Question

Which of the following is a correct statement?

• A. Gauss's law does not hold good for a charge situated outside the Gaussian surface.
• B. Gauss's law is true for any closed surface.
• C. Gauss's law is true for any open surface.
• D. Gauss's law is not applicable when charges are not symmetrically distributed over a closed surface.

Hint:

Gauss's law applies to any closed surface, irrespective of whether the charge distribution is symmetric. The flux is determined by the enclosed charge.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Gauss's law states that the total electric flux through any closed surface is proportional to the net charge enclosed by the surface. It is valid for any closed surface, whether the charges are symmetrically distributed or not. - Statement (1) is incorrect because Gauss's law holds for any closed surface, regardless of whether the charge is inside or outside the surface. The flux depends only on the enclosed charge. - Statement (2) is correct because Gauss's law is true for any closed surface, as it relates the flux to the charge enclosed. - Statement (3) is incorrect because Gauss's law is defined for closed surfaces, not open surfaces. - Statement (4) is incorrect because Gauss's law is still valid even when charges are not symmetrically distributed, although calculating the flux might be more complex. Thus, the correct answer is: \[ \text{(2) Gauss's law is true for any closed surface.} \]