NEETPhysicsElectrostatics
Which of the following correctly describes the variation of the magnitude of the electric field E with distance r from the center of a uniformly charged hollow metallic sphere of radius R ?
Options
- AE is zero for r R .
- BE increases linearly with r for r R .
- CE is constant and non-zero for r R .
- DE decreases proportionally to 1/r² for all r > 0 .
Correct answer
A. E is zero for r R .
Step-by-step solution
Inside a hollow metallic sphere, the charge resides entirely on the outer surface. Therefore, the electric field inside the sphere is zero ( E = 0 for r Outside the sphere, the charge distribution behaves as if its entire charge is concentrated at the center. The electric field follows an inverse-square law, E 1/r² for r > R . At the surface ( r = R ), the electric field is maximum. Thus, the field is zero inside, jumps to a maximum at the surface, and then decreases as 1/r² outside. Answer: E is zero for r R .