Question

Which statement correctly describes the situation for a charge moved along the equatorial line of a dipole?

Options

• Both the potential and the electric field are zero on this line

• No work is done because the potential is zero everywhere, but a force still acts since the electric field is not zero

• No force acts on the charge because the potential is zero

• Work is done because the potential varies along the line

Answer 1

Since V = 0 everywhere on the equatorial line, the potential difference between any two points on it is zero, so no work is done moving a charge along it. However, the electric field there is not zero, so a force still acts on the charge.