Field Lines of Charged Particles: Speed & Emissions

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concept of field lines associated with charged particles, exploring their nature, speed of generation, and whether they have any physical reality or are merely pedagogical tools. Participants engage in a technical examination of the implications of field lines in the context of electromagnetic fields and flux density.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants question whether field lines generated by charged particles can be compared to rays emitted by radioactive particles, specifically in terms of speed and frequency.
  • There is a discussion about the nature of different types of rays (gamma, alpha, beta) and their relation to charged particles, but the focus remains on the field line velocity.
  • One participant asserts that field lines are pedagogical constructs and not real entities, suggesting that they do not move at high speeds or have physical implications.
  • Another participant challenges the idea that field lines are merely instructional, arguing that the density of lines is proportional to flux density, implying some underlying reality.
  • Concerns are raised about the implications of having finite field lines and whether it is possible to have regions without an electric field near a charged particle.
  • There is a contention regarding the criteria for drawing field lines, with some arguing that flux density should not depend on the number of lines drawn, while others assert that flux density decreases with distance from the charge.
  • One participant emphasizes that field lines are a visualization tool and should not be considered as real physical entities.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the reality and significance of field lines. While some argue they are merely instructional tools, others contend that they have a meaningful representation in terms of flux density and electromagnetic fields. The discussion remains unresolved with multiple competing perspectives.

Contextual Notes

There are unresolved assumptions regarding the physical interpretation of field lines, their relationship to flux density, and the implications of finite versus infinite lines in the context of electromagnetic fields.

astro2cosmos
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Like a radioactive particle emit rays, does this similar to the field lines of a charged particle?
at what speed these field lines are generated from the charge particle?
 
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What kind of rays are you talking about? Gamma rays, for example, are a form of electro-magnetic radiation, just as light is and behave exactly like light (with very, very high frequency). Alpha rays, on the other hand, are rays of alpha particles, consisting of two protons and two neutrons, so are charge and act exactly like charged particles! Beta particles are high speed electrons or protons, so again, charged particles.
 
HallsofIvy said:
What kind of rays are you talking about? Gamma rays, for example, are a form of electro-magnetic radiation, just as light is and behave exactly like light (with very, very high frequency). Alpha rays, on the other hand, are rays of alpha particles, consisting of two protons and two neutrons, so are charge and act exactly like charged particles! Beta particles are high speed electrons or protons, so again, charged particles.

here I'm not talking about any particular ray, matter is about the field line velocity of a charged particle, as rays are of different frequency or velocity like this, does field lines generated from charged particle have any frequency or something like energy??
hope u understand now my Q?
 
field lines are pedagogical constructs to help in instructions ... they are not real dear. do not worry none of the field lines will fly at high speed out of the electrons and hit you ... relax !
 
nirax said:
field lines are pedagogical constructs to help in instructions ... they are not real dear. do not worry none of the field lines will fly at high speed out of the electrons and hit you ... relax !

if it is for instruction then why flux density is proportional to the density of lines.i mean there is not any criteria for making no. of lines passing through a small area.
it must have some reality to make sense!
 
Last edited:
astro2cosmos said:
if it is for instruction then why flux density is proportional to the density of lines.i mean there is not any criteria for making no. of lines passing through a small area.
it must have some reality to make sense!
It is just a graphing tool. You simply draw the lines so that the number of lines passing through a small area is proportional to the flux density.
 
suppose it is real and you take a small enough cross section which avoids all the lines (as the no of lines is finite you can always do this) .. does that mean there is no electro-magnetic field inside that cross section ... what if you take that cross section really near the electron .. does it not sound absurd to you that there are numerous small cross sections very near the electron which does not register any electric field ?

what DaleSpam is saying is correct ... one draws the lines after they have computed the flux just to show everything in a decent way to high school students like you. to make the diagrams realistic one draws the number of lines to be proportional to the cross section.
 
DaleSpam said:
It is just a graphing tool. You simply draw the lines so that the number of lines passing through a small area is proportional to the flux density.

it may be. but without any criteria how we can just draw these lines, because flux density is constant for any charged particle unless it interupted by any other particle. so flux density is not depends on no. of lines that you draw. i think no. of lines is infinite for any charged particle/
ok
 
astro2cosmos said:
it may be. but without any criteria how we can just draw these lines, because flux density is constant for any charged particle unless it interupted by any other particle. so flux density is not depends on no. of lines that you draw. i think no. of lines is infinite for any charged particle/
ok
I don't understand what you are trying to say here. Flux density for a charged particle is not constant, it falls off as 1/r². Again, it is useless to try to think of the lines as something real, they are a visualization tool, nothing more.
 

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