Question

A large, metallic, spherical shell has no net charge. It is supported on an insulating stand and has a small hole at the top. A small tack with charge Q is lowered on a silk thread through the hole into the interior of the shell.
Required:
a. What is the charge on the inner surface of the shell?
b. What is the charge on the outer surface of the shell?

Answer 1

Answer:

(a) Negative Q

(b) Positive Q

Explanation:

Charge is the inherent property of matter due to the transference of electrons.

There are three methods of charging a body.

(i) Charging by friction: When two uncharged bodies rubbed together, then one body gets positive charged and the other is negatively charges it is due to the transference of electrons form one body to another.  

(ii) Conduction: when a charged body comes in contact with the another uncharged body, the uncharged body gets the same charge and the charge is distributed equally.

(iii) Induction: When a uncharged body keep near the charged body, the uncharged body gets the same amount of charge but opposite in sign.  

(a) When a small tack of charge Q is lowered into the hole, then due to the process of induction, the charge on the inner surface of the shell is - Q.

(b) Due to the process of conduction, the charge on the outer surface of the shell is Q.