PDA

View Full Version : conductors

indigojoker
Sep19-07, 10:01 AM
why cant there be an electric field in a conductor?
antonantal
Sep19-07, 10:31 AM
I guess you are talking about a conductor at equilibrium. In this case the electric field in the conductor is 0 because otherwise the charge (which is mobile in a conductor) would be moving and there wouldn't be equilibrium any more.
indigojoker
Sep19-07, 11:08 AM
I guess you are talking about a conductor at equilibrium.

what other cases are there and why would there be an electric field in the conductor?
antonantal
Sep19-07, 11:52 AM
what other cases are there and why would there be an electric field in the conductor?

If there is a net force acting on the charge carriers, the conductor isn't at equilibrium any more. This force could come from a voltage/current source or from a change in the magnetic flux in that circuit.
In this case the electric field in that conductor isn't 0 any more. It is given by Ohm's law (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohm's_law)