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Consider a ideal conductor in free space.For all purposes here,the zero of the potential is taken at infinity.

Suppose I give a charge $Q$ to the conductor.As a result,the conductor will have a potential $V$. The question is can we say that $$Q=CV$$ where $C$ is a constant which depends only on the shape and size on the conductor and not on the charge Q?

  1. If yes, how shall we prove it mathematically.

  2. Also then how can we find the proportionality constant explicitly given the shape and size of the conductor?

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Yes. The potential $V$ is a linear function of $Q$ (due to the Coulomb law), so the charge $Q$ can be factored out on both sides of the equation.

To find the capacitance for given metal body, we express it as $$ C= \frac{Q}{V_0}, $$ where $V_0$ is the potential on the surface. To get $C$, we need to find $Q$ on the surface. This amount to solving Laplace equation with given boundary conditions - potential $V_0$ on the surface and 0 at infinity.

Due to the Coulomb law, we can write the potential anywhere as surface integral: $$ V(\mathbf x) = \frac{1}{2}K \int_S \frac{\sigma(\mathbf x')}{|\mathbf x - \mathbf x '|} d^2 \mathbf x'. $$ For $N$ points on the surface $\mathbf x_i$, this can be discretized into system of linear equations for $\sigma_i = \sigma (\mathbf x_i)$ :

$$ V_0 = \sum_{j=1}^N K_{ij} \sigma_j,~~~~i=1,2,...,N $$ where $$ K_{ij} = \frac{\frac{1}{2}K}{|\mathbf x_i- \mathbf x'_j|}\Delta S_{j} $$ Explicit expression for $\sigma_j$ would look horribly, because we need to use large $N$ even for simplest surfaces. Solve for $\sigma_i$ numerically; the total charge is then $$ Q = \sum_{j=1}^N \sigma_j \Delta S_j. $$ Substitute in the first formula and you have the capacitance.

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  • $\begingroup$ The charge Q was added on a conductor and so it redistributed as a surface charge.So I don't think we can directly conclude the proportionality of $V$ and $Q$. $\endgroup$ Commented Jan 23, 2014 at 10:58
  • $\begingroup$ Double the stable charge density everywhere. Resulting density is again stable. What happens to the potential? $\endgroup$ Commented Jan 23, 2014 at 11:00
  • $\begingroup$ Why is the resulting density again stable? $\endgroup$ Commented Jan 23, 2014 at 11:02
  • $\begingroup$ And that's fine as an argument.But I has hoping that we can find the proportionality constant explicitly. $\endgroup$ Commented Jan 23, 2014 at 11:05
  • $\begingroup$ The resulting field obeys the Poisson equation and the boundary conditions, so it is the solution. $\endgroup$ Commented Jan 23, 2014 at 11:09

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