What is true about the direction of the electric field just outside the surface of a conductor?

The direction of the electric field just outside the surface of a conductor is perpendicular to the surface, pointing away from the conductor. This is because at equilibrium (when no current is flowing), the charges inside the conductor are uniformly distributed and therefore they cancel out any electric field inside the conductor. However, just outside the surface of the conductor, there is a net charge distribution (due to the charges crowding near the surface) that creates an electric field directed away from the conductor. This electric field is called the surface charge density.