Final answer:
Excess charges on a conductor with sharp points concentrate at the sharpest points, while on a spherical conductor, they spread out uniformly due to the equipotential nature of the surface.
Step-by-step explanation:
When considering the distribution of excess charges on conductors, we find that these charges behave differently depending on the shape of the conductor. For a nonuniform conductor with sharp corners or points, the excess charges become concentrated at the sharpest points. This uneven distribution arises because the electric field is stronger at sharp points, driving a higher density of charges to accumulate there.
In contrast, for a spherical conductor or a conductor with a smooth symmetrical surface, excess charges will spread out evenly. This is because a spherical conductor is an equipotential and can replace any equipotential surface, resulting in a uniform distribution of charge on its surface. The electric field inside the conductor is zero and outside the conductor it behaves as if the entire charge were concentrated at the center of the sphere.1