Sketching Pattern of Electric Field Lines

Electric Field Lines-

 

Before you go through this article, make sure that you have gone through the previous article on Electric Field Lines.

 

We have learnt-

• Electric field lines are the pictorial representation of electric field.
• Electric field lines are imaginary lines but the concept of electric field which they represent is real.
• Electric field lines give a lot of information about the electric field present in the region.

 

In this article, we will sketch the pattern of electric field lines due to different charge configurations.

 

Sketching Pattern of Electric Field Lines-

 

It is important to recall all the properties of electric field lines to sketch the pattern of electric field lines.

Here, we will sketch the pattern of electric field lines for the following-

 

1. Due to an isolated positive charge

2. Due to an isolated negative charge

3. Due to a system of two equal & opposite charges

4. Due to a system of two equal positive charges

5. Due to a uniform electric field

 

1. Due To An Isolated Positive Charge-

 

For an isolated positive point charge, electric field lines start from the positive charge and end at infinity.

 

 

2. Due To An Isolated Negative Charge-

 

For an isolated negative point charge, electric field lines start from infinity and end on the negative charge.

 

 

3. Due To A System Of Two Equal & Opposite Charges-

 

 

4. Due To A System Of Two Equal Positive Point Charges-

 

 

 

5. Due To A Uniform Electric Field-

 

In uniform electric field,

• The magnitude of electric field intensity is everywhere constant both in magnitude and direction.
• It is represented by drawing parallel and equidistant lines.

 

 

Such an electric field exists due to an infinite plane sheet of charge.

 

Read the next article on-

Electric Dipole

 

Get more notes & other study material of the Chapter Electric Charges & Field.