Physics
Physics
Problem
Two identical small metal spheres and carry charges of and , respectively. They are connected momentarily by a thin conducting wire and then separated by a large distance. (i) Find the common charge that each sphere finally possesses. (ii) Determine the minimum number of electrons that flowed through the wire while the connection existed.Intuitive explanation
When two identical conducting spheres touch, charge redistributes until both reach the same electric potential—which means they must have equal charge. The key insight is that charge is conserved: the total charge before contact equals the total after, and it splits equally between identical conductors. For part (ii), you'll need to figure out which direction electrons actually moved (from negative to positive terminal) and count how many it took to create that charge difference.
Intuitive explanation
When two identical conducting spheres touch, charge redistributes until both reach the same electric potential—which means they must have equal charge. The key insight is that charge is conserved: the total charge before contact equals the total after, and it splits equally between identical conductors. For part (ii), you'll need to figure out which direction electrons actually moved (from negative to positive terminal) and count how many it took to create that charge difference.