Gauss' Law and charges placed within a spherical conductor

In summary, the inside surface of a hollow shell will be charged with -2 microCoulombs due to the field outside the shell.
  • #1
accidentprone
17
0

Homework Statement



A hollow sherical conducting shell is suspended in air by an insulated string. The total charge on the conductor is -6 microCoulombs. If an additional point charge of +2 microCoulombs is placed in the hollow region inside the shell what is the total charge induced on the inside surface of the shell.


Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution


I know already that a charge will be induce on the inside surface as a closed, hollow conductor shields its interior from fields due to charges outside, but does not shield
its exterior from fields due to charges placed inside it. However is the answetr simply that -2 microCoulombs will be induced on the inside of the sphere? Or will I have to account for the charge on the outside also interacting with the charge induced on the inside surface?
Many thanks in advance!
 
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  • #2
accidentprone said:
However is the answetr simply that -2 microCoulombs will be induced on the inside of the sphere?
Yes, that's all there is to it.
Or will I have to account for the charge on the outside also interacting with the charge induced on the inside surface?
No. They do not affect the inside surface charges.
 
  • #3
Thank you!

One last question. I'm now asked to find the electric field immediately outside the conductor, given that the outside surface has a radius of 8 cm. Will The electric field outside be only produced by the charges on the outside surface as the inside and outside charges do not interact?
 
  • #4
accidentprone said:
Will The electric field outside be only produced by the charges on the outside surface as the inside and outside charges do not interact?
Effectively, yes. But electric field is always produced by all the charges--it's just that the effect of the charges inside the outer surface is zero: They cancel out.
 
  • #5
Thank you again, especially for the speedy replies - much appreciated!
 

1. What is Gauss' Law?

Gauss' Law is a fundamental law in electromagnetism that relates the distribution of electric charges to the resulting electric field. It states that the electric flux through a closed surface is equal to the total charge enclosed within that surface divided by the permittivity of free space.

2. How does Gauss' Law apply to charges placed within a spherical conductor?

For charges placed within a spherical conductor, Gauss' Law states that the electric field inside the conductor is zero. This is because the electric charges within the conductor rearrange themselves in such a way that they cancel out the electric field inside.

3. Can Gauss' Law be applied to non-spherical conductors?

Yes, Gauss' Law can be applied to any closed surface, regardless of its shape. However, for non-spherical conductors, the calculation of the electric field may be more complex and require the use of other laws and principles.

4. How is Gauss' Law related to Coulomb's Law?

Gauss' Law is a more general form of Coulomb's Law, which only applies to point charges. Gauss' Law takes into account the distribution of charges, making it applicable to more complex systems.

5. What are some real-world applications of Gauss' Law?

Gauss' Law is used in a variety of applications, such as designing electrical circuits, calculating the electric field inside a conductor, and understanding the behavior of charged particles in an electric field. It is also used in the design of capacitors, which are important components in electronic devices.

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