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===== Patterns in the Electric Field ===== | ===== Patterns in the Electric Field ===== | ||
In the last page of notes, we talked about two different examples of distributions of charges (both spheres and cylinders) for both conducting materials and insulating materials. It is worth highlighting some common features and patterns of fields for these larger shapes. | In the last page of notes, we talked about two different examples of distributions of charges (both spheres and cylinders) for both conducting materials and insulating materials. It is worth highlighting some common features and patterns of fields for these larger shapes. | ||
- | **Direction of Electric Field** | + | ====Direction of Electric Field==== |
- | * Electric field should point radially away(for a positive charge) or toward (for a negative charge) a sphere | + | * Electric field should point radially away (for a positive charge) or toward (for a negative charge) a sphere |
* Electric field should point radially away (for a positive charge) or toward (for a negative charge) a cylinder - //except near the ends// | * Electric field should point radially away (for a positive charge) or toward (for a negative charge) a cylinder - //except near the ends// | ||
- | **Magnitude of Electric Field** | + | ====Magnitude of Electric Field==== |
- | * If you are looking for the electric field outside the object, it doesn' | + | * If you are looking for the electric field **outside** the object |
* If you are looking for the electric field inside a conductor, it will always be zero (no matter what the shape). | * If you are looking for the electric field inside a conductor, it will always be zero (no matter what the shape). | ||
* If you are looking for the electric field inside an insulator, it will likely be non-zero (expect perhaps in the very center for certain cases). | * If you are looking for the electric field inside an insulator, it will likely be non-zero (expect perhaps in the very center for certain cases). | ||
- | **Where charges are located** | + | ====Where charges are located==== |
- | * Charges move to the surface of conductors - there are no charges in the middle of a conductor. | + | * Charges move to the surface of conductors - there is not net charge inside |
- | * Charges stay where they are place on insulators - it is possible to have charge in the middle of an insulator. | + | * Charges stay where they are placed |
- | **Approximations** | + | ====Approximations==== |
- | * If you are looking for the field outside of a sphere, | + | * If you are looking for the field outside of a sphere |
- | * If you are looking for the field outside of a cylinder, | + | * If you are looking for the field outside of a cylinder |