Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
A small metal ball carrying nC sits at the centre of a hollow plastic sphere of radius m. Find the net flux through the sphere. A second hollow sphere of radius m is put round the same ball. What is the net flux through it? Find the field at the surface of the first sphere.
Gauss's law: the net flux through a closed surface is , with . Only the net charge inside counts. The shape and size of the surface do not matter. For a sphere of radius with the charge at its centre, .
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Given. C, .
Step 1. The first sphere. .
Step 2. The second sphere. The same charge is inside, so the flux is the same, .
Step 3. The field. The field is radial and has the same size on the sphere. So .
Answer: , and .
Check. The point charge formula gives . It fits.
What if? On the larger sphere the field is . The flux is the same, because the area is four times larger.
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