Which way does electric field line go?

In summary, the problem asks to find the net electric field at the origin in a system of symmetrically placed rectangular insulators with uniformly charged distributions of equal magnitude. The correct answer for the direction of the electric field at the origin is aligned with the negative x-axis. The other options, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6, were wrong. The solution involves finding the direction of the field lines at (0,0). No equations are needed to solve this problem.
  • #1
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Homework Statement


Given symmetrically placed rectangular insulators with uniformly charged distributions of equal magnitude as shown in the figures be low, find the net electric field at the origin.
[PLAIN]http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/8684/electricf.jpg
In the figure above, at the origin, the net field Enet is
1. aligned with the positive y-axis.
[STRIKE]2. non-zero and is not aligned with either the x- or y-axis.[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]3. zero and the direction is undefined.[/STRIKE]
4. aligned with the positive x-axis.
5. aligned with the negative x-axis.
6. aligned with the negative y-axis.

2 and 3 were wrong.

Homework Equations


None?


The Attempt at a Solution


I think they are asking for the direction of the electric field. Actually, I have no idea what I am supposed to solve for. I know I have to find Enet but how? Thanks in advance!
 
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  • #2
I'm sorry for the double post. The answer to the above is 5 (aligned with the negative x-axis). I was on the right track, since the field lines travel towards the negatively charged rectangle. But I'm still not sure for the other 4 I'm supposed to solve for. Do I just figure out the direction of field lines? Thank you.

EDIT: Yes, I was right. Just find the direction of the field lines at (0,0). It seems I have answered my own question :)
 
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FAQ: Which way does electric field line go?

1. What is an electric field line?

An electric field line is an imaginary line or curve that represents the direction and strength of an electric field at different points in space. It is drawn tangent to the electric field at each point and the density of the lines represents the strength of the field.

2. Which way does an electric field line go?

An electric field line always points in the direction of the electric force that would be experienced by a positive test charge placed at that point. So, it goes from positive charges to negative charges.

3. How are electric field lines related to the strength of the field?

The density of electric field lines is directly proportional to the strength of the electric field. A higher density of lines represents a stronger electric field, while a lower density represents a weaker electric field.

4. Can electric field lines cross each other?

No, electric field lines cannot cross each other as this would mean that a single point in space would have two different directions of electric fields, which is not possible.

5. What is the purpose of using electric field lines in physics?

Electric field lines are a useful tool for visualizing and understanding the direction and strength of electric fields. They also help in calculating the electric field strength at a particular point and predicting the behavior of charged particles in an electric field.

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