Conducting and Insulating Conductors: why uniform and 'surface' charge distribution?

Kuhan · Sep 3, 2012

Why is it that when you have an insulator, the charges are uniformly distributed but in a conductor, the charges are only at the surface?

mfb · Sep 3, 2012

Insulators can have their charge everywhere, and in many real setups you will find them on the surface only, too.

Conductors cannot have net charges inside in equilibrium - those charges would induce a field in the conductor, which would lead to a current flow, and that violates the equilibrium condition.

Conducting and Insulating Conductors: why uniform and 'surface' charge distribution?

Discussion

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Conducting and Insulating Conductors: why uniform and 'surface' charge distribution?

Discussion

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