Answer to Question #234855 in Physics for Mosses07

Question

A particle carries a charge of 6q and is located at the origin. The particle is surrounded by a conducting shell of inner radius R and thickness t. The shell carries a charge of −8q.

(a) Determine the charge on the inner surface of the shell in terms of q.

(b)  Determine the charge on the outer surface of the shell in terms of q.

Answer 1

(a) The charge inside the shell will induce the opposite charge on the inner surface of the shell, thus, the answer is $-6q$.

(b) The induced charge on the outer shell will be $+6q,$ added to the shell's own charge, the total charge on the outer surface will be

$$+6q+(-8q)=-2q.$$