Regarding ' The Electric field inside a non conducting shell '

Uday

1. Homework Statement
There is a Uniformly charged Non conducting Spherical shell along with a point charge external to the shell . they make up an isolated system . Find the electric field inside the shell .

2. Homework Equations

3. The Attempt at a Solution Actually using superposition principle we obtain that the field is actually non zero . But in order to calculate the electric field inside the shell if i use gauss law by considering a gaussian surface inside the shell .... there will be no charge enclosed in it so by gauss law the flux is zero . since in that case ∫E.da = E∫da which is equal to zero . Since ∫da is non zero E must be zero .......
I guess there is some fault with this but im unable to find it out . So plz can u help me .
And thanks for sparing ur valuable time to read this .

Last edited:
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haruspex

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2018 Award
∫E.da = E∫da
That will not be true in general. Is anything known about the shape of the shell?

Uday

That will not be true in general. Is anything known about the shape of the shell?
Im sorry thats a spherical shell
and i have edited my question .

Last edited:

Tanya Sharma

Hello Uday

Actually using superposition principle we obtain that the field is actually non zero . But in order to calculate the electric field inside the shell if i use gauss law by considering a gaussian surface inside the shell .... there will be no charge enclosed in it so by gauss law the flux is zero . since in that case ∫E.da = E∫da which is equal to zero . Since ∫da is non zero E must be zero .......
I guess there is some fault with this but im unable to find it out . So plz can u help me .
And thanks for sparing ur valuable time to read this .
I think the problem lies in concluding that if the flux across the gaussian spherical surface is zero ,then the electric field is zero .

What is your reasoning behind moving E out of the integral ∫E.ds ?

Uday

Ya ..... thats ryt E isnt constant .....

haruspex

Homework Helper
Gold Member
2018 Award
Im sorry thats a spherical shell
and i have edited my question .
OK, so forget the point charge for the moment. What field does a uniformly charged spherical shell generate inside itself?
Hint: when considering a Gaussian shell placed concentrically inside it, think about the symmetry.

"Regarding ' The Electric field inside a non conducting shell '"

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