What happens to field lines from a charge inside a hollow conductor?

AI Thread Summary
When a charge is placed inside a hollow conductor, the electric field lines do not penetrate the conductor but instead terminate at induced charges on the inner surface. In static conditions, there is no net electric field within the conductor itself. The induced charges on the inner wall arise from the external surface of the conductor, which becomes charged if the conductor is isolated. This phenomenon illustrates the principles of electrostatics and the behavior of electric fields in conductive materials. Overall, the presence of the charge inside the hollow conductor affects the distribution of charges on its surfaces without allowing field lines to pass through the conductor.
johne1618
Messages
368
Reaction score
0
If I put a charge inside a hollow conducting body is it true that the field lines from the charge don't penetrate through the conductor but instead terminate at induced charges on its inside wall?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
johne1618 said:
If I put a charge inside a hollow conducting body is it true that the field lines from the charge don't penetrate through the conductor but instead terminate at induced charges on its inside wall?

In case of static electricity there’s no net field inside a conductor. So like you say the field lines must terminate on induced charges on the inside. In case this conductor is isolated then these induced charges did come from the outer surface so that this outer surface now becomes charged.
 

Thread 'Maxwell stress tensor'

This is from Griffiths' Electrodynamics, 3rd edition, page 352. I am trying to calculate the divergence of the Maxwell stress tensor. The tensor is given as ##T_{ij} =\epsilon_0 (E_iE_j-\frac 1 2 \delta_{ij} E^2)+\frac 1 {\mu_0}(B_iB_j-\frac 1 2 \delta_{ij} B^2)##. To make things easier, I just want to focus on the part with the electrical field, i.e. I want to find the divergence of ##E_{ij}=E_iE_j-\frac 1 2 \delta_{ij}E^2##. In matrix form, this tensor should look like this...
View full post »
Thread 'Applying the Gauss (1835) formula for force between 2 parallel DC currents'

Thread 'Applying the Gauss (1835) formula for force between 2 parallel DC currents'

Please can anyone either:- (1) point me to a derivation of the perpendicular force (Fy) between two very long parallel wires carrying steady currents utilising the formula of Gauss for the force F along the line r between 2 charges? Or alternatively (2) point out where I have gone wrong in my method? I am having problems with calculating the direction and magnitude of the force as expected from modern (Biot-Savart-Maxwell-Lorentz) formula. Here is my method and results so far:- This...
View full post »

Similar threads

I Charging a small metal ball from a charged hollow sphere
Replies
4
Views
1K
Electrical field outside a hollow spherical conductor
Replies
6
Views
2K
A Voltage and current waves in a transmission line
Replies
4
Views
3K
I Electric field, flux, and conductor questions
Replies
14
Views
2K
Electric Field inside the material of a hollow conducting sphere
Replies
11
Views
4K
Electric Field Shielding: Does a Conductor Shield Inside?
Replies
4
Views
3K
I Why is there no induced charge outside of the conductor?
Replies
10
Views
2K
The Effect of Conductors on Electric Field Lines
Replies
7
Views
2K
I How is Potential Difference Created across a Resistor?
Replies
21
Views
4K
Is There an Electric Field Within the Cavity of a Polarized Hollow Conductor?
Replies
48
Views
4K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top