Below contains 2 questions from my electrostatics post lab questions:

1) How did you place a charge on the sphere without touching the charged sphere? If charged is conserved, where did this charge come from?

2) Explain the results obtained for step 8.

Step 8: Use the proof plane and ice pail to determine the sign and magnitude of the residual charge on the isolated sphere (I got 1.0 V as my residual charge).

I uploaded the procedure just in case if you need a reference to understand the experiment.

  
 

Transcribed Image Text:

Part III: Induced Charge on a Sphere 1. With the power supply turned off, connect one of the aluminum spheres to the +1000 Volt output terminal of the power supply and the ground terminal to the ground of the electrometer. 2. Place the second sphere (isolated) about 1 cm from the first sphere. Be careful to not let the spheres touch. Turn on the power supply and adjust it to several hundred volts. 3. Take the proof plane (the uncoated aluminum paddle with the insulated handle) and touch the isolated sphere at some location with the flat surface of the proof plane (do not touch the charged sphere). Use the ice pail to measure the charge transferred to the proof plane from the point on the sphere (this is proportional to the charge at that point on the sphere). Repeat this procedure for various locations on the sphere. Do not touch the pail or ground the proof plane between these measurements. Part III: Induced Charge on a Sphere 1. With the power supply turned off, connect one of the aluminum spheres to the +1000 Volt output terminal of the power supply and the ground terminal to the ground of the electrometer. 2. Place the second sphere (isolated) about 1 cm from the first sphere. Be careful to not let the spheres touch. Turn on the power supply and adjust it to several hundred volts. 3. Take the proof plane (the uncoated aluminum paddle with the insulated handle) and touch the isolated sphere at some location with the flat surface of the proof plane (do not touch the charged sphere). Use the ice pail to measure the charge transferred to the proof plane from the point on the sphere (this is proportional to the charge at that point on the sphere). Repeat this procedure for various locations on the sphere. Do not touch the pail or ground the proof plane between these measurements.