- #1
Berko
- 68
- 0
Every book seems that it is a no-brainer that electric fields are zero in a conductor, but I do not understand this.
First of all why assume it is zero just because, by contradiction, any electric field will produce acceleration in charges which cannot happen when there is electrostatic equilibrium. Perhaps there is equilibrium because all the charges have moved and there is no free charge that can move.
Second, how exactly does the negative charge go to the one side of the conductor and the positive charge to the other side? The negative charge are the free electrons (which can move) while the positive charge are the lattice ions (which cannot).
First of all why assume it is zero just because, by contradiction, any electric field will produce acceleration in charges which cannot happen when there is electrostatic equilibrium. Perhaps there is equilibrium because all the charges have moved and there is no free charge that can move.
Second, how exactly does the negative charge go to the one side of the conductor and the positive charge to the other side? The negative charge are the free electrons (which can move) while the positive charge are the lattice ions (which cannot).