Verified Solution • 2025–26 Session moderate

QPages 141-142: Q24: HC Verma: Concepts of Physics - Volume 2 Gauss's Law Pages 141-142: Q24 Solution: Three identical metal plates with large surface areas are kept…

⚠️ Common Exam Traps & Conceptual Pitfalls

Students often assume the neutral middle plate divides its induced charge equally ($\pm Q/2$) on its two faces, but Gauss's law forces the inner surfaces to carry charges exactly opposite to the adjacent plates (e.g., $+Q$ on the left face and $-Q$ on the right face). Remember to first determine the induced charge on each facing surface, then use charge conservation to find the outer‑surface charge of the rightmost plate.

Three identical metal plates with large surface areas are kept parallel to each other as shown in the following figure. The leftmost plate is given a charge Q, the rightmost a charge _2Q and the middle one is kept neutral. Find the charge appearing on the outer surface of the rightmost plate.

Step-by-Step Verified Solution

**Answer:** Charge on outer surface of rightmost plate = −Q/2-Q/2. **Step-by-Step Explanation:** Left plate: +Q, Right plate: -2Q, Middle: neutral. By Gauss's law and charge conservation, the outer surface of the rightmost plate has charge −Q/2-Q/2 .

All Questions in this Chapter

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