A hollow sphere has a charge Q uniformly distributed on its surface. What is the
Practice Questions
Q1
A hollow sphere has a charge Q uniformly distributed on its surface. What is the electric field inside the sphere?
Q/4πε₀R²
0
Q/ε₀
Q/4πε₀
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
A hollow sphere has a charge Q uniformly distributed on its surface. What is the electric field inside the sphere?
Step 1: Understand that the hollow sphere has a charge Q on its surface.
Step 2: Recognize that the charge is uniformly distributed, meaning it is spread out evenly over the surface.
Step 3: Consider the concept of electric field, which is a way to describe the force that a charge would feel in a space.
Step 4: Use the principle of symmetry: since the charge is evenly distributed, the electric field contributions from all parts of the sphere cancel each other out inside the sphere.
Step 5: Conclude that because of this cancellation, the electric field inside the hollow sphere is zero.
Gauss's Law – The electric field inside a hollow conductor is zero because the charge resides on the surface, leading to no net electric field within the cavity.
Symmetry in Electric Fields – The uniform distribution of charge on the surface of the sphere creates a symmetric electric field, which results in cancellation of the field inside.
