If a thin metal plate is placed between two charges $+q$ and $+q$, will this cause a change in the electrostatic force acting on one charge due to another? What is the concept behind this? What will happen if the metal plate is thick?
[Physics] Will the electrostatic force between two charges change if we place a metal plate between them
coulombs-lawelectrostatics
Best Answer
Will this cause a change in the electrostatic force acting on one charge due to the other?
The answer is no.
The two charges will induce some charges on the metal plate. This will of course change the electric field, but according to the principle of superposition, the force on one charge due to another charge is not affected by the presence of other charges (i.e., the charges on the metal plate) near it. So the force due to one charge $+q$ on the other charge $+q$ will remain the same.
But the total force on the charged particle may be different because of the presence of induced charges on the metal plate.