Two plates are oppositely charged uniformly and kept parallel to each ...
Electric Field Lines between Parallel Plates
When two plates are oppositely charged and kept parallel to each other at a certain distance, an electric field is established between them. The nature of electric field lines in between them is as follows:
Uniform Electric Field in Central Part
In the central part of the space between the plates, the electric field lines are parallel and uniformly distributed. This is because the electric field in this region is uniform, which means the strength and direction of the field are the same at all points.
Fringes at the Extreme Ends
At the extreme ends of the space between the plates, the electric field lines bulge outwards or fringes out. This is because the electric field in this region is non-uniform, which means the strength and direction of the field vary from point to point.
Explanation
The reason behind the formation of fringes at the extreme ends is that the electric field lines originating from the edges of the plates do not have a corresponding line on the other plate to terminate on. Therefore, they bulge outwards or fringe out. This phenomenon is known as fringing.
The fringing effect becomes more pronounced as the distance between the plates increases, or the size of the plates decreases. In extreme cases, the fringing effect can be so significant that the electric field lines bulge out to such an extent that they touch the neighboring plate.
Conclusion
In summary, the electric field lines between two oppositely charged parallel plates are parallel and uniformly distributed in the central part and bulge outwards or fringe out at the extreme ends. This phenomenon is due to the non-uniformity of the electric field at the edges of the plates, which causes the field lines to bulge outwards.
Two plates are oppositely charged uniformly and kept parallel to each ...
The electric field between two uniformly charged plates is uniform. Electric field lines in the uniform electric field are parallel to each other and uniformly distributed. This phenomenon is observed in most of the parts between the plates. But in the two extreme ends, the field line fringes out due to the non-uniform electric field.