Two charges 2 μC and –2 μC are placed at points A and B 6 cm apart.
(a) Identify an equipotential surface of the system.
(b) What is the direction of the electric field at every point on this surface?
(a) For the given system of two charges, the equipotential surface will be a plane normal to the line AB joining the two charges and passing through its mid-point O. On any point on this plane, the potential is zero.
(b) The electric field is in a direction from the point A to point B i.e. from the positive charge to the negative charge and normal to the equipotential surface.
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