Can there be an electric field inside an insulator?

AI Thread Summary
An electric field can exist inside an insulator when a point charge is placed nearby, as insulators have tightly bound charges that do not easily move. This characteristic allows for the presence of an electric field, albeit weaker than in conductors. While insulators prevent charge flow, they can still respond to external electric fields. The discussion highlights that if electric fields were absent in insulators, the concept of insulators would be less meaningful. Overall, insulators can exhibit electric fields under certain conditions, differentiating their behavior from conductors.
lawsonfurther
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Just as the title asks, I wonder if there can be any electric field inside an insulator when a point change is placed near it. If so, why?
 
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Why wouldn't there be?
 
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lawsonfurther said:
If so, why?
That is what defines an insulator. It is a material whose charges are tightly bound, so they don’t drift away even under high E fields.
 
lawsonfurther said:
Just as the title asks, I wonder if there can be any electric field inside an insulator when a point change is placed near it. If so, why?

Electricity is everywhere. The only question is if the amount is large enough to do any thing or not. Example: A spark can't do much but if you have an area that is charged, then you got something. Bottom line, electricity in some form or another exists everywhere.
 
Dale said:
It is a material whose charges are tightly bound, so they don’t drift away even under high E fields.

And since electric fields are zero in a conductor, if they were zero in insulators, there wouldn't be much point in talking about them.
 
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