SUPERPOSITION OF ELECTRIC

FIELDS
March 2, 2015

Discussion
Electric fields show the direction of the force a point charge
would feel at a given position. Electric fields of more than one charge
are made up of the superposition of the separate electric fields that
each charge creates. The flow of the resulting field can be estimated
with a simple understanding of the behavior of charges. To come up
with a more accurate graph than estimation allows, we were given
papers with two charges and their respective electric fields. Each field
was printed as if the other was not there. We added arrows in the
direction of the electric fields: away from the point for a positive
charge and towards the point for negative charges. This made field into
a vector field. Electric fields combine vectorially, so by starting at the
origin of one line and taking the vector sum each time that line is
intersected to change the path of the line, the combination of the
electric fields can be seen.
The actual number of lines isnt important; the ratio of how many
lines each charge has is what matters. So, if q1 = 2 q2, q1 should have
twice as many lines as q2 has. If we were given more lines of each
individual electric field, the resulting electric fields we made by taking
vector sums would have looked smoother. If we were given less lines,
the lines would have had more sharp edges. For the amount given, the

general curve or the lines could be seen. I used tracing paper to redraw
the resulting electric fields without the original fields underneath, and
smoothed out the sharp edges a bit.

numbers correspond to the numbers I put on each field

1. The point charges are of equal magnitude, but opposite sign. Along a
straight line drawn through both points, the electric field is unchanged.
In between the two charges, the force a charge would be feeling there
is unaffected because it was going in that direction anyways. Besides
that line, the field is affected. Instead of going radially outwards in
straight lines, the lines go out a little and then bend towards the other
charge. Instead of going off to infinity or coming from infinity to the
charges, the lines go from one charge to the other. If a positive charge
that doesnt affect the field is placed near the positive charge, instead
of the placed charge being totally repulsed, it feels a force pulling it
towards the negative charge.
2. The charges are of equal magnitude and are both positively charged.
All the lines start at one point and go off to infinity. On the lines on the
half that is not facing the other charge, the lines are less affected by
the other charge. On the side facing the other charge, the lines are
very affected. On the side closest to the other charge, the direction is
perpendicular to a line drawn through the two charges. A point charge
here will feel a force in that same direction.

3. The positive charge is greater in magnitude than the negative charge.

Many lines go off to infinity from the positive charges. Others go off a
bit, but then end up at the negative charge. For the negative charge, a
few lines came from infinity and ended up at the charge. Most came
from the positive charge. Since the positive charge is greater in
magnitude, that side of the electric field looks a lot like what it looked
like before superimposing the other charge. The negative charge is
lower in magnitude and the field it has on its own is much more
affected.
4. The positive and negative charges have just about the same
magnitude, but the positive charge has a large radius. Tracing the
fields came in handy. By placing field #1 on top of #4 I was able to see
exactly how the large radius affected the field. The field near the
smaller radius was closer to what the field would have looked like
without the other charge. Near the larger charge, the field was much
more affected by adding the other charge. For point charges around
the larger radius, the force felt is towards the other charge. Near the
smaller radius, the force felt is less affected by the charge on the
larger radius.
5. The field comes from a negative point charge and a positive charge
spread over a long line. Because the field created by the line has
straight lines, the end of the line is nowhere on the page. Close to the
positive line, the electric field is fairly unchanged; its still straight.
Moving towards the negative charge, the straight lines start to curve
towards the point. Besides one line, the long line of charge greatly

affects all the lines coming into the point of charge. So, almost
anywhere on the page a point charge will feel the force of the line of
charge a lot more than if that line was a point of charge.
6. The field comes from a positive point charge and a positive line of
charge. Lines starting at the line of charge are straight and then curve
out away from the point charge. Lines coming from the point extend
radially a little and then drastically move away from the line of charge
in the opposite direction. On the side of the page opposite the line of
charge, the field lines are almost straight, just like on the other side,
except they are coming from the point. The lines coming from the point
start out radial but all end up going straight and parallel to each other
because of the line of charge of the same sign on the other side.