Electric field lines

The basic concept of electric field lines and electric field lines definition:

When we talk about the basic concepts of electric field lines, they are generated from bodies that contain potential charges. Electric field lines are fine lines or, to be precise, they have visualized lines that can trace the line of action and the force generated by the electric lines of forces. 

A field line is always drawn tangentially from any point in the field. Hence, if at any time in the electric field you try to trace down the direction of the force, all you need is to draw a tangent at that point to get the force vector.

The second thing that electric field lines denote is the density of the force out there. If you see electric field lines and the distance between the two electric field lines, one can easily demonstrate the force in the specific area. The closer the electric field lines get, the greater the force the electrostatic force develops.

Electric field lines of force are the over-representation of these forces. One must remember that these lines are not practical or could not be seen in real life, but these are imaginary lines that can be virtually visualized. 

Properties of electric field lines

Electric field lines are imaginary lines that can help trace electric field forces with specific properties. These properties are demonstrated by the discovery of the field of electricity lines and are given below:

• Field lines never bisect each other. When we talk about electric field lines, they will never bisect each other. According to a theory, if two electric lines intersect each other, their total tangential force will become impractical to find out. No overlapping of force lines is observed in any case.
• The field lines are perpendicular and directly arising from the top layer of the charge. If it is a rectangular or square body that possesses the charge, all you need is to trace the electric field line directly at the 90-degree angle from the surface. 
• The magnitude of the charge on the amount of charge in a specific area can be denoted with the electric field lines. The greater the electric field lines in a specific area, the greater the charge will be. With the increase in charge, the force at that area also increases. If you place a body in the electric field lines with greater density, the force at that area will increase.
• Electric field lines will always start from a positive point, and they will always end at a negative point. If anyone wants to know the direction of the electric field lines, he can always start from the positive side and end on the negative one.
• In order to start a field line or to end one at infinity, only a single charge must be used. If multiple charges are used, tracing the electrical field lines becomes very tricky.

Electrical fields and the concept of attraction and repulsion

Electric field lines can depict all about the attraction and repulsion caused by a charge. From a positive charge, electric field lines always start from the given body. On the other hand, electric field lines will terminate at the negative charge.

Why do electric field lines never intersect?

Electric field lines can never bisect each other. This property is applied because if electric field lines intersect each other, then there would be two different directions of a specific electric field. In that case, the force employed by the electric field will also start to pull the body or push the body in two different ways. And this practice is never possible.

Field lines are the greatest way ever to visualize electric fields. One can certainly feel the attraction between two different charged bodies, and on the other hand, they can also help to visualize the repulsion between two bodies with unlike charges. 

If you want to visualize electric field lines, then there are certain rules to how to visualize them:

• The field must begin at a positive charge, and it must end at a negative charge. If there are two bodies with alike charges, then the electric field lines will oppose each other.
• When the electric field lines are closer to each other, then the electric lines of force become stronger. Hence, by using Coulomb’s law, you can get the intensity of the electric lines of force at a particular point. When the electric lines of force are stronger, the electric field lines are closer to each other.
• The number of field lines completely depends on the charge. The greater the charge becomes, the more the number of field lines. 
• As mentioned, you will never have to cross two electric field lines.
• The electric field lines and electric field are both tangent to the point where they pass.

Concept of equipotential lines and electric fields

Electric fields, along with their equipotential lines, are special electric field lines that could be visualized efficiently. To help you out, equipotential lines are the field lines that have exactly a similar potential.

Equipotential lines are always perpendicular to the electric field lines. No network is required to make a charge move through a potential line. The force applied is perpendicular to the motion. 

Equipotential lines change their direction and their shape according to the shape of the body from where the charge is being emitted out. 

Equipotential lines regarding the constant field of a capacitor

For a parallel conducting plate that is seen in a capacitor, electric field lines are seen perpendicular and straight. The equipotential lines are parallel to the plate, and on the other hand, the electric field lines are perpendicular to these lines.

Equipotential lines are also seen in dipoles. The origination of these lines is exactly the same as that of the electric field, only in the perpendicular direction. The midpoint of the middle point of such an electric potential plane will always have zero potential. 

Properties of equipotential surfaces:

1. It is a fact to remember that the electric field is always perpendicular to the equipotential surface.
2. Also, potential surfaces can never bisect each other, the same as electric field lines.
3. For maintaining a uniform electric field, the potential surfaces must be in the plane with the x-axis.
4. The direction of an equipotential surface will always be from high potential to lower potential.
5. When we talk about an isolated charge, the equipotential surface will always be spherical.
6. The space provided between two different equipotential surfaces will help us identify if the field is strong or weak. 

Conclusion

We have mentioned some of the most important points about electric field lines in this article. The electric field lines always start from a positive point and end at a negative point. The surfaces have the exact equal potential on which an electric charge is displaced without any work done, then these surfaces are called an equipotential surface.