Would Electric Field on the surface of a conductor point inwardly?

In summary, the Electric Field on the surface of a conductor can point inwardly or outwardly depending on the amount of excess or lack of electrons. The E field inside the conductor is zero due to the opposition of protons to the electron's efields. This is only true in the electrostatic case, as any non-zero E field would cause the charge to move. Additionally, the E field inside any matter is not constant and there are areas of non-zero E field between atoms.
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jlyu002@ucr.e
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Would Electric Field on the surface of a conductor point inwardly due to the excess of negative charges on the surface?

Lastly, I cannot seem to conceptualize why the E field inside the conductor is zero?
Is it due to the protons that are in opposition to the electron's efields?

Thanks physicsforums!
 
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It could also point outward if the conductor too few electrons.

The e field is only zero for the electrostatic case. If it were not zero the charge would move (ohms law) and it would not be electrostatic.
 
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Thanks Dalespam!
 
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jlyu002@ucr.e said:
Lastly, I cannot seem to conceptualize why the E field inside the conductor is zero?
The total E field is zero. I believe fields can exist in superposition of each other and matter.
jlyu002@ucr.e said:
Is it due to the protons that are in opposition to the electron's efields?
Yes, I believe that is correct.

If you have 3 electrons in a straight line, equally spaced apart, the middle electron will experience both repelling forces from the outside electrons at the same time. But since the electrons are equally spaced apart, the net force on the middle electron is 0. The electron in the middle will not move towards either of the electrons.

Also, I believe the E field inside any matter is not constant. There are areas of non zero E field in between atoms. If there wasn't, the atoms would touch each other.
 
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Thank you k9!
 

1. What is an electric field?

An electric field is a physical quantity that describes the strength and direction of the force that an electric charge would experience at any given point in space. It is represented by a vector, with the direction of the vector indicating the direction of the force on a positive charge at that point.

2. Why does the electric field on the surface of a conductor point inwardly?

This is due to the fact that conductors have free electrons that can move within the material. When an external electric field is applied to a conductor, these free electrons will redistribute themselves in such a way that the resulting electric field inside the conductor is zero. This means that the electric field must point inwardly at the surface of the conductor in order to cancel out the external field.

3. What happens if an external field is applied to a conductor and the electric field on the surface does not point inwardly?

If the electric field on the surface of a conductor does not point inwardly, it means that the free electrons within the conductor have not redistributed themselves to cancel out the external field. This can lead to a buildup of charge on the surface of the conductor, which can lead to sparking or electric shock.

4. Can the direction of the electric field on the surface of a conductor ever point outwardly?

No, the direction of the electric field on the surface of a conductor can never point outwardly. This is because the free electrons within the conductor will always redistribute themselves in response to an external field in order to cancel it out, resulting in an inward pointing electric field on the surface.

5. How does the shape of a conductor affect the direction of the electric field on its surface?

The shape of a conductor does not affect the direction of the electric field on its surface. As long as the conductor is in a stable, non-changing state, the electric field on the surface will always point inwardly. However, if the shape of the conductor is changing, the direction of the electric field on its surface may vary depending on the distribution of charges and the external field present at that moment.

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