The electric field at a point is
Show Hint
The electric field is an imaginary field that originated from a positive charge and ends on a negative charge.
- always continuous
- continuous if there is no charge at that point
- discontinuous if there is a charge at that point
- both (b) and (c) are correct
The Correct Option is D
Approach Solution - 1
The electric field at a point is continuous if there is no negative or positive electric charge in its vicinity that affects its pathway. The presence of any charge in the pathway of the electric field makes it discontinuous. So both options (b) and (c) are correct.
Discover More from Chapter: Electric Charges and Fields
Approach Solution -2
The Correct Answer is (D)
Real Life Applications
1. The electric field is strongest at the surface of a particle and decreases as you move away from the particle.
2. There is a uniform electric field between two charged plates, which means both the magnitude and direction of the electric field are the same at all points between the plates.
3. The electric field inside a conductor is zero because the charges in the conductor are free to move and they will redistribute themselves so that the electric field is zero.
Question can also be asked as
1. What is the electric field at a point?
2. How is the electric field at a point determined?
3. What are the units of the electric field?
4. What are some examples of the electric field at a point?
Approach Solution -3
The Correct Answer is (D)
The electric field is a region or space around a charged body within which its influence can be felt by other small charges. The intensity of the electric field due to a source charge at a point is the force experienced by a test charge placed at that point.
Electric Field Formula
- The electric field at distance r from a source charge q is given by \(E=\frac{1}{4\pi \epsilon_0} \frac {q}{r^2}\)
- The electric field at a point due to the force F experienced by a test charge qo is given by \(E=\frac {F}{q_o}\)
Properties of Electric Field
- Electric field lines begin from a positive charge and end on a negative charge.
- Electric field lines do not form a closed loop
- In a charge-free region, electric field lines can be taken to be continuous curves without any break.
- Electric field lines are imaginary lines, tangent on which give the direction of the electric field.
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Concepts Used:
Electric Field
Electric Field is the electric force experienced by a unit charge.
The electric force is calculated using the coulomb's law, whose formula is:
\(F=k\dfrac{|q_{1}q_{2}|}{r^{2}}\)
While substituting q2 as 1, electric field becomes:
\(E=k\dfrac{|q_{1}|}{r^{2}}\)
SI unit of Electric Field is V/m (Volt per meter).