Which of the following statement about Gauss's law are correct?

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To analyze the statements about Gauss's law, we consider what Gauss's law actually states and what it implies in different scenarios.
Option 1: 'If a Gaussian surface is completely inside an electrostatic conductor, the electric field can be non-zero at some of the points on that surface.' In electrostatics, the electric field inside a conductor in equilibrium is zero, so any Gaussian surface entirely inside a conductor would have E = 0 at every point on the surface. Therefore this statement is incorrect.
Option 2: 'Only charge enclosed within a Gaussian surface can produce an electric field at points on that surface.' This is misleading. The electric field at a point on the surface can be influenced by charges outside the surface as well, depending on geometry and distribution, though Gauss's law relates the net flux to enclosed charge. In general, fields from external charges can contribute to the local field at points on the surface, so this statement is not true in all cases.
Option 3: 'If there is no charge inside of a Gaussian surface, the electric field must be zero at points of that surface.' This would only hold if the surface enclosed no charge and the net flux is zero; however, it does not guarantee E = 0 at every point on the surface. There can be nonzero electric fields on the surface due to external charges, as Gauss's law concerns net flux, not the value of the field at individual points. Thus this statement is incorrect.
Option 4: 'The electric flux passing through a Gaussian surface depends only on the amount of charge inside that surface, not on its size or shape.' This is a direct expression of Gauss's law: the total electric flux through a closed surface equals the enclosed charge divided by the vacuum permittivity, regardless of the surface’s size or shape. Hence this statement is correct.
Option 5: 'Gauss's law is valid only for symmetric charge distributions, such as spheres and cylinders.' Gauss's law is universally valid for any closed surface and any charge distribution, not limited to highly symmetric cases. Its usefulness is heightened by symmetry, but the law itself holds generally. Therefore this statement is incorrect.
In summary, the only statement consistent with Gauss's law is that the flux through a closed surface depends solely on the enclosed charge and is independent of the surface’s size or shape, while the other options contain conditions or claims that are not generally true.

202502PHY1202 Assignment 4 Gauss Law - due February 23, 2025 11:59 pm.

Which of the following statement about Gauss's law are correct?

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