GATE EE 2017 Set 2 — Question 2

MCQ+1 / -0.33EasyElectric Flux & Gauss's LawElectrostaticsElectromagnetic Fields

Electromagnetic Fields → Electrostatics → Electric Flux & Gauss's Law

Last updated 5 September 2026

Question

Consider a solid sphere of radius 5 cm made of a perfect electric conductor. If one million electrons are added to this sphere, these electrons will be distributed

Correct answer (B) uniformly over the outer surface of the sphere Solution In a perfect conductor, the electric field inside is zero. According to Gauss's Law, this implies the net charge inside any Gaussian surface within the conductor is zero. Therefore, any excess charge must reside on the outer surface to minimize electrostatic potential energy (repulsion between like charges). Due to the spherical symmetry, the distribution will be uniform over the outer surface. Turn this into a strength. Explore AI-powered practice and doubt support with Success Tracker.

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Correct answer (B) uniformly over the outer surface of the sphere Solution In a perfect conductor, the electric field inside is zero. According to Gauss's Law, this implies the net charge inside any Gaussian surface within the conductor is zero. Therefore, any excess charge must reside on the outer surface to minimize electrostatic potential energy (repulsion between like charges). Due to the spherical symmetry, the distribution will be uniform over the outer surface.

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