What is the electric potential at the sphere's surface? having troubles

AI Thread Summary
The discussion revolves around calculating the electric potential at the surface of a charged metal sphere with a radius of 15 cm and a net charge of 2.0 x 10^-8 C. The user successfully determined the electric field at the sphere's surface as 7992.7 N/C but struggled with the electric potential calculation, initially arriving at a negative value. It was clarified that the electric potential should be positive, as it has the same sign as the charge. Additionally, the electric field outside the sphere behaves like that of a point charge, which affects the potential calculation. The conversation emphasizes the importance of understanding the behavior of electric fields and potentials in relation to charged objects.
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Hello everyone, I'm having troulbes figuring this one out. I found an equation in the book, tried it, but it was wrong. The problem is the following:
A metal sphere of radius 15 cm has a net charge of 2.0 10-8 C.

(a) What is the electric field at the sphere's surface?
7992.7 N/C
(b) If V = 0 at infinity, what is the electric potential at the sphere's surface?
V
(c) At what distance from the sphere's surface has the electric potential decreased by 700 V?

I found part (a) by finding \delta = Q/A; Then using E = \delta/Eo; Which was correct.

But for (b) I Saw Vf - Vi = -\int E.ds.
So Vf- Vi is electric potential. So i tried:
V = -E*d = -(7992.7N/C)(.15) = -1198.905 V but was wrong, any ideas why?
 
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yea, it's a positive charge.

Recall that the E outside the shell
is the same as if it was a point Q,
so V = kQ/r just as with a point charge.
. . . V has same sign as the Q !
 
so my answer is right i just have to make it positive? 1198.905 V/>
 
V=Ed only works if E is constant. Outside a sphere, E is not constant, but drops off as 1/r^2. The field outside a charged sphere is the same as the field of a point charge located at the centre of the sphere.
 
Well a E field at the center of a sphere is 0 isn't it?
 
Right but for a closed sphere the E field (OUTSIDE the sphere) is the same as that of a point charge. inside the sphere its zero by gauss' laws.
 
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