Two conducting spheres, A and B, are made of the same material and have radii r and 2r. The spheres are placed a distance d 3r from each other. The first sphere has an initial charge Q, while the second is uncharged. The spheres are initially connected by a thin conducting wire; the wire is then removed. When electrostatic equilibrium has been reached, the magnitudes of the electric fields near the surfaces of the respective spheres are related by

Question

Two conducting spheres, A and B, are made of the same material and have radii r and 2r. The spheres are placed a distance d > 3r from each other. The first sphere has an initial charge Q, while the second is uncharged. The spheres are initially connected by a thin conducting wire; the wire is then removed. When electrostatic equilibrium has been reached, the magnitudes of the electric fields near the surfaces of the respective spheres are related by

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The electric field near the surface of a conducting sphere is proportional to the charge on the sphere and inversely proportional to the square of its radius. Since the spheres are made of the same material, they have the same surface charge density. Therefore, the electric field near the surface of sphere A is greater than the electric field near the surface of sphere B because sphere A has a smaller radius.

Two Conducting Spheres, a and B, Are Made of the Same