Views: 52
Electric Fields
An electric field is the space around a charged body where another charged body would be acted on by a force. These fields are represented by lines of force.
This line of force also called an electric flux line points in the direction of the force.
Electric field patterns
Just like in magnetic fields, the closeness of the electric field-lines of force is the measure of the field strength.
Their direction is always from the north or positive to the south or negative.
Properties of Electric Field Lines
- The field lines never intersect each other.
- The field lines are perpendicular to the surface of the charge.
- The magnitude of charge and the number of field lines, both are proportional to each other.
- The start point of the field lines is at the positive charge and end at the negative charge.
- For the field lines to either start or end at infinity, a single charge must be used.
Electric field lines always point away from a positive charge and towards a negative point. In fact, electric fields originate at a positive charge and terminate at a negative charge.
Electric field of point charges
Also, field lines never cross each other. If they do, it implies that there are two directions for the electric field at that point.
Electric field lines are a great way to visualize electric fields. You can almost feel the attraction between unlike charges and the repulsion between like charges as though they are trying to push each other away.
Electric field on the left image explains how like charges repel and right image explains how unlike charges attract
Rules for Drawing Electric Field Lines
Following are the rules for drawing electric field lines:
- The field line begins at the charge and ends either at the charge or at infinity.
- When the field is stronger, the field lines are closer to each other.
- The number of field lines depends on the charge.
- The field lines should never crossover.
- Electric field and electric field line are tangent at the point where they pass through.·