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An uncharged conductor has a hollow cavity inside of it. Within this cavity there is a charge of +10 µC that does not touch the conductor. There are no other charges in the vicinity. Which statement about this conductor is true?

User Hananamar
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2 Answers

4 votes

Final answer:

In an uncharged conductor with a hollow cavity containing a +10 µC charge, electrostatic induction results in a -10 µC charge on the inner surface of the cavity and a +10 µC charge on the conductor's outer surface to maintain zero electric field inside the conductor.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question pertains to a classic concept in electrostatics dealing with the behavior of charges within a conductor. If an uncharged conductor has a hollow cavity with a +10 µC charge inside, this charge will induce an equal but opposite charge of -10 µC on the cavity's inner surface, and consequently, a +10 µC will appear on the outer surface of the conductor. The redistribution occurs because the electrostatic field within the conductor's material must remain zero, a condition known as electrostatic equilibrium. Thus, the conductor ends up with a net charge of +10 µC on the exterior surface, while the interior surface charge exactly offsets the charge within the cavity.

User Nohat
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4 votes

Answer:

Step-by-step explanation:

we have to make charge inside the conductor zero because we know that electric field inside the conductor should be zero

so, the outer surface of the conductor should contain + 10 uC of charge and the inner surface contains -10 uC

User Kaykae
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