Why do the electric field directions of opposite charges align in the middle?

[phy77]

but let say you have two charges + and - and they are 30 cm apart, why is it that when your finding the electric field strength in the midde the charges that the direction of the force of the - charge is in the SAME direction as the + charge.. Shouldnt it be opposite and unlike charges attract??

 

[mace2]

The electric field originates from the +ve charge and flows to the -ve charge.

The force on the -ve charge BY the +ve charge is directed towards the +ve charge.
The force on the +ve charge BY the -ve charge is directed towards the -ve charge.

A positive test charge between the two will experience a force described by the electric field lines--i.e. in the direction of the vector from the +ve charge to the -ve charge.

I'm not sure what you were saying, but hopefully this clears some of it up.

 

[tiny-tim]

Shouldnt it be opposite and unlike charges attract??

If the two charges were side-by-side, then the field directions would be opposite.

Now move one of the charges in a circle round to the other side of the test charge - can you see that its field direction will go round with it, so that the two field directions are now the same?