Conductors
Basic properties, induced charges, surface charge density, and cavities.
Electric Fields in Matter
So far, we have studied electric fields in a vacuum. In this section, we explore how matter influences electrostatics. Matter comes in two main varieties: conductors and dielectrics (insulators).
We will examine how external fields induce charges on conductors or polarize the atoms within insulators. This leads to the concept of bound charges and necessitates the introduction of a new auxiliary field, the Electric Displacement (D).
Polarization
Induced dipoles, alignment of polar molecules, and the polarization vector P.
The Field of a Polarized Object
Bound surface and volume charges, and the physical interpretation of polarization.
The Electric Displacement
Gauss's Law in the presence of dielectrics and the auxiliary field D.
Linear Dielectrics
Susceptibility, permittivity, dielectric constants, and boundary value problems.