The electric field strength at a point in front of an infinite sheet o...
The electric field strength at a point in front of an infinite sheet of charge is given by
where, ρ
s = charge density and
= unit vector normal to the sheet and directed away from the sheet.
Here,
is independent of the distance of the point from the sheet.
View all questions of this test
The electric field strength at a point in front of an infinite sheet o...
The electric field strength at a point in front of an infinite sheet of charge is independent of the distance of the point from the sheet. Let's understand why this is the case.
The electric field strength is a measure of the force experienced by a positive test charge placed at a particular point in an electric field. It is given by the equation:
E = F/q
where E is the electric field strength, F is the force experienced by the test charge, and q is the magnitude of the test charge.
When we have an infinite sheet of charge, the electric field it creates is uniform and perpendicular to the sheet. This means that the force experienced by a test charge placed in front of the sheet will also be uniform and perpendicular to the sheet.
To understand why the electric field strength is independent of the distance from the sheet, let's consider two points, P1 and P2, at different distances from the sheet.
At point P1, which is closer to the sheet, the electric field lines are more densely packed because they originate from a smaller area on the sheet. However, the force experienced by a test charge at this point is distributed over a smaller surface area compared to a point farther away from the sheet.
At point P2, which is farther from the sheet, the electric field lines are less densely packed because they originate from a larger area on the sheet. However, the force experienced by a test charge at this point is distributed over a larger surface area compared to a point closer to the sheet.
The net effect is that the increase in the number of electric field lines originating from a larger area on the sheet is exactly balanced by the decrease in force per unit area experienced by the test charge. As a result, the electric field strength at both points, P1 and P2, is the same.
Therefore, we can conclude that the electric field strength at a point in front of an infinite sheet of charge is independent of the distance of the point from the sheet.
To make sure you are not studying endlessly, EduRev has designed Electrical Engineering (EE) study material, with Structured Courses, Videos, & Test Series. Plus get personalized analysis, doubt solving and improvement plans to achieve a great score in Electrical Engineering (EE).