Scribd
Upload
289 views4 pages

MasteringPhysics - CH 21 HW #4

The document describes an experiment using four balls (A, B, C, and D) and a test charge (T) to understand electric forces. Balls A and B have uniform charges of +Q and -Q, respectively. Ball C is an insulator that can be polarized. Ball D is a conductor. T is strongly attracted to A, strongly repelled by B, weakly attracted to C, and strongly attracted to D. This information is used to determine that A has a positive charge, B has a negative charge, C has no net charge but can be polarized, and D develops a positive surface charge when near positively charged objects like A. The forces between the balls are then deduced.

Uploaded by

Giancarlo Santos
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
289 views4 pages

MasteringPhysics - CH 21 HW #4

The document describes an experiment using four balls (A, B, C, and D) and a test charge (T) to understand electric forces. Balls A and B have uniform charges of +Q and -Q, respectively. Ball C is an insulator that can be polarized. Ball D is a conductor. T is strongly attracted to A, strongly repelled by B, weakly attracted to C, and strongly attracted to D. This information is used to determine that A has a positive charge, B has a negative charge, C has no net charge but can be polarized, and D develops a positive surface charge when near positively charged objects like A. The forces between the balls are then deduced.

Uploaded by

Giancarlo Santos
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 4

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:
https://session.masteringphysics.com/myct/itemView?assignmentProblemID=54120375&view=print&offset=next

1/4

9/16/2015

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

https://session.masteringphysics.com/myct/itemView?assignmentProblemID=54120375&view=print&offset=next

2/4

9/16/2015

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

https://session.masteringphysics.com/myct/itemView?assignmentProblemID=54120375&view=print&offset=next

3/4

9/16/2015

MasteringPhysics:Ch21HW

Correct
BecausethetestchargeTisneitherstronglyattractedtonorrepelledfromballC,ballCmusthavezeronet
charge.SinceballDalsohaszeronetcharge,therewillnotbeanyforcebetweenthetwoballs.

https://session.masteringphysics.com/myct/itemView?assignmentProblemID=54120375&view=print&offset=next

4/4

You might also like