Electric Field Lines

June 21, 2020

 What’s it about?

(1) Visualization is very important when someone wants to learn physics.

 What’s it about?

(1) Visualization is very important when someone wants to learn physics.

(2) Sometimes it might not be accurate but it helps to develop good intuition.
 What’s it about?

(1) Visualization is very important when someone wants to learn physics.

(2) Sometimes it might not be accurate but it helps to develop good intuition.
(3) We can visualize electric field at all points around a charged object using the simple formula

~ s (p) = k qs r̂
E (1)
r2
 What’s it about?

(1) Visualization is very important when someone wants to learn physics.

(2) Sometimes it might not be accurate but it helps to develop good intuition.
(3) We can visualize electric field at all points around a charged object using the simple formula

~ s (p) = k qs r̂
E (1)
r2

(4) We will see some patterns of lines, and we call them electric field lines.
 What’s it about?

(1) Visualization is very important when someone wants to learn physics.

(2) Sometimes it might not be accurate but it helps to develop good intuition.
(3) We can visualize electric field at all points around a charged object using the simple formula

~ s (p) = k qs r̂
E (1)
r2

(4) We will see some patterns of lines, and we call them electric field lines.
(5) Electric field lines do not cross each other (I will explain it later).
 One Positive charge

(1) We have seen how we can calculate electric field at

some point, say p1 due to a positive charge +q.

~ (p1 ) = kq r̂1
E (2)
r12

We can do the same thing for another point p2 . And

so on.
 One Positive charge

(1) We have seen how we can calculate electric field at

some point, say p1 due to a positive charge +q.

~ (p1 ) = kq r̂1
E (2)
r12

We can do the same thing for another point p2 . And

so on.
(2) Finally we see that for an arbitrary collection of
points we get a collection of arrows pointing outward
(away from the center.).
 One Negative charge

(1) Similarly we can calculate electric field at some

point, say p1 due to a negative charge −q.

~ (p1 ) = k(−q) r̂1

E (3)
r12

Because of the minus sign (coming from the charge),

the arrow points inward (toward the center). We can
do the same thing for another point p2 . And so on.
 One Negative charge

(1) Similarly we can calculate electric field at some

point, say p1 due to a negative charge −q.

~ (p1 ) = k(−q) r̂1

E (3)
r12

Because of the minus sign (coming from the charge),

the arrow points inward (toward the center). We can
do the same thing for another point p2 . And so on.
(2) Finally we see that for an arbitrary collection of
points we get a collection of arrows pointing inward
(toward the center.).
 One Positive and One Negative Charge

(1) We have two charges +q and −q separated by some

distance. At arbitrary point p +q charge will produce
~ to right.
E
 One Positive and One Negative Charge

(1) We have two charges +q and −q separated by some

distance. At arbitrary point p +q charge will produce
~ to right.
E
(2) And −q will also produce E ~ to right.
 One Positive and One Negative Charge

(1) We have two charges +q and −q separated by some

distance. At arbitrary point p +q charge will produce
~ to right.
E
(2) And −q will also produce E ~ to right.
(3) We choose another point in the mid slice.
 One Positive and One Negative Charge

(1) We have two charges +q and −q separated by some

distance. At arbitrary point p +q charge will produce
~ to right.
E
(2) And −q will also produce E ~ to right.
(3) We choose another point in the mid slice.
(4) We draw E~ (p) for both positive and negative charge
independently.
 One Positive and One Negative Charge

(1) We have two charges +q and −q separated by some

distance. At arbitrary point p +q charge will produce
~ to right.
E
(2) And −q will also produce E ~ to right.
(3) We choose another point in the mid slice.
(4) We draw E ~ (p) for both positive and negative charge
independently.
(5) We take the vector sum of E ~ (p) and find the the E
~
field points to the right.
 One Positive and One Negative Charge

(1) We have two charges +q and −q separated by some

distance. At arbitrary point p +q charge will produce
~ to right.
E
(2) And −q will also produce E ~ to right.
(3) We choose another point in the mid slice.
(4) We draw E ~ (p) for both positive and negative charge
independently.
(5) We take the vector sum of E ~ (p) and find the the E
~
field points to the right.
 One Positive and One Negative Charge

(1) We have two charges +q and −q separated by some

distance. At arbitrary point p +q charge will produce
~ to right.
E
(2) And −q will also produce E ~ to right.
(3) We choose another point in the mid slice.
(4) We draw E ~ (p) for both positive and negative charge
independently.
(5) We take the vector sum of E ~ (p) and find the the E
~
field points to the right.
 One Positive and One Negative Charge

(1) We have two charges +q and −q separated by some

distance. At arbitrary point p +q charge will produce
~ to right.
E
(2) And −q will also produce E ~ to right.
(3) We choose another point in the mid slice.
(4) We draw E ~ (p) for both positive and negative charge
independently.
(5) We take the vector sum of E ~ (p) and find the the E
~
field points to the right.
(6) We do the same thing for another point located right
bellow the line joining the two charges.
 One Positive and One Negative Charge

(1) We have two charges +q and −q separated by some

distance. At arbitrary point p +q charge will produce
~ to right.
E
(2) And −q will also produce E ~ to right.
(3) We choose another point in the mid slice.
(4) We draw E ~ (p) for both positive and negative charge
independently.
(5) We take the vector sum of E ~ (p) and find the the E
~
field points to the right.
(6) We do the same thing for another point located right
bellow the line joining the two charges.
(7) We keep doing this for bunch of other points.
 One Positive and One Negative Charge

