What Is the Potential at the Surface of a Charged Conductor Plate?

[manjuvenamma]

In explaining capacitance, it is said that a conductor plate when given a charge Q develops voltage V. There is potential at every point around a chrage and it is inversely proportional to the distance. But what will be the potential at the conductor plate which is having the charge itself. That is gives me a thought. What is the potential at the charge it self? Is it infinite because it is 1/0.

 

[olgranpappy]

charges don't act on themselves.

 

[Jame]

I think that is a very interesting question. In classical electromagnetism charges are considered infinitely small infallible point charges, cleverly avoiding this problem. In the case of potential, as the previous poster said charges don't work on themselves. On the other hand, if you consider the electric field around an electron as you get closer and closer, will it get infinitely large and how will you measure it?

 

[manjuvenamma]

How can then we talk about potential of the conductor plate which contains the charge? What is the distance between the charges in a conductor and the conductor itself? Sorry, if I am missing some point and asking silly questions.

 

[olgranpappy]

How can then we talk about potential of the conductor plate which contains the charge?

the potential felt by one charge is due to all the *other* charges, but not the charge itself.