What happens when two charged spheres are brought into contact?

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around the interaction of two charged metal spheres, one with a positive charge and the other with a negative charge. Participants are exploring the resulting charges after the spheres come into contact.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Conceptual clarification

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants are attempting to determine the final charges on each sphere after contact and are discussing the implications of their sizes and shapes. Questions about the interpretation of the problem and the meaning of "circle view" are raised.

Discussion Status

The discussion includes attempts to clarify the problem setup and the assumptions regarding the spheres. Some participants express their proposed solutions, while others suggest reconsidering the reasoning behind the charge distribution upon contact.

Contextual Notes

There is a lack of clarity regarding the terms used in the problem, such as "circle view," and the implications of the spheres being identical. Participants are encouraged to show their reasoning before receiving further assistance.

Gyoza06
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When a metal sphere, A, with a charge of +5q is touched to a sphere,B, with a charge of -q what would each of the spheres charge would be and what would there the circle view of the final sphere?

thanks
 
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Hello Gyoza06,

Welcome to Physics Forums!

Gyoza06 said:
When a metal sphere, A, with a charge of +5q is touched to a sphere,B, with a charge of -q what would each of the spheres charge would be and what would there the circle view of the final sphere?

thanks

Could you rewrite the problem? I'm not sure how to interpret it. Is sphere A the same size as sphere B? What do you mean by "circle view" and "final" sphere?

Also, please let us know what you think the answer is and why. You must show us that you have attempted the problem before we can help. :smile:
 
ya sorry I am new to this but the spheres are identical and by final circle view i mean the picture diagram used to show the charge take place with a circle with either + or - signs indicating the charge. if i messed this up again i apologize.
 
my solution is sphere A ends up with a charge of +2.5q and sphere B ends up with a charge of +1.5q
 
Gyoza06 said:
my solution is sphere A ends up with a charge of +2.5q and sphere B ends up with a charge of +1.5q

You should rethink your answer. If the conducting spheres are identical in size and shape, and there is a charge difference between them, current will flow from one sphere to the other if they are touching (thus changing the charge on each sphere) until equilibrium is reached.
 

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