This yields an electric field
Here ``above'' means
, and ``below'' means
, with the normal
to our charged spherical shell surface being the radial direction
. Thus
where both fields have been evaluated just above and below r= R. Since the charge density on the spherical shell is just
, we have indeed shown
This means the metal sphere carries its entire charge q at radius R, with uniform charge density
Within the bulk of the shell (a;SPMlt;r;SPMlt;b) the electric field vanishes, so by Gauss' law the total charge enclosed in
must be zero. Thus the total charge on the inner (r=a) surface of the conducting shell must be -q, with uniform charge density
Finally, the spherical shell is uncharged, so compensating charge +q must be uniformly distributed on the outer surface of the spherical shell:
Thus
and
since now the only nonzero electric field is between the sphere and inner shell surface.