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Re: Electric Field Lines



Ed:
The inverse square law says it all. If you calculate E_x and E_y using
the inverse square law and then draw field lines in accordance with
dE_y/dE_x = dy/dx. The proper density of lines is guaranteed - it is part
of (a corollary of?) the inverse square law. Look at the field lines of
a single point charge for a simple example where this conection is
obvious.
Bob Sciamanda
Physics, Edinboro Univ of PA (em)
trebor@velocity.net
http://www.velocity.net/~trebor
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ed Schweber" <edschweb@IX.NETCOM.COM>
To: <PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu>
Sent: Thursday, October 25, 2001 5:26 AM
Subject: Re: Electric Field Lines


Hi:

Yesterday I posed a question about the standard algorithm for
constructing electric field lines, using a dipole as a paradigm.

" What has recently begun to perplex me is that we have only paid
explicit
attention to the direction of the field and the correct
proportionality
between the density of the field lines and the strength of the
field
seems
to have appeared by magic." . . .