Can an electric field inside a conductor be non-zero?
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Solution
Explanation:
A conductor is a material that has a large number of free electrons available for the passage of current. Due to a large number of electrons, the force of repulsion acting in between them is also very high.
In order to minimize the repulsion between electrons, the electrons move to the surface of the conductor.
The net charge inside the conductor is zero.
According to the Gauss law, there is no charge inside the conductor, when placed inside the electric field, the more negative charge comes to that part of the conductor’s surface on which the electric field is applied.
To nullify this effect of negative charges, proportional positive occupies the opposite side of the conductor’s surface.
Therefore from the above point conclude that when a conductor is placed inside an electric field, the charges inside the conductor arrange themselves in such a fashion, that the electric field inside the conductor becomes zero as shown in figure
Hence, the electric field inside a conductor cannot be non-zero.
