Question

Why is the charge on a charged sphere distributed uniformly over its surface?



similar charges seek to be the minimum distance possible from each other

opposite charges seek to be the maximum distance possible from each other

similar charges seek to be the maximum distance possible from each other

none of the above

Answer 1

Similar charges repel each other and thus are spread throughout the surface if the surface is conductive.

Answer 2

These answer choices kind of miss one of the main points.. equilibrium.

However, what do we know about LIKE charges? They repel of course!

If the equation for force between two charges is given as\[F = k_E {q_1 q_1 \over R^2}\] the like charged particles would keep repelling each other until they were an infinite distance apart (in the absence of additional forces). Infinity is the biggest number. What can you conclude about this distance that like charged particles seek?

Answer 3

Thank you both!!