Because electric field lines must be perpendicular to the surface of conductor , otherwise there would be a non zero component of electric field along the surface of conductor and charges could not be at rest.
Why electric field lines are always normal to the surface?
Electric field is defined as the gradient of potential and the surface of a conductor has a constant potential. Therefore, there is no field along the surface of the conductor and hence the electrostatic field at the surface of a charged conductor should be Normal to the surface at every point.
Why are electric field lines perpendicular to surface of conductor?
The mutual repulsion of excess positive charges on a spherical conductor distributes them uniformly on its surface . The resulting electric field is perpendicular to the surface and zero inside.
Why electric field lines are perpendicular to the surface of conductor Class 12?
So that the electrostatic field inside the conductor is zero. In the static situation, no excess charges will be present inside the conductor. ... To get equipotential or constant potential throughout the surface , electrostatic field lines have to be perpendicular to the segments of the conductor.
Why can’t two electric field lines cross?
Electric lines of force never intersect because, at the point of intersection, two tangents can be drawn to the two lines of force . This means two directions of the electric field at the point of intersection, which is not possible.
Are electric field lines straight?
In an uniform electric field, the field lines are straight, parallel and uniformly spaced . The electric field lines can never form closed loops, as line can never start and end on the same charge. ... Also, this is the path on which a positive test charge will tend to move if free to do so.
Is the electric potential inside a conductor zero?
Since an electric field requires the presence of a charge, the electric field inside the conductor will be zero i.e., E=0 . Now the electrostatic field can be expressed as E=−dVdr . Thus the electric potential will be constant inside the conductor.
Why is the electric field in a conductor zero?
A conductor is a material that has a large number of free electrons available for the passage of current. ... Hence in order to minimize the repulsion between electrons, the electrons move to the surface of the conductor. Hence we can say that the net charge inside the conductor is zero .
What is the angle between the surface of a conductor and the electric field lines?
Electric field lines start and end at 90 degree at the surface of the conductor.
Is electric field always Solenoidal?
Gauss’s law for magnetism shows that magnetic fields are always solenoidal , while in electostatics electric fields are solenoidal only in regions of space where there is no net electric charge. ... In general Faraday’s law shows that any electric field in electrostatics has zero curl.
What direction do electric field lines travel?
These pattern of lines, sometimes referred to as electric field lines, point in the direction that a positive test charge would accelerate if placed upon the line. As such, the lines are directed away from positively charged source charges and toward negatively charged source charges .
What is the electric field intensity?
A measure of the force exerted by one charged body on another . The electric field intensity (volts/meter) at any location is the force (Newtons) that would be experienced by unit test charge (Coulombs) placed at the location. ...
Why electric field lines do not have sudden breaks?
(a) An electrostatic field line is a continuous curve because a charge experiences a continuous force when traced in an electrostatic field. The field line cannot have sudden breaks because the charge moves continuously and does not jump from one point to the other . ... Hence, two field lines never cross each other.
Why do electric field lines not form Closed Loop?
If the electric field lines form a closed loop, these lines must originate and terminate on the same charge which is not possible because electric field lines always move from positive to negative . ... Therefore, we say electrostatic field lines never form closed loops.
How do you know if an electric field is uniform?
If an electric field has the same magnitude and same direction everywhere in a given space then the electric field is considered uniform. If the force exerted on the charge is the same no matter where the charge is located in the electric field, then we understand that the given electric field is uniform.
How are electric field lines drawn?
4) Electric field line from a positive charge is drawn radially outwards and from a negative charge radially inwards . 5) The density of electric field lines tells the strength of the electric field at that region. 6) Electric field lines terminate Perpendicularly to the surface of a conductor.
