9. Conductors and Insulators, Conductors as Shields

• Course Home
• Syllabus
• Electric Fields

  • 1. Introduction to Electric Fields
  • 2. Math Review, Fields
  • 3. Electric Fields and Discrete Charge Distributions
  • 4. Electric Fields and Continuous Charge Distributions
  • 5. Gauss's Law
• Electric Potential

  • 6. Discrete and Continuous Distributions of Charge
  • 7. Equipotential Lines and Electric Fields
  • 8. Gauss's Law and Configuration Energy
• Capacitors

  • 9. Conductors and Insulators, Conductors as Shields
  • 10. Capacitance and Capacitors, Energy Stored in Capacitors
  • 11. Capacitors and Dielectrics
• Circuits

  • 12. Current, Current Density, Resistance, and Ohm's Law
  • 13. Batteries and Circuit Elements
  • 14. DC Circuits
  • 15. DC Circuits with Capacitors
• Magnetic Fields and Forces

  • 16. Magnetic Field
  • 17. Magnetic Forces
  • 18. Magnetic Dipoles
• Creating Magnetic Fields

  • 19. Biot-Savart Law
  • 20. Ampere's Law
• Faraday's Law

  • 21. Faraday's Law
  • 22. Inductance and Magnetic Energy
  • 23. RL Circuits
• Oscillating Circuits

  • 24. Undriven RLC Circuits
  • 25. Driven RLC Circuits
• Maxwell's Equations

  • 26. The Displacement Current and Maxwell's Equations
  • 27. Poynting Vector and Energy Flow in a Capacitor
• Electromagnetic Waves

  • 28. Maxwell's Equations and Electromagnetic Waves
  • 29. Energy and Momentum in Electromagnetic Waves
  • 30. Generating EM Waves, Dipole Radiation and Polarization
• Nature of Light

  • 31. Interference
  • 32. Diffraction
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Learning Objectives

• To describe the properties of conductors and how they are different from insulators.
• To be able to describe the nature of the electric fields around a set of isolated conductors in equilibrium.
• To be able to describe the process whereby hollow conductors shield their interiors from the electric fields of external charges but do not shield their exteriors from the electric fields of internal charges.
• To be able to describe the method of charging by induction and explain how it differs from charging by friction.

Preparation

Course Notes

Read through the course notes before watching the video. The course note files may also contain links to associated animations or interactive simulations.

Conductors and Insulators (PDF)

Lecture Video

Video Excerpts

Learning Activities

Guided Activities

Read through the class slides. They explain all of the concepts from the module.

Slides (PDF)

Self-Assessment

Do the Concept Questions first to make sure you understand the main concepts from this module. Then, when you are ready, try the Challenge Problems.

Concept Questions

Concept Questions (PDF)

Solutions (PDF)

Challenge Problems

Challenge Problems (PDF)

Solutions (PDF)

Problem Solving Help

Watch the Problem Solving Help video for insights on how to approach and solve problems related to the concepts in this module.

Problem: A Solid Metal Sphere

A solid metal sphere of radius R has a charge of +Q placed on it. What is the electric field everywhere?

Related Visualizations

The visualizations linked below are related to the concepts covered in this module.

• Charges Interacting Inside a Pentagon-shaped Box
• Charging by Induction, Interior of a Hollow Conductor
• Charge Moving in a Constant Field
• The Force on a Charge in a Time-Changing Field
• Repulsion of Charges with Opposite Sign

 

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