Coulomb's Law with Charge Transfer
Interactive visualization of charge redistribution between conducting spheres
Interactive Simulation
Observe how touching charged spheres with neutral spheres affects the electrostatic force between them.
Sphere A: +Q
Sphere B: +Q
Sphere C: Neutral
Sphere D: Neutral
Current Measurements
Phase: Initial Setup
Distance (A-B): 10.0 cm
Force (A-B): F₀
Explanation: Two identical spheres A and B each with charge +Q are 10 cm apart.
How It Works
Phase 1: Initial Setup
- Two identical conducting spheres A and B, each with charge +Q
- Initial separation distance: 10 cm
- Electrostatic repulsive force: F₀ = k·Q²/r²
- Two neutral identical spheres C and D are nearby
Phase 2: Charge Transfer
- Sphere A is touched to neutral sphere C (identical size)
- Sphere B is touched to neutral sphere D (identical size)
- Charge redistributes equally between identical conductors
- New charges: A = +Q/2, C = +Q/2, B = +Q/2, D = +Q/2
- Force between A and B at 10 cm: F = k·(Q/2)²/r² = F₀/4
Phase 3: Final Measurement
- Spheres C and D are removed
- Sphere B is moved to 5 cm from sphere A (half original distance)
- New force calculation: F = k·(Q/2)²/(r/2)² = F₀
- Despite having half the original charge, the force returns to F₀ because of the inverse square law
Key Physics Concepts
Coulomb's Law: F = k·q₁·q₂/r²
Where k ≈ 9×10⁹ N·m²/C² is Coulomb's constant, q are charges, and r is separation distance.
Charge Redistribution: When identical conductors touch, charge is shared equally between them.
Inverse Square Law: Force depends on the inverse square of distance, making it very sensitive to position changes.
