Two similar spheres when placed 2cm apart attract each other with a fo...
Calculation of Initial Charges on Spheres
Given Data:
- Distance between the spheres = 2 cm
- Force of attraction between the spheres = 4 dyne
- Force of repulsion between the spheres = 2.25 dyne
Solution:
Let's assume that the spheres are negatively charged. When the spheres are placed 2cm apart, they attract each other with a force of 4 dyne. This is due to the attractive force of the opposite charges present on the spheres.
Now, when the spheres are connected by a wire, the excess electrons flow from the negatively charged sphere to the positively charged sphere until the charges on both spheres become equal. At this point, the spheres are neutral.
When the wire is removed, the spheres are now repelling each other with a force of 2.25 dyne. This means that the spheres now have the same type of charge - either both are positively charged or both are negatively charged. Let's assume that both spheres are positively charged.
Using Coulomb's law, we can calculate the initial charges on the spheres.
Force of attraction between the spheres = 4 dyne
Distance between the spheres = 2 cm = 0.02 m
Charge on each sphere = q
Using Coulomb's law, we can write:
4 = (9 x 10^9) x (q^2) / (0.02^2)
On solving the above equation, we get:
q = 1.26 x 10^-8 C
Therefore, the initial charge on each sphere is 1.26 x 10^-8 C.
Explanation:
- The initial attraction between the spheres indicates that they have opposite charges.
- When the spheres are connected by a wire, the excess electrons flow from the negatively charged sphere to the positively charged sphere until the charges on both spheres become equal. At this point, the spheres are neutral.
- When the wire is removed, the spheres repel each other, indicating that they have the same type of charge.
- Using Coulomb's law, we can calculate the initial charges on the spheres.
- The calculated charge is 1.26 x 10^-8 C.