Question

Ch18/10

Two tiny conducting spheres are identical and carry charges of -19.0C and +52.1C. They are separated by a distance of 1.89 cm. (a) What is the magnitude of the force that each sphere experiences? (b) The spheres are brought into contact and then separated to a distance of 1.89 cm. Determine the magnitude of the force that each sphere now experiences.

Answer 1

Solution: Let q₁ and q₂ be the charges on two conducting spheres, then:

q₁=-19C and q₂= +52.1C. Distance between them,r= 1.89cm

(a)

According to Coulomb's law, the electric force,F between two charges is given by:

Here, k=Coulomb's constant and k= 8.99x10⁹ N-m²/C².

N. Ans.

(b)

When the two spheres are brought in contact with each other, the new charge,q_n on each sphere is the average of the two charges, given by:

C

The new coulomb force after separating the two spheres is given by:

N. Ans