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Multiple Choice
An insulating sphere of radius is in the center of a conducting spherical shell with inner radius of and outer radius of . The insulating sphere has a charge of and the conducting spherical shell has a net charge of . What is the total charge on the inner surface of the conducting spherical shell?
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Verified step by step guidance
1
Understand the problem setup: We have an insulating sphere with a charge of -34 nC at the center of a conducting spherical shell. The shell has a net charge of 42 nC.
Apply Gauss's Law: For the region inside the conducting shell but outside the insulating sphere, the electric field must be zero because it's a conductor in electrostatic equilibrium.
Determine the charge on the inner surface of the conducting shell: To ensure the electric field inside the conductor is zero, the inner surface of the conducting shell must have a charge that exactly cancels the charge of the insulating sphere.
Calculate the charge on the inner surface: Since the insulating sphere has a charge of -34 nC, the inner surface of the conducting shell must have a charge of +34 nC to cancel it out.
Verify the net charge: The net charge of the conducting shell is 42 nC. The outer surface must have the remaining charge, which is the net charge minus the charge on the inner surface.