Redistribution of charge between conductors

2025-10-26 – Dennis Evangelista

We wish to describe the movement of charge and the resulting interactions when conductors physically contact each other.

Movement of charge and resulting interactions when conductors physically contact each other

When conductors are in electrical contact, charges will be redistributed such that the surfaces of each conductor are at the same electric potential.

Two conductors in electrical contact redistribute charge so that the surfaces are the same potential

Reference point: ground is 0 V

Ground is an idealized reference point that has zero electric potential and can absorb or provide an infinite amount of charge without changing its electric potential.

Styrofoam peanuts clinging to a cat’s fur. The static electricity that builds up on the fur causes a polarization of the molecules of the styrofoam due to electrostatic induction, resulting in a slight attraction of the styrofoam to the charged fur. From Wikipedia.

Electrostatic induction

Charging by induction

Charge can be induced on a conductor by grounding the conductor in the presence of an external electric field.

See also

References