I am confused with above problem. If i don't know the Gauss law in electrostatics, It becomes a quite difficult problem. If I apply Gauss law, then for a point inside this charged sphere will be on a Gaussian surface and the charge enclosed by Gaussian surface will only contribute to electric field at the point. But why charge which is not enclosed by the gaussian surface does not contribute to electric field.
Kindly help me in sorting out this....
Dear Turan,
Electrostatic field is associated with static electric charges such that the electric field lines representing line of forces between the electric charges emanate from the the positive charges and terminate on negativity charges. So, if the sphere is charged by positive charges, where are their negative neutralizing charges? If you answered this question you will understand why no electric field inside the sphere. The data say that there is no charges in the interior of the sphere. So, the sphere interior is free of electric charges. It is so that the neutralizing negative charges are assumed to be at infinite distance from the surface of the sphere. Now, the picture of the charges is complete.
Now, i can ask you to map the electric field lines. They go out from the positive charges a the sphere surface and terminate at a virtual sphere surface at infinite distance.
This is the implicit assumption in such problems.
Good question
wish you success
Thanks Dr. Zekry for your views on this problem! But I don't think I have still resolved this problem. I am aware of how to map electric filed lines for positive and negative charges. This problem is taught in electrostatics where we calculate electric field at a point in the interior of a charged(positive/negative) non-conducting sphere using Gauss law. As the sphere is non conducting charge can reside in the interior of it as well.
By using Gauss law, i assume a Gaussian surface which is a sphere in this case whose radius is smaller then the given sphere as point of interest is inside the given sphere. This point of interest will lie on the surface of Gaussian surface and by calculating flux through this Gaussian surface we can calculate the electric field at the point of interest.
Here I want to solve this problem without using Gauss law, can i do that?
- Badges
- Science topic