(a) An electrostatic field line is a continuous curve. That is, a field line cannot have sudden breaks. Why not?
(b) Explain why two field lines never cross each other at any point?
Answers
(a) The direction of electric field is given by tangent at each point on the curve. At sudden breaks, the field will have more than one direction which is not possible. That’s why electrostatic field line is a continuous curve.
(b) At the crossing point there will be two directions of electric field at that point given by the two tangents. This cannot happen, and so two field lines never cross each other at any point.
Answer:
a) An electrostatic field line is a continuous curve because a charge experiences a continuous force when traced in an electrostatic field.
The field line cannot have sudden breaks because the charge moves continuously and does not jump from one point to the other.
b) If two lines intersect at any point then two tangents can be drawn at one point indicates two directions of electric field, which is not possible because at any point there is only one direction of field.