 Image charge for a grounded conducting sphere

For a charge $q$ at $\mathbf{p}$, $R=|\mathbf{p}|>a$, outside a grounded sphere of radius $a$, the displayed image gives zero potential on the sphere and decay at infinity. On $|\mathbf{x}|=a$, one has $|\mathbf{x}-{\mathbf{p}}^{\prime }|=(a/R)|\mathbf{x}-\mathbf{p}|$, proving boundary cancellation. The induced force is inward, of magnitude $q^{2}aR/[4\pi {\epsilon }_0(R^2-a^2{)}^2]$, from Coulomb's law applied to the image field. The self-field is excluded.