two identical charged particles each having a mass 10 g and charge are placed on a horizontal table with a…
Idea: Charge Equilibrium Analysis
New ideaMediumSingle correct - 27 Jun, Shift 2Q42Three identical charged balls each of charge 2 C are suspended from a common point P by silk threads of 2 m each (as shown in figure).…
Idea: Superposition of Forces
Asked the year beforeEasySingle correct · figure - 29 Jun, Shift 1Q57and are the impact parameters corresponding to scattering angles and respectively, when an…
Idea: Coulomb Force in Rutherford Scattering
New ideaMediumNumerical value - 29 Jun, Shift 2Q33Two point charges each are placed at a distance apart. A third point charge is placed at a distance from mid-point on the…
Idea: Superposition of Forces
Asked the year beforeMediumSingle correct
JEE Main 20217 questions in 6 shifts
- 3 Aug, Shift 1Q10The diagram shows a scheme of two unequal masses, and having unequal positive charge on them. They are suspended by…
Idea: Suspended Charge Mechanics
New ideaHardDiagram based · figure - 31 Aug, Shift 1Q12Two particles A and B having charges 20 C and C respectively are held fixed with a separation of 5 cm. At what position a…
Idea: Null Point Location Calculation
New ideaMediumSingle correct · figure - 24 Feb, Shift 2Q10Two electrons each are fixed at a distance '2d'. A third charge proton placed at the midpoint is displaced slightly by a distance (…
Idea: Small Oscillations of a Displaced Charge
New ideaMediumSingle correct - 25 Feb, Shift 2Q26Two small spheres each of mass 10 mg are suspended from a point by threads 0.5 m long. They are equally charged and repel each other to a…
Idea: Suspended Charge Mechanics
New ideaMediumNumerical value - 25 Feb, Shift 2Q27Two identical conducting spheres with negligible volume have 2.1 nC and 0.1 nC charges, respectively. They are brought into contact and…
Idea: Charge Redistribution via Conduction
New ideaEasyNumerical value - 25 Jul, Shift 1Q28A particle of mass 1 mg and charge q is lying at the mid-point of two stationary particles kept at a distance '2 m' when each is carrying…
Idea: Small Oscillations of a Displaced Charge
New ideaMediumNumerical value - 18 Mar, Shift 2Q22An infinite number of point charges, each carrying 1 C charge, are placed along the -axis at m, 2 m, 4 m, 8 m…
Idea: Superposition of Forces
New ideaMediumNumerical value
Questions from the official JEE Main Paper 1 shifts published by NTA (CBSE for 2017). Questions NTA dropped are left out. Topic and idea tags, counts and notes are Lumi’s.