Some problems in electic field

  • Thread starter Thread starter wowowo2006
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Field
AI Thread Summary
The discussion revolves around understanding electrostatic equilibrium in a conducting shell with a charge inside. The official answer to a posed question is A, but the user is confused about why the second statement is incorrect and seeks clarity on the first statement's validity. It is explained that charges on the inner surface of the shell arrange themselves to cancel any electric field from the charge within the cavity, ensuring the field is zero throughout the shell and beyond. This arrangement leads to a uniform distribution of charges on the outer surface, as the spherical shape of the shell allows for even charge distribution. The user is encouraged to grasp that the charges within the cavity do not affect the outer surface due to this shielding effect.
wowowo2006
Messages
13
Reaction score
0
hey i got some problems in doing this question
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y117/tkm20022001/AL%20PHY/phy03mc_32_33.jpg"
the official ans is A
i don't know why the 2nd statement is wrong. i think it's right as it;s at equilibrium state if not the charge will accelerate due to e field presents and may affect the charge distribution which is not at a equilibrium
moreover i don't know why the 1st statement is true, the - charges should be denser at the inner surface near the + charge, why there is still evenly distrubuted + charges on outer surface denser even when the - charges are denser at some place.
i am just studying some basic physics
and my mates explain this to me with shielding effect and gauss surface. i don't know about this . Could someone help me solve this question and give me some simple explanation about shielding effect and gauss surface and how they can help me get the answer.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Physics news on Phys.org
wowowo2006 said:
i don't know why the 2nd statement is wrong. i think it's right as it;s at equilibrium state if not the charge will accelerate due to e field presents and may affect the charge distribution which is not at a equilibrium
Think of the charge within the cavity as being fixed in place by other forces. When they speak of electrostatic equilibrium, they mean all the charges within and on the conducting shell.
moreover i don't know why the 1st statement is true, the - charges should be denser at the inner surface near the + charge, why there is still evenly distrubuted + charges on outer surface denser even when the - charges are denser at some place.
The charges on the inner surface arrange themselves to cancel any field from the charge within the cavity--the field within the conducing shell must be zero. That effectively shields the outer surface from any effect of the charge within. Since it's a spherical surface, the induced charge on the outer surface distributes itself uniformly.
 
Doc Al said:
Think of the charge within the cavity as being fixed in place by other forces. When they speak of electrostatic equilibrium, they mean all the charges within and on the conducting shell.

The charges on the inner surface arrange themselves to cancel any field from the charge within the cavity--the field within the conducing shell must be zero. That effectively shields the outer surface from any effect of the charge within. Since it's a spherical surface, the induced charge on the outer surface distributes itself uniformly.
sorry i don't know what does 'The charges on the inner surface arrange themselves to cancel any field from the charge within the cavity' mean. does it mean that the e field within the cavity and the metal shell , both e field is zero or only with the shell. and why does the 'self arrangement of + charges' is uniform, is it just because the ball is a perfect sphere?. i don't know exactly why the unevenly distributed - charges can in a equilibrium state when the + charges besides them is evenly distributed. Could you give me more explanations please
 
wowowo2006 said:
sorry i don't know what does 'The charges on the inner surface arrange themselves to cancel any field from the charge within the cavity' mean. does it mean that the e field within the cavity and the metal shell , both e field is zero or only with the shell.
Sorry about that. I meant that the charges on the inner surface of the shell arrange themselves to ensure that the field is zero throughout the material of the shell (and all points beyond), not within the cavity itself.
and why does the 'self arrangement of + charges' is uniform, is it just because the ball is a perfect sphere?. i don't know exactly why the unevenly distributed - charges can in a equilibrium state when the + charges besides them is evenly distributed.
The combined field of the charge within the cavity and the charge on the inner surface of the shell is zero for all points beyond the inner surface. Thus as far as the outer surface goes, the charges on the inside exert no effect.
 
Thread 'Question about pressure of a liquid'
I am looking at pressure in liquids and I am testing my idea. The vertical tube is 100m, the contraption is filled with water. The vertical tube is very thin(maybe 1mm^2 cross section). The area of the base is ~100m^2. Will he top half be launched in the air if suddenly it cracked?- assuming its light enough. I want to test my idea that if I had a thin long ruber tube that I lifted up, then the pressure at "red lines" will be high and that the $force = pressure * area$ would be massive...
I feel it should be solvable we just need to find a perfect pattern, and there will be a general pattern since the forces acting are based on a single function, so..... you can't actually say it is unsolvable right? Cause imaging 3 bodies actually existed somwhere in this universe then nature isn't gonna wait till we predict it! And yea I have checked in many places that tiny changes cause large changes so it becomes chaos........ but still I just can't accept that it is impossible to solve...
Back
Top