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Induced Charges in a conductor: |
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The above properties of a conductor influence the behaviour of a conductor placed in an electric field. Consider, for instance, what happens when a charge
 is brought near an uncharged conductor. The conductor is placed in the electric field of the point charge. The field inside the conductor should, however, be zero. his is achieved by a charge separation within the conductor which creates its own electric field which will exactly compensate the field due to the charge
 . The separated charges must necessarily reside on the surface. |
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Another way of looking at what is happening is to think of the free charges in the conductor being attracted towards (or repelled from) the external charge. Thus the surface of the conductor towards the external charge is oppositely charged. To keep the charge neutrality, the surface away from the external charge is similarly charged. |
