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Electric Charges And Fields

Question
CBSEENPH12039111

Using Gauss's law obtains the expression for the electric field due to a uniformly charged thin spherical shell of radius R at a point outside the shell. Draw a graph showing the variation of electric field with r, for r > R and r < R.     

Solution

Electric field intensity at a point outside a uniformly charged thin spherical shell:

Consider a uniformly charged thin spherical shell of radius R carrying charge Q. Let us assume a spherical Gaussian surface of radius r (>R), concentric with the given shell inorder to find the electric field outside the shell.

If  is the electric field outside the shell, then by symmetry electric field strength has same magnitude Eo on the Gaussian surface and is directed radially outward. Also, the direction of normal at each point is radially outward. So, angle between stack straight E subscript straight i with rightwards harpoon with barb upwards on top space a n d space stack d s with rightwards harpoon with barb upwards on top space i s space z e r o space a t space e a c h space p o i n t.
Therefore, electric flux through Gaussian surface, stretchy contour integral subscript s stack E subscript o with rightwards harpoon with barb upwards on top space. space stack d s with rightwards harpoon with barb upwards on top 
                                                                      space italic equals contour integral stack E subscript o with rightwards harpoon with barb upwards on top space. space stack d s with rightwards harpoon with barb upwards on top cos space 0

space equals space stack E subscript o with rightwards harpoon with barb upwards on top.4 pi r squared

Now, charge enclosed by the Gaussian surface is Q [Gaussian surface is outside the given charged shell].

Therefore, using Gauss theorem, 
space space space space space stretchy contour integral subscript s stack E subscript o with rightwards harpoon with barb upwards on top. space stack d E with rightwards harpoon with barb upwards on top space equals 1 over epsilon subscript o cross times c h a r g e space e n c l o s e d italic space

rightwards double arrow space space space E subscript o space 4 pi r to the power of italic 2 space equals italic 1 over epsilon subscript omicron cross times Q space

italic rightwards double arrow italic space italic space italic space italic space italic space italic space italic space italic space italic space E subscript o space equals space fraction numerator italic 1 over denominator italic 4 pi epsilon subscript omicron end fraction Q over r to the power of italic 2

This is the required electric field outside a given thin charged shell.

If straight sigma is the surface charge density of the spherical shell, then

phi space equals space 4 pi R squared sigma C
therefore space E subscript o space equals space fraction numerator italic 1 over denominator italic 4 pi epsilon subscript o end fraction fraction numerator italic 4 pi R to the power of italic 2 sigma over denominator r to the power of italic 2 end fraction space equals space fraction numerator R to the power of italic 2 sigma over denominator epsilon subscript o r to the power of italic 2 end fraction 

Electric field inside the shell:

If is the electric field inside the shell, then by symmetry electric field strength has the same magnitude Ei on the Gaussian surface and is directed radially outward. Also the directions of normal at each point are radially outward. So angle between Ei and  is zero at each point.

Thus, electric flux through Gaussian surface is 0 because of the absence of the charge.

The below graph shows the variation of electric field with r, for r >R and r < R.