Question

To understand the behavior of the electric field at the surface of a conductor, and its relationship to surface charge on the conductor. A conductor is placed in an external electrostatic field. The external field is uniform before the conductor is placed within it. The conductor is completely isolated from any source of current or charge.

Answer 1

The electric field is always perpendicular to the surface of a conductor. Charges on a conductor spread uniformly over the surface due to repulsive forces. The electric field inside a conductor is zero in electrostatic equilibrium.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Electric Field at the Surface of a Conductor

The electric field is always perpendicular to the surface of a conductor. If it had a component parallel to the surface, free charges on the conductor would move, which contradicts the assumption of electrostatic equilibrium. This is because charges can easily move inside a conductor.

Concentration of Charge on Irregular Shaped Conductors

When a charge is placed on a spherical conductor, the repulsive forces cause it to spread uniformly over the surface. However, for conductors with irregular shapes, the charge is concentrated near certain points of the object.

Electric Field Inside a Conductor

The electric field inside a conductor vanishes in the presence of an external electric field. This is because the field exerts forces on the free electrons inside the conductor, causing them to accelerate. In electrostatic equilibrium, the charge is distributed such that the electric field inside the conductor is zero.

Answer 2

Step-by-step explanation:

The electric field inside of a conductor is 0 because the conduction electrons are pushed to the outer edges of the conductor. The surface of the conductor still has charge.