Physics · Electric potential and its calculation for a point charge, electric dipole and system of charges

An equipotential line and a line of force are:

An equipotential line and a line of force are:

  • A. perpendicular to each other
  • B. parallel to each other
  • C. in any direction
  • D. at an angle of \( 45^{\circ} \)

Step-by-step solution

In electrostatics, lines of force (electric field lines) are always perpendicular to equipotential surfaces. This is because the electric field is the negative gradient of the potential, so it points in the direction of steepest decrease of potential, which is normal to equipotential surfaces.
Practise more in this unitView MCQsSign up for full question bank