Q7 of 37 Page 46

Explain why two field lines never cross each other at any point?

An electric field line represents the direction in which a positive test charge would accelerate in if placed on the line. If two field lines intersect, then this will imply that the electric field intensity points to two directions at the same point. This is not possible.


Hence, two electric field lines will never cross each other.


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6

Four-point charges qA = 2 μC, qB = –5 μC, qC = 2 μC, and qD = –5 μC are located at the corners of a square ABCD of side 10 cm. What is the force on a charge of 1 μC placed at the centre of the square?

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An electrostatic field line is a continuous curve. That is, a field line cannot have sudden breaks. Why not?

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Two point charges qA = 3 μC and qB = –3 μC are located 20 cm apart in vacuum.

(a) What is the electric field at the midpoint O of the line AB joining the two charges?


(b) If a negative test charge of magnitude 1.5 × 10–9 C is placed at this point, what is the force experienced by the test charge?

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A system has two charges qA = 2.5 × 10–7C and qB = –2.5 × 10–7 C located at points A: (0, 0, –15 cm) and B: (0,0, + 15 cm), respectively. What are the total charge and electric dipole moment of the system?