Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
Electric field lines are visual representations of the electric field created by charges. These lines indicate the direction and strength of the field in space.
5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test
Electric field lines originate from positive charges and terminate on negative charges.
The density of electric field lines represents the strength of the electric field; closer lines indicate a stronger field.
Electric field lines never intersect each other.
In a uniform electric field, the electric field lines are parallel and equally spaced.
Maxwell's equations predict that changing electric fields produce magnetic fields, which can be visualized using electric field lines.
\(\oint \mathbf{E} \cdot d\mathbf{A} = \frac{Q_{\text{enc}}}{\epsilon_0}\), one of Maxwell’s equations, relates the electric flux through a closed surface to the charge enclosed by that surface.