Two copper globes are floating in space with a charge of -10 and charge of +16. They come together then go back apart.

What are the resulting charges

To determine the resulting charges after two charged objects come together and then move apart, we need to understand the concept of charge conservation. According to the Law of Conservation of Charge, the total charge of an isolated system remains constant.

Initially, we have two copper globes with charges of -10 and +16.

When these two globes come together, they will exchange charges due to the movement of electrons. Negatively charged particles (electrons) will move from the globe with a lower charge (-10) to the globe with a higher charge (+16). This happens because opposite charges attract each other.

To determine the resulting charges, we need to find the net charge on the two globes after exchange.

Let's say x is the amount of charge exchanged between the two globes.

Initially, globe A has a charge of -10 - x, and globe B has a charge of +16 + x.

The net charge when the two globes come together is the sum of the charges: (-10 - x) + (+16 + x).

Simplifying, we get:
-10 - x + 16 + x = 6

Therefore, the net charge when the two globes come together is 6 units of charge.

Now, when the globes move apart, the exchanged charge gets distributed between them. Since the net charge remains the same, both globes must have a charge of 6/2 = 3 units of charge.

Therefore, the resulting charges after the globes separate are +3 and -3.