The discussion revolves around the electric field inside an empty cavity within a conductor and whether it remains zero regardless of the cavity's shape. Participants are exploring the implications of this statement and the conditions under which it holds true.
The discussion is active, with participants providing insights and questioning assumptions about charge distribution and the behavior of electric fields in conductors. There is an acknowledgment of the complexity of the situation, particularly regarding the implications of an empty cavity.
There is a focus on the assumption that the cavity is empty and the implications of this condition on the electric field. Participants are also considering the effects of external electric fields and charge distributions within the conductor.
jacobrhcp said:no, consider a charge in a cavity in a conductor.
it's only in the meat of the conductor, because when you would put a conductor in a field, the electrons would move and create a field with the protons on their own. The two fields tend to cancel. But in a hole, you don't have this problem. (The edges of the conductor will be charged however, in that case.)