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0340 Lecture Notes - Conservation of Charge Example Problems

The document provides two examples demonstrating the law of conservation of charge. In the first example, the possible final charge combinations for two objects initially charged to +3e and -6e are analyzed. Only the combinations of +4e, -7e and +e, -4e satisfy conservation of charge as the total final charge equals the total initial charge. The second example considers two identical conducting spheres initially charged to +3pC and +6pC that are touched together and separated again. The final charge on each sphere is calculated to be 4.5pC, with the final electric force between them greater than the initial force.

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272 views2 pages

0340 Lecture Notes - Conservation of Charge Example Problems

The document provides two examples demonstrating the law of conservation of charge. In the first example, the possible final charge combinations for two objects initially charged to +3e and -6e are analyzed. Only the combinations of +4e, -7e and +e, -4e satisfy conservation of charge as the total final charge equals the total initial charge. The second example considers two identical conducting spheres initially charged to +3pC and +6pC that are touched together and separated again. The final charge on each sphere is calculated to be 4.5pC, with the final electric force between them greater than the initial force.

Uploaded by

Rashmi Verma
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Flipping Physics Lecture Notes:

Conservation of Charge Example Problems


https://www.flippingphysics.com/conservation-of-charge.html

Conservation of Charge: The total electric charge of an isolated system never changes.

What is an isolated system? We could start with the universe. In other words, the net electric charge of
the universe never changes. Add up all the positive charges and subtract all the negative charges and
you will always get the same number.

Or we could have a smaller isolated system, like the conductive metal pieces of an electroscope which
are electrically isolated from the rest of the universe by the rubber and glass insulators. In other words,
the net electric charge of the electroscope will remain constant, as long as it remains isolated.

Example Problem #1: Two charged, conducting objects collide and separate. Before colliding, the
charges on the two objects are +3e and -6e. Which of the following are possible values for the final
charges on the two objects? Choose all possible answers.
(a) +4e, -7e (b) +2e, -2e (c) -1.5e, -1.5e (d) -3.5e, +2.5e (e) +e, -4e

q1i = +3e; q 2i = −6e; q1f = ?; q 2f = ?


&
( )
qtotal i = q1i + q 2i = +3e + −6e = −3e = qtotal f

a)
( )
q1f + q 2f = +4e + −7e = −3e = qtotal f
✓ it works
q1f + q 2f = +2e + ( −2e ) = 0 ≠ −3e = q
b) total f
does not work
q1f + q 2f = −1.5e + ( −1.5e ) = −3e = q
c) total f
But (c) does not work because you cannot have half an electron because charge is quantized!!
q1f + q 2f = −3.5e + 2.5e = −e = qtotal f
d) does not work
But (d) also does not work because you cannot have half an electron because charge is quantized!!

e)
( )
q1f + q 2f = +e + −4e = −3e = qtotal f
✓ it works

Correct answers are (a) and (e) because those are the only two options which have a total final charge
equal to the total initial charge and are integer multiples of the fundamental charge e.

0340 Lecture Notes - Conservation of Charge Example Problems.docx page 1 of 2


Example Problem #2: Two identical, conducting spheres are held using insulating gloves a distance x
apart. Initially the charges on each sphere are +3.0 pC and +6.0 pC. The two spheres are touched
together and returned to the same distance x apart. You may assume x is the distance between their
centers of charge.
(a) What is the final charge on each sphere?
(b) Is the final electric force between the two spheres increased, decreased, or the same when
compared to the initial electric force?
.
()
q1i = +3.0 pC; q 2i = +6.0 pC; ri = rf = x; Part a : q1f = ?; q 2f = ?; Part b : Fef ? Fei ( )
qtotal f = qtotal i = q1i + q 2i = +3 pC + 6 pC = +9pC
Because the two spheres are identical, after touching, the spheres will have equal charge.
q1f = q 2f = q f ⇒ qtotal f = q1f + q 2f = 2q f = 9pc ⇒ q f = 4.5 pC
(a) Both charges end with 4.5 pC of charge.
This is 4.5 picocoulombs of charge or 4.5 x 10-9 C which an object is physically able to have.
Because then it will have:
qf 4.5 ×10−9 C
q f = nf e ⇒ nf = = = 2.8125 ×1010 ≈ 2.8 ×1010 excess protons
e C
1.60 ×10−19
charge carrier
Imagine that. 28 billion more protons than electrons on each sphere. Each sphere will have a heck of a lot
more total protons and electrons, however, it has a deficit of 28 billion electrons and therefore has a net
charge of 4.5 pC.

And now part (b): The two spheres have like charges, so they are repelled from one another with an
kq1q 2
Fe =
electric force with a magnitude of: r2 Therefore …

Fei =
kq1i q 2i
=
(
k 3 ×10 −9
)(6 ×10 ) = 1.8 ×10
−9
−17 k
2 2
ri x x2

Fef =
kq1f q 2f
=
( )(
k 4.5 ×10−9 4.5 ×10−9 ) = 2.025 ×10 −17 k k
≈ 2.0 ×10−17 2
2 2 2
rf x x x
N i m2
k = 8.99 ×10 9

k is the Coulomb Constant and has a constant value: C2


k k
Fef ≈ 2.0 ×10−17 2 >1.8 ×10−17 2 = Fei
x is also a constant. Therefore: x x
The final electric force is greater than the initial electric force.

0340 Lecture Notes - Conservation of Charge Example Problems.docx page 2 of 2

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