How Does Charge Distribution Affect Electric Field Inside a Hollow Sphere?

In summary, the magnitude of the electric field at the center of a hollow insulating spherical hull with a uniform charge distribution on one hemisphere is zero. This is due to the cancellation of the electric field at the center, as shown by Gauss' law.
  • #1
maiad
102
0

Homework Statement


A total charge Q is spread uniformly over the surface of one hemisphere of a hollow insulating spherical hull of radius R. The magnitude of the electric field at the centre of the ball(point C) will be?

The Attempt at a Solution



The answer was less then that KeQ/R^2, was this because the electric field on the shell radiates uniform-illy outward and inward but and the centre, some of the electric field cancels at point c??
 
Last edited:
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
No, this is not the reason. The reason is that the electric field is zero inside a hollow spherical shell with uniform charge distribution. This can be shown mathematically using Gauss' law.
 

FAQ: How Does Charge Distribution Affect Electric Field Inside a Hollow Sphere?

What is an electric field?

An electric field is a force field that surrounds a charged object. It is created by the presence of electric charges and can exert a force on other charged objects within its range.

How are electric fields calculated?

Electric fields are calculated using the equation E = kQ/r^2, where E is the electric field strength, k is the Coulomb's constant, Q is the charge of the object, and r is the distance from the object to the point at which the field is being measured.

How does the presence of multiple charges affect an electric field?

If there are multiple charges present, the electric field is the sum of the individual fields created by each charge. The direction and strength of the resulting field will depend on the location and magnitude of the charges.

What is the relationship between electric fields and spheres?

Electric fields are often depicted using field lines, which show the direction and strength of the field. For a spherical object, the field lines will originate from the center and radiate outwards in all directions, showing the symmetrical nature of the field.

How are electric fields and spheres related to potential energy?

Electric fields and spheres are related to potential energy through the concept of electric potential. The electric potential at a point is the amount of potential energy per unit charge at that point. In a uniform electric field, the potential decreases as the distance from the charged object increases.

Similar threads

Electric field external to Conducting Hollow Sphere with charge inside
Replies
23
Views
2K
Induced charge on a conducting sphere sliced by a plane
Replies
2
Views
623
Direction of electric field vector on the surface of charged conductor
Replies
9
Views
739
Electric field & force due to charged insulating hemispherical shells
Replies
12
Views
780
Find the magnitude of the electric field at point P
Replies
5
Views
1K
Understanding the Electric Field of a Charged Sphere
Replies
8
Views
2K
Magnetization of a paramagnetic sphere
Replies
11
Views
641
Why is electric field at the center of a charged disk not zero?
Replies
4
Views
2K
Electric field at a point within a charged circular ring
2
Replies
68
Views
6K
Should I Consider the Electric Field Outside a Uniformly Charged Sphere?
Replies
2
Views
2K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top