Thank you for your reply @kuruman ! The electric field of a sphere is equivalent to that of a point charge so ## E = \frac {40 \times 10^{-9}k_e}{0.15^2} ##kuruman said:
Thanks for your reply @kuruman ! Thinking... Its got to me something to do with the electric field.kuruman said:
Yes. Look at the plot and then look at your post #3.Callumnc1 said:
Oh thanks @kuruman ! The calculated value for the electric field at the surface of the charge is not equal to that value on the graph.kuruman said:
Electrostatic equilibrium is a condition in which the net electric field within a conductor is zero. This occurs when the charges within the conductor have redistributed themselves in such a way that there is no further movement of charge. In this state, the electric potential is constant throughout the conductor.
In electrostatic equilibrium, excess charges reside on the surface of a conductor. The charges arrange themselves in such a way that the electric field inside the conductor is zero. The surface charge density can vary, being higher at points with smaller radii of curvature (sharper points) due to the higher repulsive forces between like charges.
The electric field inside a conductor is zero in electrostatic equilibrium because the free electrons within the conductor move in response to any internal electric field. These movements continue until they cancel out the internal electric field, resulting in no net movement of charge and thus a zero electric field within the conductor.
In electrostatic equilibrium, the potential difference within the conductor is zero. This means that the electric potential is the same at every point inside the conductor. Any differences in potential would cause charges to move, but in equilibrium, no such movement occurs, ensuring a uniform potential throughout.
When a conductor is placed in an external electric field and reaches electrostatic equilibrium, the free charges within the conductor move to counteract the external field. This results in an induced surface charge distribution that creates an internal electric field opposing the external one, ultimately canceling it out inside the conductor. The conductor effectively shields its interior from the external electric field.