What happens to extra charges on a conductor?

Excess charges placed on a spherical conductor repel and move until they are evenly distributed, as shown in Figure 3. The mutual repulsion of excess positive charges on a spherical conductor distributes them uniformly on its surface. The resulting electric field is perpendicular to the surface and zero inside.

Why do charges go to the surface of a conductor?

The excess electrons repel each other, so they want to get as far away from each other as possible. To do this they move to the surface of the conductor. They also distribute themselves so the electric field inside the conductor is zero. Charges are distributed uniformly along both conductors.

Where does excess charge on a conductor reside?

surface
Any excess charge placed on a conductor resides entirely on the surface of the conductor. The electric field is perpendicular to the surface of a conductor everywhere on that surface.

What would be the reason an excess charge resides on the surface of an isolated conductor?

In all conductors, charges reside on the surface. The reason for this is that conductors have free electrons, that is, the electrons are loosely attached to the nucleus of the atoms in the conductors.

How is charge distributed in a conductor?

The distribution of charge is the result of electron movement. Conductors allow for charge transfer through the free movement of electrons. In contrast to conductors, insulators are materials that impede the free flow of electrons from atom to atom and molecule to molecule.

What would happen to the charges on the surface of a conductor if the electric field was not perpendicular to the surface?

Figure 16.16: If electric field lines are not perpendicular to the surface of a conductor, the charges at the surface redistribute themselves until the field lines are perpendicular.

What is the charge when a conductor is charged?

The electric field lines either begin or end upon a charge and in the case of a conductor, the charge exists solely upon its outer surface. The lines extend from this surface outward, not inward. This of course presumes that our conductor does not surround a region of space where there was another charge.

How is charge distributed in a conducting sphere?

Charge on a conductor would be free to move and would end up on the surface. This charge density is uniform throughout the sphere. Charge Q is uniformly distributed throughout a sphere of radius a. That is, the electric field outside the sphere is exactly the same as if there were only a point charge Q.

Why does charge accumulate at sharp points?

Because R1 is smaller than R2, there are fewer charges on the smaller sphere than the larger one. Using the geometric argument of curvature, the sphere with the smaller radius has larger curvature. As a result, we conclude that electrons tend to concentrate on the location with more curvature, i.e. sharp edges.

Why charge does not reside inside a conductor?

The inside of the conductor does not contain any charge. If charges were present inside a conductor then such charges would produce an electric field and the electrons would move and cancel out the field neutralizing the charge. Charges, therefore, must reside on the surface.

How is charge distributed on a conductor and insulator?

In insulators, all of the electrons are strongly bound to each atom and aren’t free to move around from atom to atom. In conductors, some of the electrons are loosely bound to each atom so they can easily move around, allowing charge to flow and redistribute throughout the conductor.

How does an electric field line start or end on the surface of a charged conductor?