Verified Solution • 2025–26 Session
moderate
QPage 163: Q3: HC Verma: Concepts of Physics - Volume 2 Capacitors Page 163: Q3 Solution: A hollow metal sphere and a solid metal sphere of equal radii…
⚠️ Common Exam Traps & Conceptual Pitfalls
Students often treat a solid and a hollow conductor as if the charge distribution inside the solid sphere changes the potential, forgetting that excess charge on any conductor resides on its outer surface. For a conducting sphere, $V = kQ/R$ depends only on total charge $Q$ and radius $R$, so a solid or hollow sphere of equal radius and charge have identical potentials.
A hollow metal sphere and a solid metal sphere of equal radii are given equal charges. Which of the two will have higher potential?
Step-by-Step Verified Solution
**Answer:** Both spheres will have the same potential.
**Step-by-Step Explanation:**
For a conducting sphere of radius , the potential is . Since both spheres have the same radius and carry the same charge , their potentials are equal. The distribution of charge inside the conductor (hollow vs solid) does not affect the external potential .
All Questions in this Chapter
QPage 163: Q1
QPage 163: Q2
QPage 163: Q3
QPage 163: Q4
QPage 163: Q5
QPage 163: Q6
QPage 163: Q7
QPage 164: Q1
QPage 164: Q2
QPage 164: Q3
QPage 164: Q4
QPage 164: Q5
QPage 164: Q6
QPage 164: Q7
QPage 164: Q8
QPage 164: Q9
QPage 164: Q10
QPage 164: Q11
QPage 164: Q12
QPages 164-165: Q1
QPages 164-165: Q2
QPages 164-165: Q3
QPages 164-165: Q4
QPages 164-165: Q5
QPages 164-165: Q6
QPages 164-165: Q7
QPages 165-170: Q1
QPages 165-170: Q2
QPages 165-170: Q3
QPages 165-170: Q4
QPages 165-170: Q5
QPages 165-170: Q6
QPages 165-170: Q7
QPages 165-170: Q8
QPages 165-170: Q9
QPages 165-170: Q10
QPages 165-170: Q11
QPages 165-170: Q12
QPages 165-170: Q13
QPages 165-170: Q14
QPages 165-170: Q15
QPages 165-170: Q16
QPages 165-170: Q17
QPages 165-170: Q18
QPages 165-170: Q19
QPages 165-170: Q20
QPages 165-170: Q21
QPages 165-170: Q22
QPages 165-170: Q23
QPages 165-170: Q24
QPages 165-170: Q25
QPages 165-170: Q26
QPages 165-170: Q27
QPages 165-170: Q28
QPages 165-170: Q29
QPages 165-170: Q30
QPages 165-170: Q31
QPages 165-170: Q32
QPages 165-170: Q33
QPages 165-170: Q34
QPages 165-170: Q35
QPages 165-170: Q36
QPages 165-170: Q37
QPages 165-170: Q38
QPages 165-170: Q39
QPages 165-170: Q40
QPages 165-170: Q41
QPages 165-170: Q42
QPages 165-170: Q43
QPages 165-170: Q44
QPages 165-170: Q45
QPages 165-170: Q46
QPages 165-170: Q47
QPages 165-170: Q48
QPages 165-170: Q49
QPages 165-170: Q50
QPages 165-170: Q51
QPages 165-170: Q52
QPages 165-170: Q53
QPages 165-170: Q54
QPages 165-170: Q55
QPages 165-170: Q56
QPages 165-170: Q57
QPages 165-170: Q58
QPages 165-170: Q59
QPages 165-170: Q60
QPages 165-170: Q61
QPages 165-170: Q62
QPages 165-170: Q63
QPages 165-170: Q64
QPages 165-170: Q65
QPages 165-170: Q66
QPages 165-170: Q67
QPages 165-170: Q68
Related Learning Resources & Exam Preparation
Chapter Practice Bank
Practice all topic-wise questions from Capacitors
Reference Textbook Solutions
Explore complete chapter exercises for HC Verma: Concepts of Physics - Volume 2
Competitive PYQ Question Bank
Browse year-wise authentic previous years' questions with solutions
Authentic CBT Mock Tests
Simulate official exam environment with live timer and percentile scoring