What is wrong with Figure 15.35 and this associated incorrect student explanation? “The electric field at location inside the uniformly charged sphere points in the direction shown, because the charges closest to this location have the largest effect.” (Spheres provide the most common exception to the normally useful rule that the nearest charges usually make the largest contribution to the electric field.)

Short Answer

Expert verified

The wrong fact about the given figure is the direction of the electric field at the location that is directed outward, but the electric field is zero.

Step by step solution

01

Significance of the electric field

The electric field is referred to as a region which allows a charged particle to exert a particular force on another charged particle.

The equation of the electric field gives the answer that is wrong with the figure.

02

Identification of the problem with the figure

It can be observed from the given figure that the negative charge outside the sphere is uniformly distributed and the other negative charges are further away, due to the excessive amount of the negative charges. The electric field at the location and the negative charges outside the spheres cancels each other. So, the electric field becomes zero. Hence, the direction of the electric field cannot be outward as it has zero value.

Thus, the wrong fact about the given figure is the direction of the electric field at the location that is directed outward, but the electric field is zero.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

A student said, “The electric field inside a uniformly charged sphere is always zero.” Describe a situation where this is not true.

A rod with uniformly distributed charge 2×10-8C is 50cm long. We need to calculate E at a distance of 1cm from the midpoint of the rod. Which equation for the electric field of a rod should we use? (1) Exact, (2) Approximate, (3) Either exact or approximate, (4) Neither—we have to do it numerically, (5) Neither—we need to integrate.

Graph the magnitude of the full expression for the field E of a rod along the midplane vs. r. Does Efall off monotonically(with distance)?

A thin rod lies on the x axis with one end atand the other end at-A, as shown in Figure 15.51. A charge of-Q
is spread uniformly over the surface of the rod. We want to set up an integral to find the electric field at location <0,Y,0>due to the rod. Following the procedure discussed in this chapter, we have cut up the rod into small segments, each of which can be considered as a point charge. We have selected a typical piece, shown in red on the diagram

Answer using the variables x,y,dx,A,Qas appropriate. Remember that the rod has charge-Q. (a) In terms of the symbolic quantities given above and on the diagram, what is the charge per unit length of the rod? (b) What is the amount of chargedQon the small piece of lengthdx? (c) What is the vector from this source to the observation location? (d) What is the distance from this source to the observation location? (e) When we set up an integral to find the electric field at the observation location due to the entire rod, what will be the integration variable?

A solid metal ball of radius 1.5 cm bearing a charge of −17 nC is located near a solid plastic ball of radius 2 cm bearing a uniformly distributed charge of +7 nC (Figure 15.62) on its outer surface. The distance between the centers of the balls is 9 cm. (a) Show the approximate charge distribution in and on each ball. (b) What is the electric field at the center of the metal ball due only to the charges on the plastic ball? (c) What is the net electric field at the center of the metal ball? (d) What is the electric field at the center of the metal ball due only to the charges on the surface of the metal ball?

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