FORCES BETWEEN 2 UNIFORMLY CHARGED CYLINDERS VERSUS FORCES BETWEEN 2 CONDUCTING CYLINDERS

The forces between two bodies with fixed electrical charge distributio ns and the forces between two conducting bodies with the same shape an d geometrical arrangement are compared, emphasizing the qualitative di fference in the respective electrostatic situations. The choice of par allel circular cylinders lends itself to a quantitative illustration o f the differences, which persist even in the limit of vanishing radii.