Quick Answer: The Biots Conductor is an electrostatics apparatus with a polished, non-ferrous conductive sphere on an insulating pillar and two matching hemispherical shells with insulating handles. It is used to show how charge is distributed on a conductor.
Last updated: October 2026
Key Features
Polished non-ferrous conductive sphere
Two matching hemispherical shells with insulating handles
Sphere mounted on an insulating pillar
Weighted base for stability
Metal alloy conductor with polymer insulation
Technical Specifications
Specification
Value
Sphere
Polished, non-ferrous, conductive
Shells
Two matching hemispheres with insulating handles
Support
Insulating pillar on a weighted base
Materials
Metal alloy; polymer insulation
About This Product
In Biot’s experiment the sphere is charged, the two shells are closed around it and then drawn apart, and the shells are found to carry the charge while the sphere is left uncharged. This shows students that charge sits on the outer surface of a conductor, and it links to lessons on Gauss’s law and the Faraday cage.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Biots Conductor demonstrate?
It shows how electrostatic charge is distributed on a conductor: charge transferred to the outer hemispherical shells demonstrates that charge resides on the outer surface.
