Two identical spheres with charges 8 and -4 microcoulomb. What's the charge on each after they are touched and separated ?
8 - 4 = 4 μC ... shared equally between the spheres
To determine the charges on the spheres after they are touched and separated, we need to apply the principle of charge conservation. According to this principle, the total charge before the objects interact must be equal to the total charge after the interaction.
In this case, we have two identical spheres with charges of +8 microcoulomb and -4 microcoulomb.
When the spheres are touched, charges can transfer between them until they reach equilibrium. Since they are identical, they will share the charges equally.
To find the final charges, we need to calculate the average charge:
Average charge = (Charge of sphere 1 + Charge of sphere 2) / 2
= (+8 microcoulomb + (-4 microcoulomb)) / 2
= 4 microcoulomb / 2
= 2 microcoulomb
Therefore, after being touched and separated, each sphere will have a charge of 2 microcoulomb.