Is all the charge inside a conductor evenly distributed in equilibrium?

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SUMMARY

In a solid conductor at static equilibrium, there is no net charge within the conductor, as positive and negative charges balance each other out. Charge resides exclusively on the outer surface, which is crucial for understanding current flow. When a potential difference is applied, free electrons within the conductor drift, allowing current to flow throughout the volume, not just on the surface. This behavior is a fundamental property of conductors, highlighting the distinction between static charge distribution and dynamic current flow.

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  • Understanding of static equilibrium in conductors
  • Knowledge of electric charge and current flow
  • Familiarity with free electrons in metallic conductors
  • Basic principles of electric fields and potential difference
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Hardik Batra
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As we know there is no charge inside the conductor.(Consider the solid conductor...)

All the charge will distributed on the outer surface of the conductor.
There is no charge inside the conductor

My question is when we applied potential difference across this conductor then current will flow through this conductor. Here current constitute by the charge that will reside on the outer most surface ?
since there is no charge inside the conductor because all the charge will reside on the outer most surface of the conductor.
So that no current is flowing inside the conductor.
This is the property of the conductor.
If I am wrong explain it.
 
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Hardik Batra said:
As we know there is no charge inside the conductor.(Consider the solid conductor...)
No, we don't know this. Do yo think that all the electrons and protons of the atoms of the metal migrate to the surface? :)

What we actually know is that there is no NET charge inside a conductor in STATIC equilibrium.
This means the number of positive and negative charges is equal in any "small" volume. So there are many free electrons inside the metal. And an equal number of positive charges that are not so free.

When we have a current some of the free charges (electrons) have a net drift through the metal.
For low frequency current the motion happens pretty much in the whole volume.

There is some net surface charge on the surface too. This produces the electric field that drives the current.
 
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