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[Phys-L] Re: Elecric Field Lines




Consider two equal positive charges on the x-axis where q1 is at -1m and
q2 is
at +1m. clearly the field is zero at the origin and the field lines are
directed straight up on the +y axis and straight down on the -y axis.


This clearly cannot be the case, since if we consider any point on, say
line y =
-1, (other than 0,-1) the x component of its electric field is negative,
meaning it is part of a field line headed (somewhat) to the left. Since
the
field line originated on q1 it must have started out headed to the right.

In the region between the charges, only the part of y=-1 that has a
positive ordinate will have a negative x-component E field. Points on
y=-1 that are closer to the leftmost charge (that is, anything to the left
of the y-axis but to the right of the left-hand charge) will be closer to
that charge, and the component of the E-field there will point AWAY from
the left-hand charge (towards the y-axis), just like your original
supposition. The closer a point is to the y-axis, the smaller its
x-component E-feild will be, but it will always point towards the axis
(assuming we're between the charges).

jg

------
Noble and Greenough; Dedham, MA
Physics
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