Final answer:
When two differently charged spheres are brought into contact and then separated, their charges redistribute evenly. With Sphere 1 initially at -9.6 × 10^-18 C and Sphere 2 having 30 excess electrons (-4.8 × 10^-18 C), each sphere ends up with -7.2 × 10^-18 C after separation, equivalent to 45 excess electrons per sphere.
Step-by-step explanation:
When two conductive spheres with different charges come into contact, the charges redistribute evenly between the two. To determine how many electrons each sphere contains, we utilize the charge of a single electron, which is approximately -1.6 × 10-19 coulombs (C).
Given that Sphere 1 has a charge of -9.6 × 10-18 C, and Sphere 2 has 30 excess electrons, thus a charge of 30 × (-1.6 × 10-19 C) = -4.8 × 10-18 C, when brought into contact and separated, the total charge of -14.4 × 10-18 C is evenly divided, leaving each sphere with a charge of -7.2 × 10-18 C.
The equivalent number of electrons corresponding to a charge of -7.2 × 10-18 C per sphere is calculated by dividing the charge of each sphere by the charge of one electron:
-7.2 × 10-18 C ÷ (-1.6 × 10-19 C/electron) = 45 electrons per sphere. Thus, each sphere would contain the equivalent of 45 excess electrons after they are separated.