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10.3 Electric Polarization and Permittivity

Part of Electric Force, Field, and Potential in AP® Physics 2: Algebra-Based. Read the opening section, then create a free account for the full interactive lesson, practice, and progress tracking.

Conductors vs. Insulators

A conductor allows electrons to freely flow through itself while an insulator forces electrons to stay around individual atoms. This property of conductors allows electrons to freely arrange themselves, and the arrangement of electrons will always be such that the electric field inside is the lowest. Therefore, the electrons in a conductor always reside on the surface.

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