(1) We have two charges +q and −q separated by some

distance. At arbitrary point p +q charge will produce
~ to right.
E
(2) And −q will also produce E ~ to right.
(3) We choose another point in the mid slice.
(4) We draw E ~ (p) for both positive and negative charge
independently.
(5) We take the vector sum of E ~ (p) and find the the E
~
field points to the right.
(6) We do the same thing for another point located right
bellow the line joining the two charges.
(7) We keep doing this for bunch of other points.
 One Positive and One Negative Charge

(1) We have two charges +q and −q separated by some

distance. At arbitrary point p +q charge will produce
~ to right.
E
(2) And −q will also produce E ~ to right.
(3) We choose another point in the mid slice.
(4) We draw E ~ (p) for both positive and negative charge
independently.
(5) We take the vector sum of E ~ (p) and find the the E
~
field points to the right.
(6) We do the same thing for another point located right
bellow the line joining the two charges.
(7) We keep doing this for bunch of other points.
 One Positive and One Negative Charge

(1) We have two charges +q and −q separated by some

distance. At arbitrary point p +q charge will produce
~ to right.
E
(2) And −q will also produce E ~ to right.
(3) We choose another point in the mid slice.
(4) We draw E ~ (p) for both positive and negative charge
independently.
(5) We take the vector sum of E ~ (p) and find the the E
~
field points to the right.
(6) We do the same thing for another point located right
bellow the line joining the two charges.
(7) We keep doing this for bunch of other points.
 One Positive and One Negative Charge

(1) We have two charges +q and −q separated by some

distance. At arbitrary point p +q charge will produce
~ to right.
E
(2) And −q will also produce E ~ to right.
(3) We choose another point in the mid slice.
(4) We draw E ~ (p) for both positive and negative charge
independently.
(5) We take the vector sum of E ~ (p) and find the the E
~
field points to the right.
(6) We do the same thing for another point located right
bellow the line joining the two charges.
(7) We keep doing this for bunch of other points.
 One Positive and One Negative Charge

(1) We have two charges +q and −q separated by some

distance. At arbitrary point p +q charge will produce
~ to right.
E
(2) And −q will also produce E ~ to right.
(3) We choose another point in the mid slice.
(4) We draw E ~ (p) for both positive and negative charge
independently.
(5) We take the vector sum of E ~ (p) and find the the E
~
field points to the right.
(6) We do the same thing for another point located right
bellow the line joining the two charges.
(7) We keep doing this for bunch of other points.
 One Positive and One Negative Charge

(1) We have two charges +q and −q separated by some

distance. At arbitrary point p +q charge will produce
~ to right.
E
(2) And −q will also produce E ~ to right.
(3) We choose another point in the mid slice.
(4) We draw E ~ (p) for both positive and negative charge
independently.
(5) We take the vector sum of E ~ (p) and find the the E
~
field points to the right.
(6) We do the same thing for another point located right
bellow the line joining the two charges.
(7) We keep doing this for bunch of other points.
(8) And we end up drawing the Electric fields caused by
the +q and −q charge.
 One Positive and One Negative Charge

(1) We have two charges +q and −q separated by some

distance. At arbitrary point p +q charge will produce
~ to right.
E
(2) And −q will also produce E ~ to right.
(3) We choose another point in the mid slice.
(4) We draw E ~ (p) for both positive and negative charge
independently.
(5) We take the vector sum of E ~ (p) and find the the E
~
field points to the right.
(6) We do the same thing for another point located right
bellow the line joining the two charges.
(7) We keep doing this for bunch of other points.
(8) And we end up drawing the Electric fields caused by
the +q and −q charge.
 Two Positive Charge

(1) We have two charges +q and +q separated by some

distance. The point in the middle will have no net
electric field.
 Two Positive Charge

(1) We have two charges +q and +q separated by some

distance. The point in the middle will have no net
electric field.
 Two Positive Charge

(1) We have two charges +q and +q separated by some

distance. The point in the middle will have no net
electric field.
(2) Doing the same thing that we did for previous case,
we find this field line patterns.
 Why no two field lines never cross each other

(1) ~ 1 (p), E
Say we have two electric field at p, namely E ~ 2 (p).
 Why no two field lines never cross each other

(1) ~ 1 (p), E
Say we have two electric field at p, namely E ~ 2 (p).
(2) They are vector quantity. So you can add them

~ (p) = E
E ~ 1 (p) + E
~ 2 (p) (4)
 Why no two field lines never cross each other

(1) ~ 1 (p), E
Say we have two electric field at p, namely E ~ 2 (p).
(2) They are vector quantity. So you can add them

~ (p) = E
E ~ 1 (p) + E
~ 2 (p) (4)

(3) ~ field, not two.

You get only one net E
 Why no two field lines never cross each other

(1) ~ 1 (p), E
Say we have two electric field at p, namely E ~ 2 (p).
(2) They are vector quantity. So you can add them

~ (p) = E
E ~ 1 (p) + E
~ 2 (p) (4)

(3) ~ field, not two.

You get only one net E
(4) Thus whenever you have more than one E ~ field at a point, you can always take the vector sum and
~ field. That’s why there is no intersection of E
get the net E ~ field.