The discussion revolves around calculating the capacitance of two metal spheres, one charged positively and the other negatively. The problem specifies the charges of 20nC and -20nC, along with a voltage change of 100V.
The discussion includes attempts to clarify which charge should be used in the capacitance equation. Some participants express uncertainty about how to choose between the charges provided, while others suggest that problems involving capacitance typically present symmetric charge values or singular cases to avoid ambiguity.
Participants note that the problem's setup implies a specific relationship between the charges, and there is an assumption that problems involving capacitance will not present conflicting charge values.
hover said:Homework Statement
What is the capacitance of the two metal spheres shown in the figure ?
sphere one has 20nC of charge and the other has -20nC of charge. The change in voltage is 100V
Homework Equations
C=Q/(change in V)The Attempt at a Solution
My question is how do yo determine what charge to put in for Q?
xcvxcvvc said:It's given.
hover said:but the thing is how would I know to use 20nC or -20nC? What if you had 2 charges that were something like -30nC and 20nC? How do you know what Q to choose?
hover said:So i assume then that the answer here is just 2E-8/100 then
xcvxcvvc said:assumed correct.