Are Planets Electrically Neutral or Charged?

  • Context: Undergrad 
  • Thread starter Thread starter Amrutha.phy
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    Planets Uncharged
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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the electrical charge of planets, specifically whether they are electrically neutral or charged, with a focus on Earth. Participants explore concepts of electric charge and gravitational potential, aiming to clarify misconceptions related to these topics.

Discussion Character

  • Conceptual clarification, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants assert that planets, including Earth, are electrically neutral.
  • One participant suggests that Earth can be considered at a negative potential but questions the implications of this regarding charge.
  • Another participant highlights a potential confusion between gravitational potential energy and electric charge, explaining that gravitational potential can be negative while charge is a separate concept.
  • A later reply reinforces the idea that Earth is at zero electrical potential, indicating it is neither positively nor negatively charged.
  • One participant acknowledges their confusion between gravitational potential and electric charge, indicating a need for clarification.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that Earth is electrically neutral, but there is some confusion regarding the relationship between gravitational potential and electric charge, leading to a lack of consensus on the implications of these concepts.

Contextual Notes

There are unresolved distinctions between gravitational potential and electric charge, as well as the implications of considering Earth at a negative potential.

Amrutha.phy
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Planets are said to be uncharged... Leave about the rest but we consider Earth as a negative potential (I suppose)... :-p please clarify my doubt...
 
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The Earth is electrically neutral - I don't understand your question.
 
Amrutha.phy said:
Planets are said to be uncharged... Leave about the rest but we consider Earth as a negative potential
Where did you hear this?

I wonder if you aren't confusing gravitational potential energy with electric charge. Since potential energy is always relative to some fixed value, we are free to take it zero at any point. Because graviational force varies as [itex]1/r^2[/itex], gravitational potential varies as [itex]1/r[/itex] and it is simplest to take the zero point at infinity. And since gravitational potential decreases as you approach the earth, taking zero at infinity means the gravitational potential at any finite distance is negative.

However, that has nothing at all to do with "charge".

(I suppose)... :-p please clarify my doubt...
 
building on from "hallsofivy's" comment, even if u consider the electrical approach ie using coulomb's law, the Earth as a whole is considered to be at a zero potential,(in terms of charge) ie Earth is neither positively charged nor negatively charged.

Hope that clears things up
Using the premise, the Earth is neutral.
 
Yeah I confused between gravitational potential and charge... Yeah I got it clarified thank u..
 

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