Help with Conductors in Electrostatic Equilibrium

[ktobrien]

Can someone please help me with this problem. I don't even know where to begin after drawing the picture.

Two identical conducting spheres each having a radius of 0.500 cm are connected by a light 1.80 m long conducting wire. A charge of 63.0 µC is placed on one of the conductors. Assume the surface distribution of charge on each sphere is uniform. Determine the tension in the wire.

 

[sokrates]

Try to imagine what would happen as soon as you charge one of the conductors...

After reaching steady state, imagine the cause that would cause a "tension" on the wire...
What kind of a force is acting on the wire, and why?...Then the mechanics of the problem is really easy because you know the analytical formula to write the force between those two conductors, right?

 

[ktobrien]

Is F = k_e*((q₁*q₂)/r²) the force equation you are talking about?

 

[ktobrien]

Never mind. I figured it out. I thought that was the equation I needed to use but I wasn't getting the right answer. The reason was because I was using the 63e-6 C as the charge of both spheres. I figured out that I was suppose to half that and use 3.15e-5 C as the charge of each sphere. Thanks for the help though.

 

[sokrates]

Yes, that's correct. Good to hear that you've done it.