Of the charge Q initially on a tiny sphere, a portion q is to be transferred to a second, nearby sphere. Both spheres can be treated as particles and are fixed with a certain separation. For what value of q/Q will the electrostatic force between the two spheres be maximized?
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Question
The initial charges on the three identical metal spheres in Fig. 21-24 are the following: sphere A, Q; sphere B, %Q/4; and sphere C, Q/2, where Q ! 2.00 $ 10 %14 C. Spheres A and B are fixed in place, with a center-to-center separation of d ! 1.20 m, which is much larger than the spheres. Sphere C is touched first to sphere A and then to sphere B and is then removed. What then is the magnitude of the electrostatic force between spheres A and B?
Solution
The first step in solving 21 problem number 65 trying to solve the problem we have to refer to the textbook question: The initial charges on the three identical metal spheres in Fig. 21-24 are the following: sphere A, Q; sphere B, %Q/4; and sphere C, Q/2, where Q ! 2.00 $ 10 %14 C. Spheres A and B are fixed in place, with a center-to-center separation of d ! 1.20 m, which is much larger than the spheres. Sphere C is touched first to sphere A and then to sphere B and is then removed. What then is the magnitude of the electrostatic force between spheres A and B?
From the textbook chapter you will find a few key concepts needed to solve this.
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