Question

Why does excess charge accumulate on the outside of a cylinder conductor opposed to the inside?

Answer 1

Ans:-

A conductor is in electrostatic equilibrium when the charge distribution is fixed. A conductor reaches equilibrium in a very short time after being exposed to an external field. At equilibrium, the charge and electric field follow these guidelines:

• the electric field is zero within the solid part of the conductor
• the electric field at the surface of the conductor is perpendicular to the surface
• any excess charge lies only at the surface of the conductor
• charge accumulates, and the field is strongest, on pointy parts of the conductor

As we have seen, at equilibrium the field is zero inside a conductor and perpendicular to the surface of the conductor because the electrons in the conductor move around until this happens.

Excess charge, if the conductor has a net charge, can only be found at the surface because if any was in the bulk there would be a net field inside the conductor, violating point 1. Usually the excess charge is on the outer surface.