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QPages 139-140: Q3: HC Verma: Concepts of Physics - Volume 2 Gauss's Law Pages 139-140: Q3 Solution: A thin, metallic spherical shell contains a charge Q on it. A…

⚠️ Common Exam Traps & Conceptual Pitfalls

Students often forget that a hollow conductor nullifies any electric field inside its cavity, so both the charge on the shell and the external charge $q_1$ produce no net field at the centre; the induced inner‑surface charge distribution is spherically symmetric and its forces cancel, yielding zero force on the central charge.

A thin, metallic spherical shell contains a charge Q on it. A point charge q is placed at the centre of the shell and another charge q1q_1 is placed outside it as shown in the following figure. All the three charges are positive. The force on the charge at the centre is __________.

Multiple Choice Options

  • A toward left
  • B towards right
  • C upward
  • D zero

Step-by-Step Verified Solution

**Answer:** (d) zero. **Step-by-Step Explanation:** The charge at the centre is shielded from external charges by the conducting shell. The force on it is zero.

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