Electric Field due to Charged Sphere

In summary, the problem involves finding the charge magnitude of a point charge given the electric field strength at a point outside of a charged sphere. The formula for electric field strength is provided and the attempt at a solution involves treating the sphere and point charge as a single point charge. The result is -8.34 micro coulombs but the final answer does not match the expected value.
  • #1
tomizzo
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2

Homework Statement



Refer to the attached photo for the problem statement.


Homework Equations



Electric Field Strength = 1/(4*pi*EpsilonNaught)*q/r^2

The Attempt at a Solution



So, I need to find the charge magnitude of q. Because the electric field strength is given at a point greater than the radius of the sphere, that should allow me to treat the entire sphere and point charge as a single point charge.

Using the above formula, I get the net charge to be -8.34 micro coulombs. I take this number and then subtract the charge from the sphere and should be getting the correct answer. However, I'm getting an answer not listed. Am I making an incorrect assumption somewhere?
 

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  • #2
What did you get?

ehild
 

Related to Electric Field due to Charged Sphere

What is the formula for calculating the electric field due to a charged sphere?

The formula for calculating the electric field due to a charged sphere is E = kQ/r^2, where E is the electric field, k is Coulomb's constant (9x10^9 Nm^2/C^2), Q is the charge of the sphere, and r is the distance from the center of the sphere.

How does the distance from the charged sphere affect the electric field?

The electric field strength decreases as the distance from the charged sphere increases. This is because the field lines spread out and become less concentrated as they move away from the sphere. The inverse square law states that the electric field strength is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the source.

Is the electric field inside a charged sphere zero?

Yes, the electric field inside a charged sphere is zero. This is because the charge of the sphere is evenly distributed on the surface, and the field lines cancel each other out at every point inside the sphere.

How does the electric field change if the charge of the sphere is increased?

If the charge of the sphere is increased, the electric field strength will also increase. This is because the electric field is directly proportional to the magnitude of the charge. Therefore, a larger charge will result in a stronger electric field.

Can the direction of the electric field due to a charged sphere change?

Yes, the direction of the electric field due to a charged sphere can change depending on the location of the point in space. The direction of the electric field is always perpendicular to the surface of the sphere at any given point. However, as the distance from the sphere increases, the direction of the electric field will also change.

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