- #1
Cyrus
- 3,238
- 17
Hello,
Previously, I asked about a single charge inside a solid metal sphere. And I said that it would not be possible to represent the charge at the surface, because there is no driving force to cause migration. I talked with a professor and he told me that in that case it is called ("metastable?"). I forget the exact word. He said what I posted in here, but could not get an agreeing post on. That point charge would just migrate around freely within the sphere. So as viewed from outside, you would see a charge on the sphere, but it would be constantly changing as the charge moves. He told me that if you knew the position of the particle as a function of time, you could determine the charge at some location. I asked this question before, but everyone kept telling me it would be represented at the surface. His anwser seems to make more sense. Maybe my question was not clear at first, or maybe you still disagree with me. Id like to know what you think thought.
Edit: No, no I am sorry. I think I asked him about having a point charge directly in the center of a metal solid sphere, and having a perfectly uniform charge around the sphere. In that case, it would attract the particle in all directions equally, and he called that metastable. I am sory if its not called metastable, the word started with an m, i think that was it though. He said that it would be impossible for the charge to exist in the very center though, because the atom vibrates, and so it could not remain still, once it got displaced a small amount, it would then be attracted to the surface. ( Tide, i believe this is the thermal energy you were talking about, but I thought of what you told me the moment vibration came out of his mouth, as vibration is a thermal property of molecules, they all vibrate, faster or slower depending on the amount of heat into or out of the system.) I guess only in absolute zero would the charge remain in place, but even that is a stretch!
Previously, I asked about a single charge inside a solid metal sphere. And I said that it would not be possible to represent the charge at the surface, because there is no driving force to cause migration. I talked with a professor and he told me that in that case it is called ("metastable?"). I forget the exact word. He said what I posted in here, but could not get an agreeing post on. That point charge would just migrate around freely within the sphere. So as viewed from outside, you would see a charge on the sphere, but it would be constantly changing as the charge moves. He told me that if you knew the position of the particle as a function of time, you could determine the charge at some location. I asked this question before, but everyone kept telling me it would be represented at the surface. His anwser seems to make more sense. Maybe my question was not clear at first, or maybe you still disagree with me. Id like to know what you think thought.
Edit: No, no I am sorry. I think I asked him about having a point charge directly in the center of a metal solid sphere, and having a perfectly uniform charge around the sphere. In that case, it would attract the particle in all directions equally, and he called that metastable. I am sory if its not called metastable, the word started with an m, i think that was it though. He said that it would be impossible for the charge to exist in the very center though, because the atom vibrates, and so it could not remain still, once it got displaced a small amount, it would then be attracted to the surface. ( Tide, i believe this is the thermal energy you were talking about, but I thought of what you told me the moment vibration came out of his mouth, as vibration is a thermal property of molecules, they all vibrate, faster or slower depending on the amount of heat into or out of the system.) I guess only in absolute zero would the charge remain in place, but even that is a stretch!
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