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A pear-shaped conductor is placed on an insulated stand is shown - Leaving Cert Physics - Question g - 2005
Question g
A pear-shaped conductor is placed on an insulated stand is shown. Copy the diagram and show how the charge is distributed over the conductor when it is positively ch... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:A pear-shaped conductor is placed on an insulated stand is shown - Leaving Cert Physics - Question g - 2005
Step 1
Concentration of charge at pointed end
Answer
When a pear-shaped conductor is positively charged, the charge tends to concentrate at the pointed end of the conductor. This is due to the electric field lines being denser at the pointed areas, which results in a higher density of charge at that location. In effect, the curvature at the pointed end encourages a higher accumulation of positive charge.
Step 2
Charge indicated throughout the conductor
Answer
While the majority of the positive charge is concentrated at the pointed end, some charge is also distributed throughout the rest of the conductor. However, this charge density is lower compared to the pointed end. The distribution can be visualized where the charge progressively diminishes as you move towards the broader part of the pear-shaped conductor.