Question

Two irregular objects A and B carry charges of oppositesign. Figure Q21.19 shows the electric field lines near each ofthese objects. (a) Which object is positive, A or B? How do youknow? (b) Where is the electric field stronger, close to A or closeto B? How do you know?

Short answer

Answer

(a) The object B is positive.

(b) The electric field is stronger closer to object A.

Step-by-step solution

Definition of the electric field

An electric field is an electrical feature correlated with each location in space where charge exists in any form. The value of E represents the size and location of the electric field.

Describe the positive object and the strong electric field 

(a)

As the field lines are largely produced from the object B, so it is a positively charged object.

Hence, object B is the positively charged object.

(b)

The fact that electric field is stronger when the electric field lines are getting closer to each other. And from the given figure, the electric field lines are getting closer to each other at the surface of the small object A.

Hence, the electric field is stronger closer to object A.