Question

Two identical non-conducting spheres having charges of -12 nC and +8 nC are touched together and then separated. The final charge on each is

• A. -2 nC
• B. \( - \frac{2}{3} \, {nC} \)
• C. +2 nC
• D. +4 nC

Hint:

When two identical spheres with charges are touched, the total charge is shared equally between the spheres.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

When two spheres are touched together, the charges on them redistribute equally because the spheres are identical. The total charge before they are touched is: \[ Q_{{total}} = -12 \, {nC} + 8 \, {nC} = -4 \, {nC} \] After touching and separating, each sphere gets half of the total charge: \[ Q_{{final}} = \frac{-4}{2} = -2 \, {nC} \] Hence, the final charge on each sphere is \( -2 \, {nC} \), which corresponds to option (b).