Q.A metallic spherical shell is charged to potential +50 V :
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🔒 Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →Concept understanding — Properties of Conductors in Electrostatic Equilibrium
A conductor at electrostatic equilibrium (its free charges no longer, on average, in motion) has four defining properties, all derivable from Gauss's law and the requirement of equilibrium. The field is exactly zero everywhere inside the bulk of the conducting material, since a nonzero field would keep driving the remaining free charges to move. Because the interior field is zero, any Gaussian surface drawn entirely within the conductor's interior encloses zero net charge, so any excess charge given to a conductor resides entirely on its outer surface, never in its interior. The field immediately outside a charged conductor's surface is always exactly perpendicular (normal) to that surface, with magnitude E = sigma/epsilon0, since any tang …
A conductor in electrostatic equilibrium has no field inside it, so its whole volume sits at one potential, and any field at its surface must be purely perpendicular or it would drive the free surface charges sideways. …
A conductor in electrostatic equilibrium is an equipotential volume; the field at its surface is always normal to it.
(i) Under electrostatic conditions, the entire volume of a charged conductor (including its surface and interior) is at the same potential — there is no electric field inside a conductor to drive charge (and hence no potential drop) between any two points of the conductor. Since both A (just inside the surface) and B (at the centre) lie within/on the same conductor, VA=VB=+50 V.
VA−VB=0
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- CBSE 2026Set ANNUAL1 markQ.[FIGURE: A circle representing a uniformly charged conductor with + charges around its surface, labelled V=V0 on the surface and V=? at a point inside.] If electric potential at the surface of a uniformly charged conductor is V0 then what will be value of electric potential inside this conductor?
›Reveal solutionSolution
Inside a charged conductor E=0, so the whole interior is at the same potential as the surface.
For a conductor in electrostatic equilibrium, the electric field inside the material is zero everywhere (E=0). Since E=−drdV, a zero field means the potential does not change from point to point inside the conductor — the entire conductor (interior as well as surface) is an equipotential region. Hence the po …
- CBSE 2025Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.When some charge is transferred to a solid conductor, then in static situation-(a) It gets uniformly distributed over the entire surface of the conductor.(b) It stays at one point.(c) It gets uniformly distributed in its volume.(d) None of the above
›Reveal solutionSolution
In electrostatic equilibrium, excess charge on a conductor resides entirely on its outer surface.
Inside a conductor in static (electrostatic) equilibrium, the electric field must be zero everywhere in the bulk material — otherwise free charges would keep moving. Any excess charge placed on a solid conductor therefore redistributes itself until it lies entirely on the outer surface, arranging itself so that the field inside is exactly cancelled and the surface becomes an equipotential. For an isolated conductor this distribu …
- CBSE 2025Set IMPROVEMENT1 markMCQQ.A hollow metal sphere of radius 10 cm is charged in such a way that the potential on its surface is 5 volts. The potential at the centre of the sphere is:(a) Zero(b) 5 volts(c) 50 volts(d) Can not be determined
›Reveal solutionSolution
For a charged conducting hollow sphere, the electric field inside is zero, so the potential everywhere inside (including the centre) equals the surface potential.
For points inside a uniformly charged hollow conducting sphere, the electric field E=0 (all charge resides on the outer surface, and by Gauss's law the enclosed charge for any Gaussian surface inside is zero). Since E=−drdV, a zero field means the potential does not change with position inside the sphere — …
- CBSE 2025Set D1 markMCQQ.The electric field on the outer surface of a charged conductor is (A) parallel to the surface (B) perpendicular to the surface (C) at 45° angle to the surface (D) zero
›Reveal solutionSolution
Just outside a charged conductor the electrostatic field is perpendicular (normal) to the surface, magnitude E = σ/ε₀.
A conductor in electrostatic equilibrium can have no tangential component of field at its surface — if it did, free charges would experience a force along the surface and keep moving, contradicting equilibrium. So the field must be entirely perpendicular to the surface.
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- CBSE 2025Set D1 markMCQQ.If a conductor is placed in an external electric field, the field inside the conductor will be (A) zero (B) equal to the external field (C) twice the external field (D) half the external field
›Reveal solutionSolution
A conductor placed in an external field develops induced surface charges whose field exactly cancels the external field inside, so the net interior field is zero.
When a conductor is placed in an external electric field, its free electrons redistribute almost instantly, accumulating on the surfaces. These induced charges set up an internal field that opposes the applied field.
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- CBSE 2024Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.The net electric field inside a conductor when placed in an external electric field is(a) Zero(b) Half(c) Two times(d) Four times
›Reveal solutionSolution
Free electrons in a conductor redistribute on its surface until the field they produce exactly cancels the external field everywhere inside, making the net field inside zero — this is electrostatic shielding.
