9/16/2015

MasteringPhysics:Ch21HW

ATestChargeDeterminesChargeonInsulatingandConductingBalls
LearningGoal:
Tounderstandtheelectricforcebetweenchargedandunchargedconductorsandinsulators.
Whenatestchargeisbroughtnearachargedobject,weknowfromCoulomb'slawthatitwillexperienceanetforce
(eitherattractiveorrepulsive,dependingonthenatureoftheobject'scharge).Atestchargemayalsoexperiencean
electricforcewhenbroughtnearaneutralobject.Anyattractionofaneutralinsulatororneutralconductortoatest
chargemustoccurthroughinducedpolarization.Inaninsulator,theelectronsareboundtotheirmolecules.Though
theycannotmovefreelythroughouttheinsulator,theycanshiftslightly,creatingaratherweaknetattractiontoatest
chargethatisbroughtclosetotheinsulator'ssurface.Inaconductor,freeelectronswillaccumulateonthesurfaceof
theconductornearestthepositivetestcharge.Thiswillcreateastrongattractiveforceifthetestchargeisplacedvery
closetotheconductor'ssurface.
Considerthreeplasticballs(A,B,andC),eachcarryinga
uniformlydistributedchargeequaltoeither+ Q ,Q orzero,
andanunchargedcopperball(D).Apositivetestcharge(T)
experiencestheforcesshowninthefigurewhenbroughtvery
neartotheindividualballs.ThetestchargeTisstrongly
attractedtoA,stronglyrepelledfromB,weaklyattractedto
C,andstronglyattractedtoD.
Assumethroughoutthisproblemthattheballsarebrought
veryclosetogether.

PartA
WhatisthenatureoftheforcebetweenballsAandB?

Hint1.WhatisthenetchargeonballA?
Sincethetestchargeispositivelycharged,andthereisastronglyattractiveforcebetweenballAandthe
testcharge,whatmustbethenatureofthenetchargeofballA?
ANSWER:
positive
negative
zero

Hint2.WhatisthenetchargeonballB?
Sincethetestchargeispositivelycharged,andthereisastronglyrepulsiveforcebetweenballBandthe
testcharge,whatmustbethenatureofthenetchargeofballB?
ANSWER:
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MasteringPhysics:Ch21HW

positive
negative
zero

ANSWER:
stronglyattractive
stronglyrepulsive
weaklyattractive
neitherattractivenorrepulsive

Correct

PartB
WhatisthenatureoftheforcebetweenballsAandC?

Hint1.WhatisthechargeonballC?
RecallthatballCiscomposedofinsulatingmaterial,whichmeansthatitcanbepolarized,butthecharges
insideareotherwisenotfreetomovearoundinsidetheball.Sincethetestchargeexperiencesonlyaweak
forceduetoballC,ifwecomparetoballAweconcludethatthechargeonballCmustbe
ANSWER:
+Q
Q
zero

ANSWER:
stronglyattractive
stronglyrepulsive
weaklyattractive
neitherattractivenorrepulsive

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MasteringPhysics:Ch21HW

Correct
RecallthatballCiscomposedofinsulatingmaterial,whichcanbepolarizedinthepresenceofanexternal
chargedobjectsuchasballA.Oncepolarized,therewillbeaweakattractionbetweenballsAandC,because
thepositiveandnegativechargesinballCareatslightlydifferentaveragedistancesfromballA.IfballChad
averysmallnegativechargethetestchargewouldhavethesameresponse(weaklyattractive)butitwould
haveaweakrepulsiveinteractionwithballA.However,asmallernegativechargeisnotoneoftheoptions.

PartC
WhatisthenatureoftheforcebetweenballsAandD?

Hint1.WhatarethesurfacechargesonballD?
Recallthatcopperisaconductor,inwhichchargescanfreelyflow.WhenballDisbroughtclosetoballA,
whatwillbethenatureofthesurfacechargedensityonthesideofballDthatisclosesttoballA?
ANSWER:
positive
negative
zero

ANSWER:
attractive
repulsive
neitherattractivenorrepulsive

Correct

PartD
WhatisthenatureoftheforcebetweenballsDandC?
ANSWER:
attractive
repulsive
neitherattractivenorrepulsive

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MasteringPhysics:Ch21HW

Correct
BecausethetestchargeTisneitherstronglyattractedtonorrepelledfromballC,ballCmusthavezeronet
charge.SinceballDalsohaszeronetcharge,therewillnotbeanyforcebetweenthetwoballs.

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