A small test charge is released at rest at a point in an electrostatic field configuration. Will it travel along the line of force?

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Solution

If a small test charge is released at rest at a point in an electrostatic field configuaration, then it will travel along the field lines passing through the point, only if the field lines are straight. This is because the field lines give the direction of acceleration and not of velocity.

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Similar questions

Q. Assertion :STATEMENT-1 : The current density

\to J

at any point in ohmic resistor is in direction of electric field

\to E

at that point. Reason: STATEMENT-2 : A point charge when released from rest in a region having only electrostatic field always moves along electric lines of force.

(a) Consider an arbitrary electrostatic field configuration. A small test charge is placed at a null point (i.e., where E = 0) of the configuration. Show that the equilibrium of the test charge is necessarily unstable.

(b) Verify this result for the simple configuration of two charges of the same magnitude and sign placed a certain distance apart.

Q. Assertion :A positive point charge initially at rest in a uniform electric field starts moving along electric lines of force. (Neglect all other forces except electric forces) Reason: Electric lines of force represent path of charged particle which is released from rest in it.

Answer carefully:

(a) Two large conducting spheres carrying charges Q₁ and Q₂ are brought close to each other. Is the magnitude of electrostatic force between them exactly given by Q₁ Q₂/4πr ², where r is the distance between their centres?

(b) If Coulomb’s law involved 1/r³ dependence (instead of 1/r²), would Gauss’s law be still true?

(c) A small test charge is released at rest at a point in an electrostatic field configuration. Will it travel along the field line passing through that point?

(d) What is the work done by the field of a nucleus in a complete circular orbit of the electron? What if the orbit is elliptical?

(e) We know that electric field is discontinuous across the surface of a charged conductor. Is electric potential also discontinuous there?

(f) What meaning would you give to the capacitance of a single conductor?

(g) Guess a possible reason why water has a much greater dielectric constant (= 80) than say, mica (= 6).

State whether true or false: A charge when released in electrostatic field moves along electrostatic field lines.

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