When a conductor is placed in an external electric field, the free electrons inside it experience a force and migrate, piling up on one face (inducing negative charge there) and leaving a deficiency (positive charge) on the opposite face. This induced surface charge distribution itself sets up an electric field inside the conductor, directed opposite to the external field.
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- CBSE 2023Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.The electric potential at a point inside a charged spherical shell is(1) zero(2) constant(3) variable(4) maximum
›Reveal solutionSolution
Because E = 0 everywhere inside a uniformly charged spherical shell, the potential cannot change from point to point inside — it stays equal to the surface potential.
Using a Gaussian surface inside the shell, the enclosed charge is zero, so by Gauss's law Einside=0. Since E=−drdV, if E=0 then V does not vary with r inside the shell — …
- CBSE 2022Set ANNUAL1 markQ.Electrostatic field at the surface of a charged conductor must be normal to the surface at every point. Is the statement true or false?
›Reveal solutionSolution
At the surface of a charged conductor in electrostatic equilibrium, the field is always perpendicular (normal) to the surface at every point.
Inside a conductor in electrostatic equilibrium, the electric field is zero, and any excess charge resides entirely on its outer surface. If the electric field at the surface had any component tangential (parallel) to the surface, free charge carriers on the conductor would experience a force along the surface and would keep moving — contradicting the assumption of equilibrium (electrostatic conditions, no current flow). Therefore, in equilibrium, the field just outs …
- CBSE 2020Set HE8211 markQ.Match the following. Column "A" item: "Value of Electric field inside the conductor". Select the matching option from Column "B":(i) 10⁻ m [exponent digit missing/illegible in the printed paper](ii) Helium nucleus(iii) Resistance wire(iv) Magnetic dipole(v) Zero
›Reveal solutionSolution
Inside a conductor in electrostatic equilibrium, the electric field is zero.
In a charged conductor, free electrons redistribute themselves on the surface until the net field inside becomes zero — if it weren't, the free charges would keep accelerating, which contradicts electrostatic equilibrium. This is why the interi …
- CBSE 2019Set 55/1/11 markQ.Draw the pattern of electric field lines, when a point charge −Q is kept near an uncharged conducting plate.
›Reveal solutionSolution
A negative point charge near an uncharged conductor induces positive charge on the near surface and an equal negative charge on the far surface; field lines originate on the induced positive charges and terminate on −Q, meeting the conductor surface perpendicularly, with none inside it.
The heart of this problem lies in understanding how conductors respond to external electric fields. When you place a charge near an uncharged conductor, the free electrons inside redistribute themselves until equilibrium is reached. This redistribution creates an induced charge distribution on the conductor's surface that fundamentally alters the field pattern.
Why the conductor responds
A conductor in electrostatic equilibrium has two non-negotiable properties: the electric field inside must be zero, and the field at the surface must be perpendicular to it. When the negative charge −Q is brought near, its field would try to penetrate the conductor. The free electrons inside immediately respond by moving away from −Q (since like charges repel), leaving behind positive ions on the near surface and accumulating negative charge on the far surface. This continues until the field from the induced charges exactly cancels the external field inside the conductor.
Because the conductor is initially uncharged and remains isolated, the total induced charge is zero: the positive charge on the near surface equals the negative charge on the far surface. However, the positive charge is concentrated closer to −Q, while the negative charge spreads over a larger area farther away.
Constructing the field line pattern
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Start from the source and sink of field lines
Electric field lines originate on positive charges and terminate on negative charges. Here, lines originate from the induced positive charges on the near surface of the conductor and terminate on the point charge −Q.
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Field lines are perpendicular to the conductor surface
At every point on the conductor surface, field lines must meet it at right angles. Any tangential component would cause charges to move, violating equilibrium. This means near the conductor, the field lines curve smoothly to strike perpendicularly.
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No field lines inside the conductor
The interior of the conductor is a field-free region. Draw the conductor as a shaded or hatched region with no lines penetrating it.
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Density indicates field strength
The induced positive charge density is highest on the part of the surface closest to −Q, so field lines are most concentrated there. As you move along the surface away from the nearest point, fewer lines emerge because the induced charge density decreases.
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The far surface
The far face carries the equal-and-opposite induced negative charge needed to keep the plate net-neutral, but for a 1-mark sketch only the near-side pattern (positive-face-to-−Q) needs to be drawn; the far face is simply shown as part of the neutral, field-free conductor with no lines drawn emerging from it (negative charges are sinks for field lines, never sources).
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Symmetry considerations
If the conducting plate is large, the pattern has a plane of symmetry perpendicular to the plate and passing through −Q. The field lines curve from the plate toward −Q, with the curvature most pronounced near the point of closest approach. …
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