Electric Field Lines

• What do field lines represent in electric fields?

  Direction and magnitude of electric field

  
• From where to where are field lines directed in an electric field?

  From positive charge to negative charge

  
• What does it mean when field lines are equally spaced in a uniform electric field?

  Electric field strength is constant at all points
• What happens to the force on a test charge in a uniform electric field?

  It has the same magnitude and direction
• How do field lines behave in a radial electric field?

  They spread out with distance
• What does it indicate when field lines are equally spaced as they exit a charge?

  Field strength is constant at that point

  
• What happens to the separation of field lines as distance increases?

  Separation increases with distance
• How does the electric field strength change with distance?

  It decreases with distance
• What is the direction of electric field lines around a positive point charge?

  Radially outwards

  
• What is the direction of electric field lines around a negative point charge?

  Radially inwards

  
• How do electric field lines behave around a charged conducting sphere?

  Similar to those around a point charge

  
• What can a charged sphere be treated as in calculations?

  As a point charge

  
• How are electric field lines directed between two opposite charges?

  From positive charge to negative charge

  
• What happens to the attractive electric force as two opposite charges are brought closer together?

  It becomes stronger
• What do electric field lines between two opposite charges represent?

  Attraction between the charges

  
• How are electric field lines directed between two like charges?

  Away from positive or towards negative charges

  
• What happens to the repulsive electric force as two like charges are brought closer together?

  It becomes stronger
• Where is the neutral point located between two like charges?

  At the midpoint between the charges
• How do electric field lines behave between two parallel plates?

  They are directed from positive to negative plate

  
• What is the nature of the electric field between two parallel plates?

  It is uniform

  
• What happens to the electric field beyond the edges of two parallel plates?

  It is non-uniform

  
• How do electric field lines behave when a point charge travels between two parallel plates?

  They combine the fields of both

  
• What happens to electric field lines when they touch a plate?

  They become parallel

  
• What should be labeled on electric field lines in diagrams?

  Arrows indicating direction
• What must electric field lines do in diagrams?

  Touch the surface of the source charge

  
• What should electric field lines never do?

  Cross each other