Question

A hollow metal sphere is electrically neutral (no excess charge). A small amount of negative charge is suddenly placed at one point P on this metal sphere. If we check on this excess negative charge a few seconds later we will find one of the following possibilities:

a. All of the excess charge remains right around P.
b. The excess charge has distributed itself evenly over the outside surface of the sphere.
c. The excess charge is evenly distributed over the inside and outside surface.
d. Most of the charge is still at point P, but some will have spread over the sphere.
e. There will be no excess charge left.
What is the The original magnitude of the force the acharge was magnitude of the force on now?

Answer 1

b. The excess charge has distributed itself evenly over the outside surface of the sphere.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a neutral hollow metal sphere is touched externally with a charge, the charge distributes itself evenly on the surface of the sphere. One thing to note here is that for a hollow sphere, the charges stays on the surface alone. This phenomenon is why the inside of airplanes are free from electric charge when struck by a lightning when they travel through a lightning storm.