Advertisements
Advertisements
Question
Draw equipotential surfaces:
(1) in the case of a single point charge and
(2) in a constant electric field in Z-direction. Why are the equipotential surfaces about a single charge not equidistant?
(3) Can electric field exist tangential to an equipotential surface? Give reason
Advertisements
Solution
(1)
(2)
The equipotential surfaces about a single charge are not equidistant because electric field due to a single change is not constant.
(3) If the electric field exist along tangential to an equipotential surface, a charged particle will experience a force along the tangential line and can move along it. As a charged particle can move only due to the potential difference (along with the direction of change of potential), this contradicts the concept of an equipotential surface.
APPEARS IN
RELATED QUESTIONS
Two charges 2 μC and −2 µC are placed at points A and B 6 cm apart.
- Identify an equipotential surface of the system.
- What is the direction of the electric field at every point on this surface?
Describe schematically the equipotential surfaces corresponding to
(a) a constant electric field in the z-direction,
(b) a field that uniformly increases in magnitude but remains in a constant (say, z) direction,
(c) a single positive charge at the origin, and
(d) a uniform grid consisting of long equally spaced parallel charged wires in a plane.
Draw the equipotential surfaces due to an electric dipole. Locate the points where the potential due to the dipole is zero.
Assertion: Electric field is discontinuous across the surface of a spherical charged shell.
Reason: Electric potential is continuous across the surface of a spherical charged shell.
Consider the following statements and select the correct statement(s).
- Electric field lines are always perpendicular to equipotential surface.
- No two equipotential surfaces can intersect each other.
- Electric field lines are in the direction of tangent to an equipotential surface.
Which of the following is NOT the property of equipotential surface?
Equipotential surfaces are shown in figure. Then the electric field strength will be ______.
What is meant by an equipotential surface?
