The discontinuity of the electric field in a spherical charge distribution: a topological invariant

This article adds to the other recent ones that have been published, mainly in this magazine that is, in our view, becoming a forum for discussion of this which is the electric field on the surface of a charged spherical conductor. We recently published an article that discussed three models for finding the recalcitrant factor 1/2 that chase many fans of this electrostatic issue. In this way, this text was elaborated, exclusively, to try to clarify and oppose, some interpretations put in a later recent article [¹] that defends a proper integral to find the stubborn factor. In this way, we reaffirm the method of superposition of the ring field to discuss the field’s behavior through a uniformly charged spherical surface, trying to reach a consensus.

Keywords
electric field of rings; charged sphere; discontinuity