How do you put a uniform charge on an insulator?

[johne1618]

To put a uniform charge on the surface of a conducting hollow sphere one just needs to touch it at one point with an electrode.

To put a uniform charge on the surface of an insulating hollow sphere, do you have to somehow physically spray charge all over it?

 

[maimonides]

Yes. You might also try to ionize surface atoms.
What for?

 

[johne1618]

Yes. You might also try to ionize surface atoms.
What for?

I would like to do some of experiment to measure the mass of an electron inside a charged spherical insulator. I think 1/2 the electrostatic energy between the electron and the charged shell would reside in the field around the electron and would therefore make it heavier.

If we could make the electron heavy then we could make small atoms with these heavy electrons. Small atoms might fuse much more easily than normal size ones.

That's it - I want to solve the world's energy problems and climate change problems. ;)

 

[mrspeedybob]

To put a uniform charge on the surface of a conducting hollow sphere one just needs to touch it at one point with an electrode.

To put a uniform charge on the surface of an insulating hollow sphere, do you have to somehow physically spray charge all over it?

There is no such thing as a perfect insulator, some materials just have extremely high resistance. Since the total charge on the sphere would be relatively small very little current would need to flow on the sphere in order for the charge to equalize. While the time for a small charge to flow through high resistance would be greater then low resistance I believe the time frame would be a few minutes at the most.

 

[sardar]

I would like to clarify that it is not possible to physically spray charge onto an insulator to achieve a uniform charge distribution. Unlike conductors, which allow the movement of electrons, insulators do not allow for the flow of charge. Therefore, the traditional method of charging by contact with an electrode would not be effective.

To put a uniform charge on an insulator, alternative methods such as induction or polarization can be used. Induction involves placing the insulator in an electric field, which causes the charges within the insulator to redistribute and create a uniform charge on the surface. Polarization, on the other hand, involves aligning the molecules within the insulator to create a dipole moment, resulting in a uniform charge distribution on the surface.

In conclusion, while it is possible to achieve a uniform charge on a conductor by contact with an electrode, the same method cannot be used for insulators. As a scientist, it is important to understand the properties of different materials and the appropriate methods for charging them in a uniform manner.