Haye
- 15
- 2
Homework Statement
I have a hollow conducting sphere with a charge on it, and I'm looking at the static situation. Where are the charges located?
Homework Equations
Gauss' Law
The Attempt at a Solution
A static situation, so no electric field inside the sphere, or charges would move until the field is zero. Gauss' law tells me that no E field also means there is no flux, and therefore the charge inside the sphere is zero, so the charges are on the surface of the sphere.
I get this for a massive sphere, but for the hollow sphere you have a surface on the inside aswell.
My thoughts are that if charges would be on the surface on the inside, they wouldn't feel net repulsion from the charges on the outside surface, but would feel repulsion from other charges on the inside surface, and would therefore be pushed to the outside surface.
So I believe that also for a hollow sphere, all the charge would be on the outside surface.
Is my thinking correct?
Regards, Haye