An electrostatic field line is a continous curve. That is, a field line cannot have sudden breaks. Why not?
Explain why two field lines never cross each other at any point?
An electrostatic field line is a continous curve. That is, a field line cannot have sudden breaks. Why not?
Explain why two field lines never cross each other at any point?
An elecrtostatic field line represents the actual path travelled by a unit positive charge in an electric field. If the line have sudden breaks it means the unit positive test charge jumps from one place to another which is not possible. It also means that electric field becomes zero suddenly at the breaks which is not possible. So, the field line cannot have any sudden breaks.
If two field lines cross each other, then we can draw two tangents at the point of intersection which indicates that (as tangent drawn at any point on electric line of force gives the direction of electric field at that point) there are two directions of electric field at a particular point, which is not possible at the same instant. Thus, two field lines never cross each other at any point.
An elecrtostatic field line represents the actual path travelled by a unit positive charge in an electric field. If the line have sudden breaks it means the unit positive test charge jumps from one place to another which is not possible. It also means that electric field becomes zero suddenly at the breaks which is not possible. So, the field line cannot have any sudden breaks.
If two field lines cross each other, then we can draw two tangents at the point of intersection which indicates that (as tangent drawn at any point on electric line of force gives the direction of electric field at that point) there are two directions of electric field at a particular point, which is not possible at the same instant. Thus, two field lines never cross each other at any point.
