Question

A spherical rubber balloon carries a charge, uniformly distributed over the surface. As the balloon is blown up and increases in size, the total electric flux coming out of the surface

• A. Decreases.
• B. Remains unchanged.
• C. Increases.
• D. Becomes zero.

Hint:

Gauss's law states that the total electric flux through a closed surface depends only on the enclosed charge, not on the size of the surface.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Gauss's Law.
According to Gauss's law, the total electric flux through a closed surface is proportional to the charge enclosed inside the surface. The electric flux is given by: \[ \Phi_E = \frac{Q_{\text{enc}}}{\epsilon_0} \] where \( Q_{\text{enc}} \) is the charge enclosed and \( \epsilon_0 \) is the permittivity of free space.
Step 2: Behavior of flux with balloon size.
Since the charge is uniformly distributed over the surface and the charge itself does not change as the balloon inflates, the total electric flux remains constant.
Step 3: Conclusion.
The total electric flux remains unchanged as the balloon increases in size, so the correct answer is (B).