What happens to field lines from a charge inside a hollow conductor?

In summary, when a charge is placed inside a hollow conducting body, the field lines from the charge will not pass through the conductor. Instead, they will end at induced charges on the inside wall of the conductor. In the case of static electricity, there is no net field inside the conductor, so the field lines must terminate on induced charges on the inside. If the conductor is isolated, the induced charges come from the outer surface, resulting in a charged outer surface.
  • #1
johne1618
371
0
If I put a charge inside a hollow conducting body is it true that the field lines from the charge don't penetrate through the conductor but instead terminate at induced charges on its inside wall?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
johne1618 said:
If I put a charge inside a hollow conducting body is it true that the field lines from the charge don't penetrate through the conductor but instead terminate at induced charges on its inside wall?

In case of static electricity there’s no net field inside a conductor. So like you say the field lines must terminate on induced charges on the inside. In case this conductor is isolated then these induced charges did come from the outer surface so that this outer surface now becomes charged.
 

1. What are field lines from a charge inside a hollow conductor?

Field lines from a charge inside a hollow conductor refer to the imaginary lines that represent the direction of the electric field in the space surrounding the conductor. These field lines show the strength and direction of the electric field, with closer lines indicating stronger fields and farther lines representing weaker fields.

2. Do field lines from a charge inside a hollow conductor change?

No, the field lines from a charge inside a hollow conductor do not change. This is because a hollow conductor acts as a Faraday cage, which means that the electric field inside the conductor is zero. As a result, the field lines remain the same and do not change with time.

3. What happens to the field lines when a charge is placed inside a hollow conductor?

When a charge is placed inside a hollow conductor, the field lines inside the conductor are canceled out by the opposite charges on the inner surface of the conductor. This results in a net charge of zero inside the conductor and the field lines outside the conductor remain unchanged.

4. Can the field lines from a charge inside a hollow conductor be seen?

No, the field lines from a charge inside a hollow conductor cannot be seen as they are imaginary lines used to represent the direction of the electric field. However, the effects of these field lines can be observed through experiments, such as using a charged object to deflect a stream of water.

5. Why do field lines from a charge inside a hollow conductor remain perpendicular to the surface of the conductor?

Field lines from a charge inside a hollow conductor remain perpendicular to the surface of the conductor because of the principle of Gauss's law. This law states that the electric field lines are always perpendicular to the surface of a conductor, and thus the field lines from a charge inside a hollow conductor also follow this principle.

Similar threads

  • Electromagnetism
Replies
4
Views
930
  • Electromagnetism
Replies
14
Views
1K
Replies
6
Views
1K
Replies
10
Views
1K
Replies
4
Views
2K
Replies
11
Views
2K
Replies
4
Views
1K
Replies
11
Views
816
Replies
3
Views
452
Back
Top