Which statement about electric field lines is true?

Which statement about electric field lines is true?

• A. They originate from positive charges and end on negative charges; no two lines cross
• B. They originate from negative charges and end on positive charges
• C. They form closed loops around charges
• D. They cross each other frequently

Answer: (A)

Electric field lines represent the direction of the electric field in space, so they must point the same way at any given point. That’s why they originate from positive charges and terminate on negative charges—the field points outward from positive sources and inward toward negative sinks. The lines also can’t cross each other, because if two lines crossed at a point, there would be two different field directions at that same location, which is impossible for a well-defined electric field. This is also why, in electrostatics, lines do not form closed loops around charges; they start on positive charges and end on negative charges (or extend to infinity if there’s a net charge). The idea that lines would start from negative charges and end on positive charges, form closed loops, or cross frequently contradicts how static electric fields behave.

Electric field lines represent the direction of the electric field in space, so they must point the same way at any given point. That’s why they originate from positive charges and terminate on negative charges—the field points outward from positive sources and inward toward negative sinks. The lines also can’t cross each other, because if two lines crossed at a point, there would be two different field directions at that same location, which is impossible for a well-defined electric field. This is also why, in electrostatics, lines do not form closed loops around charges; they start on positive charges and end on negative charges (or extend to infinity if there’s a net charge). The idea that lines would start from negative charges and end on positive charges, form closed loops, or cross frequently contradicts how static electric fields behave.