---
title: "An uncharged, hollow conducting spherical shell is placed in a region containing a uniform external electric field \\(\\vec{E}_0\\). After electrostatic equilibrium is established, the electric field inside the empty cavity of the shell is observed to be zero everywhere. Which of the following best explains why the electric field inside the empty cavity is zero?"
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url: "https://nerd-notes.com/ubq/118193/"
date_modified: "2026-08-04T08:08:03+00:00"
---

# An uncharged, hollow conducting spherical shell is placed in a region containing a uniform external electric field \(\vec{E}_0\). After electrostatic equilibrium is established, the electric field inside the empty cavity of the shell is observed to be zero everywhere. Which of the following best explains why the electric field inside the empty cavity is zero?

An uncharged, hollow conducting spherical shell is placed in a region containing a uniform external electric field \(\vec{E}_0\). After electrostatic equilibrium is established, the electric field inside the empty cavity of the shell is observed to be zero everywhere. Which of the following best explains why the electric field inside the empty cavity is zero?

![A cross-section of a hollow spherical conducting shell positioned in an external electric field. Outside the shell, horizontal electric field lines point from left to right, terminating on the outer left surface of the shell and restarting from the outer right surface. Negative signs are arranged along the outer left surface, and positive signs are arranged along the outer right surface. The interior conducting wall and the central hollow cavity contain no electric field lines. No other labels or axes appear.](https://nerd-notes.com/wp-content/uploads/ubq-frq-generated/stem-fig-1-1785830883-x7v529.jpg)

- **A.** The conducting material absorbs the external electric field lines and dissipates their energy as thermal energy within the shell walls.
- **B.** Because the conducting shell has zero net charge, Gauss's law requires the electric field to be zero at all points inside and outside the shell.
- **C.** Mobile charges within the conductor redistribute along its outer surface until their induced electric field exactly cancels the external field everywhere in the interior.
- **D.** The solid metal wall acts as a physical barrier that reflects electric field lines, preventing them from propagating into the central cavity.

*The answer key and step-by-step explanation are available to logged-in users at https://nerd-notes.com/ubq/118193/*