Saturday 14 March 2015

homework and exercises - Charge density in concentric spheres


Question:



If there are two conducting spherical shells and the inner shell is grounded, what will be >the charge density in the inner shell if there is a charge Q placed on the outer shell?



Yes, this is a HW problem, but I am not asking you guys to solve it for me... just show me the way :D


If there is a charge on the outer shell with radius $a$, the charge density will be $\frac{Q}{4\pi a^2}$.


That should induce, a charge density on the inner side of outer shell -- $\frac{Q}{4\pi (a-x)^2}$ where $x$ is thickness of the outer shell.


Now, if the inner shell was never grounded, $\frac{Q}{4\pi b^2}$ ($b$ = radius of the inner shell) charge density would have been induced on the inner shell, now that it is grounded there would be no charge on it, right?


There is no need for a charge to be induced for the electric field to be 0 inside the inner shell.



This seems to be my conclusion, but I fear it is too simple for the question. There might be something I am missing.


Edit: the hint of the problem says when a sphere is grounded, potential is infinity.




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