Question

In a certain material, there is a current of 16 A flowing through a surface to the right, and there is an equal amount of positive and negative charge passing through the surface producing the current. How much negative charge passes through the surface?

A) 8 C/s toward the right

B) 8 C/s toward the left

C) 16 C/s toward the right

D) 16 C/s toward the left

Answer 1

The amount of negative charge passing through the surface is 8 C/s toward the left, as half of the 16 A current consists of the flow of negative charge, and negative charge moves in the opposite direction of the positive charge-induced conventional current direction.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student asked how much negative charge passes through a surface when there is a current of 16 A flowing through it, with an equal amount of positive and negative charge contributing to the current. Since the current contains equal amounts of positive and negative charge, this implies that half of the current is due to the negative charge and half is due to the positive charge. Therefore, the amount of negative charge passing through the surface is half of the total current, which is 8 A.

Now, because 1 A is equivalent to 1 C/s, 8 A corresponds to 8 C/s. Additionally, since the conventional direction of current is the direction positive charge would move, and it is given that the conventional current is to the right, the negative charge must be moving in the opposite direction to maintain an equal but opposite flow. Therefore, the correct answer is that 8 C/s of negative charge is moving toward the left: option B) 8 C/s toward the left.