Point charge inside a electrically neutral cavity in conduct

In summary, the electric field due to the outer surface charge on a sphere will be zero, while the electric field due to the inner surface charge will be greater near the charge.
  • #1
ELiT.Maxwell
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bear with me, i know that this question has been asked many time , but i would like a definite answer, now, starting off the external charge density on the outer surface of sphere WILL be uniform by unique solution of Laplace equation and letting the sphere be huge, so, electric field due to outer surface charge=0, now, we come to the inner surface, where, if the charge was placed eccentrically then, there would be more induced charge of opposite polarity near the real charge if we chose sphere as cavity to cancel out the electric field of real charge so there MUST be NET force on the charge due to the internal cavity surface charge. -> right?

    • if there was external electric field then the outer surface would cancel out the electric field inside the conductor at ALL the points again by unique solution if we let the cavity be very small hence, the answer shouldn't change-> right?
can somebody atleast tell me the exact answers of these questions and if my approach of using induced charges due the chrage itself to calculate force on itself is correct or not.. (dont be mislead by real charge...by it i mean the charge WE placed inside it)

extra if anybody has extra time- electric field inside cavity will be vector sum of the induced and real charge is there an image method for it?
 
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  • #2
Remember the things that are always true, i.e. the electric field inside a conductor is always zero and Gauss' s law, and work from there. Check out this link to guide you.

http://www.physicspages.com/2011/10/27/electrostatics-conductors/
 
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  • #3
i have done those questions where we need to calulate electric field due to charge in cavity etc and all the things related to multiple charges at centre of multiple spherical cavities, and know how to use gauss law and things related to conductor, according to griffeth, and using the uniqueness theorem, the outer surface charge is uniform or it would be anything to cancel out the outside electric field so,no net effect of outside, now on the inside surface where -q was induced, and the q itself MUST cancel out in the thickness of conductor so, since the q is nearer to a surface more charge density should be there and since the charge is of opposite polarity, it must attract it and the charge should be absorbed by the conductor -> any mistakes?
 

1. What is a point charge?

A point charge is a hypothetical concept used in physics to represent a particle or object with a finite amount of charge concentrated at a single point. It is often used to simplify calculations and models in electrostatics.

2. What is an electrically neutral cavity?

An electrically neutral cavity is a space or volume enclosed by a conductor that has no net charge. This means that the total amount of positive charge inside the cavity is equal to the total amount of negative charge, resulting in a net charge of zero.

3. How does a point charge behave inside an electrically neutral cavity?

When a point charge is placed inside an electrically neutral cavity in a conductor, it will experience a force due to the presence of the surrounding charges. However, this force will be canceled out by an equal and opposite force from the opposite charges, resulting in a net force of zero and the point charge remaining at rest.

4. What is the significance of a point charge inside an electrically neutral cavity in conduct?

The presence of a point charge inside an electrically neutral cavity in a conductor can help illustrate the concept of charge distribution and how it affects the behavior of charges within a system. It also demonstrates the principle of superposition, where the net effect of multiple forces acting on a charged particle is determined by adding up the individual forces.

5. How does the electric field inside an electrically neutral cavity differ from that outside the cavity?

Inside an electrically neutral cavity, the electric field is zero, as there is no net charge present. However, outside the cavity, the electric field will be affected by the presence of the charges on the surface of the conductor. The electric field will be strongest near the surface of the conductor and will decrease as the distance from the surface increases.

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