2025 Week 3 Day 1 Application of Gauss Law - instructor version

What happens to free charges inside a conductor when an electric field is present?

They move around and redistribute themselves until electrostatic equilibrium is reached.

At electrostatic equilibrium, what is the electric field inside a conductor?

The electric field inside a conductor is zero.

According to Gauss's law, what can be inferred about net charges enclosed by a Gaussian surface inside a conductor at equilibrium?

The enclosed net charges must be zero.

Where do excess charges reside on a conductor in electrostatic equilibrium?

On the surface of the conductor.

Can the electric field inside a conductor have a tangential component when in electrostatic equilibrium?

No, it must be zero to maintain equilibrium.

What can be said about the electric field just outside the surface of a conductor?

It can only be perpendicular to the surface and cannot have a tangential component.

For a uniformly charged spherical shell, what is the electric field inside the shell?

The electric field inside the shell is zero.

What determines the distribution of charges on the surface of a conductor?

The shape or geometry of the conductor.

What happens to free charges when there is a tangential electric field component on the surface of a conductor?

The charges will move tangentially along the surface, indicating a non-static condition.

What is the formula related to the magnitude of the electric field just above the surface of a conductor?

The magnitude is given by the surface charge density at that spot and may not be uniform across the surface.