Charges inside a metal sphere will tend to go towards

AI Thread Summary
In a charged metallic sphere, excess charges will move to the surface rather than being uniformly distributed throughout the volume. This movement occurs because, in electrostatic equilibrium, the electric field inside a conductor is zero, prompting free electrons to redistribute themselves to neutralize any internal positive charges. Consequently, the positive charges align on the surface, creating an outward electric field. Key principles include that the electrostatic potential remains constant throughout the conductor and that no excess charge exists within its interior. Understanding these concepts is crucial for accurately answering related physics questions.
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Homework Statement


A metallic sphere is charged. Where will the charges go?
At center or on surface or uniformly distributed.

Homework Equations


I think it should be uniformly distributed. Cause that's why we have terms like volume charge density like we do q/volume.

The Attempt at a Solution


It was actually in the big exam that I was talking about, and I answered that charges will be uniformly distributed.
Is that the right answer? Results are out on 28 march.
 
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i think charges will go to the surfaces
if there is excess charge(suppose +ve) inside the metallic sphere in static situation it will produce electric field.then free electrones move to the +ve charge to neutralize it.movement of free electrones cause +ve charge somewhere else.ie,the metallic sphere tries to make electric field inside=0.so +ve charges move towards the surfaces and alligned there so that electric field inside=0 and has electric field outwards
1.inside a conductor,electrostatic field is 0
2.at surface of charged conductor E.F is normal to surface
3.electrostatic potential is constant throughout the conductor
4.the interior of a conductor has no excess charge
 
Oh ... another wrong answer i gave at the exam. it's a disaster.:frown:
Thanks for the reply.
 
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