Static Electricity - Mission SE12 Detailed Help


Electric field lines have a distinct direction. In general, electric field lines can be directed ____. List all that apply ... .


 
Direction of Electric Field Lines:
Electric field lines are drawn to portray information about the strength and the direction of an electric field in the space surrounding a source charge. The electric field direction at a location about a source charge is the direction which a positive test charge would be pushed or pulled when placed at that location. Thus, electric field lines point in the direction which a positive test charge would be pushed or pulled.


 
If there is a single source charge present, then the electric field lines are drawn radially about the charge. If the source charge is positive, then a positive test charge is repelled by it and pushed away towards infinity. If the source charge is negative, then a positive test charge is attracted towards it from as far away as infinity (or simply the edge of the paper). If there is a configuration of two source charges, then the electric field would either extend from the positive source charge towards the negative source charge.


 

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