Question 741 of 949
Two identical metal spheres, A and B, are initially uncharged and placed in contact with each other. If sphere A is then charged positively and brought back into contact with sphere B, what will be the charge on sphere B after they are separated?
- Positive charge
- Negative charge
- No charge
- Neutral charge
Correct Answer:
A
Explanation
### Correct Option: A. Positive charge
### Detailed Explanation:
1. **Initial Conditions**:
- We start with two identical metal spheres, A and B, which are initially uncharged. This means that both spheres have an equal number of positive and negative charges, resulting in a net charge of zero.
2. **Charging Sphere A**:
- When sphere A is charged positively, it means that it has lost some electrons. Electrons are negatively charged particles, so when they leave sphere A, it becomes positively charged. The amount of positive charge on sphere A is equal to the number of electrons that have been removed.
3. **Bringing Spheres A and B into Contact**:
- When the positively charged sphere A comes into contact with the uncharged sphere B, the charges will redistribute between the two spheres. Since they are identical and conductive, the positive charge on sphere A will influence the electrons in sphere B.
- Electrons from sphere B will be attracted to the positive charge of sphere A. This movement of electrons will continue until the electric potential of both spheres is equalized.
4. **Charge Redistribution**:
- As electrons move from sphere B to sphere A, sphere B will lose some of its electrons, resulting in a net positive charge. The amount of positive charge on sphere B will be equal to the amount of negative charge (electrons) that moved to sphere A.
- After they are separated, sphere A retains its positive charge, and sphere B, having lost some electrons, will also have a positive charge.
5. **Final Charge on Sphere B**:
- After separating the two spheres, sphere B will have a net positive charge because it has lost electrons to sphere A. Therefore, the final charge on sphere B is positive.
### Why Other Options Are Incorrect:
- **Option B: Negative charge**: This option is incorrect because sphere B loses electrons when it comes into contact with the positively charged sphere A. Losing electrons means that sphere B cannot end up with a negative charge; instead, it becomes positively charged.
- **Option C: No charge**: This option is also incorrect. Sphere B cannot remain neutral after losing electrons to sphere A. Since it has lost some of its negative charge, it must have a net positive charge.
- **Option D: Neutral charge**: Similar to option C, this option is incorrect because sphere B cannot be neutral after the transfer of electrons. The loss of electrons results in a positive charge.
### Summary of Key Points:
- When two identical conductive spheres are brought into contact, charge redistributes based on their potentials.
- A positively charged sphere attracts electrons from an uncharged sphere, leading to a net positive charge on the uncharged sphere.
- After separation, the originally uncharged sphere (B) will have a positive charge due to the loss of electrons.
- The final charge on sphere B is positive, confirming that the correct answer is option A.