Problem25
Section 19.4: Equipotential Lines (Test prep for AP® courses)

Question

How would Figure 19.15 be different with two positive charges replacing the two negative charges? (a) The equipotential lines would have positive values.
(b) It would actually resemble Figure 19.14.
(c) no change
(d) not enough information

Figure 19.15 Equipotential and electric field lines from two adjacent negative point charges.
Figure 19.14 Equipotential and electric field lines from two adjacent opposite point charges.
Question by OpenStax is licensed under CC BY 4.0

Final Answer

(a)

Solution video

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Video Transcript

This is College Physics Answers with Shaun Dychko. This is Figure 19.15 and it has two negative charges shown here. But if they were exchanged with two positive charges instead, then these electric field lines would change the direction of their arrows. They would all be pointing away from the charges, but their shape would stay the same. And, that would change the equal potential lines by making all of them positive equal potential lines. And, the amount of potential would increase as you get closer to the charges. So, instead of the potential decreasing as it is in this picture here, with two negative charges, negative ten being less than negative two, it would instead be increasing in this direction, where you have positive two volts being less than positive ten volts, closer to the charges. So, the answer is A.

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