Charge on the Surface of a Spherical Shell with a point charge inside with

In summary, a solid conducting cylinder with a total charge of +5.10 mC has a charge of -1.55 mC at its center, inside a hollow sphere. The charge on the surface of the hollow sphere is the same as the point charge at the center, and the total charge on the cylinder does not affect it.
  • #1
jaguar7
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Homework Statement



A right solid conducting cylinder has a total charge of +5.10 mC. Inside the cylinder a charge q = -1.55 mC rests at the center of a hollow sphere as shown in the diagram below. What is the charge on the surface of the hollow sphere?

Homework Equations


The Attempt at a Solution



shouldn't it just be the charge of the point charge in the center? The cylinder is outside the spherical shell, so the charge doesn't effect it?
 
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  • #2
jaguar7 said:
A right solid conducting cylinder has a total charge of +5.10 mC. Inside the cylinder a charge q = -1.55 mC rests at the center of a hollow sphere as shown in the diagram below. What is the charge on the surface of the hollow sphere?

The Attempt at a Solution



shouldn't it just be the charge of the point charge in the center? The cylinder is outside the spherical shell, so the charge doesn't effect it?
It's the same except for one important detail: What is the sign of the charge on the surface of the hollow?

The total charge on the cylinder does not matter. - That's correct.
 
  • #3
is the cylinder hollow and contains a hollow sphere or the sphere you said is the shape of cavity inside the cylinder?
 

FAQ: Charge on the Surface of a Spherical Shell with a point charge inside with

1. What is the equation for the electric field at any point outside the spherical shell?

The electric field at any point outside the spherical shell is given by the equation E = kq/r^2, where k is the Coulomb's constant, q is the magnitude of the point charge inside the shell, and r is the distance from the center of the shell to the point.

2. How does the presence of the point charge inside the spherical shell affect the charge on the surface of the shell?

The presence of the point charge inside the spherical shell does not affect the charge on the surface of the shell. The total charge on the surface remains the same, regardless of the presence or location of the point charge inside.

3. Is the electric field inside the spherical shell zero?

Yes, the electric field inside the spherical shell is zero. This is because the electric field inside a conductor is always zero, and the spherical shell is a type of conductor.

4. How does the charge distribution on the surface of the spherical shell change when the point charge inside is moved?

The charge distribution on the surface of the spherical shell remains the same regardless of the location of the point charge inside. This is because the charge is uniformly distributed on the surface of the shell, and the total charge remains constant.

5. What is the significance of the charge on the surface of the spherical shell in relation to the point charge inside?

The charge on the surface of the spherical shell is important in determining the electric field at any point outside the shell due to the point charge inside. It also plays a role in determining the potential energy of the system and the force exerted on the point charge by the shell.

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