Final answer:
The charge distribution on the plastic sphere with a charge of -29.0 μC and a diameter of 17.0 cm is uniformly distributed because charges tend to spread out in order to minimize repulsive forces, especially on symmetrical surfaces like spheres.
Step-by-step explanation:
Considering the charged paint spread over the surface of a plastic sphere with a diameter of 17.0 cm and a charge of -29.0 μC, we can infer that the charge distribution is uniform.
The reason for this is that in electrostatic equilibrium, charges reside on the surface of conductors and arrange themselves in a manner that minimizes the repulsive forces between them, effectively creating a uniform distribution. This is particularly the case with symmetrical objects like spheres.
The provided reference information, while relating to charge and potential, discusses a variety of electrostatic scenarios including paint sprayers, potential due to point charges, and charged spheres.
However, these scenarios do not directly answer the question about the charge distribution on the plastic sphere. Instead, they provide a conceptual context for how electric charges and potentials behave in various electrostatic situations.