Question

A conductor with an inner cavity, like that shown in (Figure 1), carries a total charge of +4.80 nC . The charge within the cavity, insulated from the conductor, is q = -6.60 nC.

How much charge is on the inner surface of the conductor?
How much charge is on the outer surface of the conductor?

Answer 1

• The charge on the inner surface of the conductor is -6.60 nC
• The charge on the outer surface of the conductor is +11.40 nC.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine the charge on the inner and outer surfaces of the conductor, we need to consider the total charge carried by the conductor and the charge within the cavity.

Given:

• Total charge on the conductor = +4.80 nC
• Charge within the cavity = -6.60 nC

The charge on the inner surface of the conductor is equal in magnitude and opposite in sign to the charge within the cavity. Therefore, the charge on the inner surface of the conductor is -6.60 nC.

The total charge on the conductor is the sum of the charge on the inner surface and the charge on the outer surface. Therefore, we can calculate the charge on the outer surface of the conductor by subtracting the charge on the inner surface from the total charge.

Charge on the outer surface of the conductor = Total charge - Charge on the inner surface

• Charge on the outer surface of the conductor = +4.80 nC - (-6.60 nC)
• Charge on the outer surface of the conductor = +4.80 nC + 6.60 nC
• Charge on the outer surface of the conductor = +11.40 nC

Therefore, the charge on the inner surface of the conductor is -6.60 nC, and the charge on the outer surface of the conductor is +11.40 nC.