If I have a hollow conductor of arbitrary shape, and have a charge placed inside is cavity, then is there anything I can say for sure about the charge distribution on the outer surface? I know that inside surface will be such that field in the conducting material is zero, but can I say that the outer surface charge is somewhat "shielded" and behaves just like any charge placed outside a conductor, and so will not have any role?
Can I further imply that the charge distribution will be uniform on the outer surface, as if there is no charge inside?
[Physics] Nature of charge distribution on the outer surface of a conductor due to a charged particle within a cavity
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Best Answer
Your statement is correct. The charge distribution is such that the hollow cavity of the conductor has a equal amount of negative charge induced on its inner part. This distribution is such that field due the cavity (including the charge inside the cavity) cancels out everywhere outside the cavity.
So looking it the other way around external sources do not influence the field inside the cavity so any charge inside the cavity is 'shielded' from external sources.
As to the distribution on the outer surface you cannot argue that it is uniform. It is only uniform jn cases where there is unique symmetry like a spherical conductor with a cavity.