Question

What is the difference between drawing the electric field vectors for a point charge compared to drawing the electric field lines for a point charge?

Answer 1

Ans

A point charge creates electric field around it.

An electric field vector at a point represents the strength and the direction of electric field at that location.

So electric field vectors represents field strength and direction in the region around a point charge.

For region close to a point charge, electric field strength is large compared to region far from the charge. To show that we draw large vectors(large length). The electric field vector points in radial direction for a point charge.

So to draw a field vector at point near a point charge, we point vector in the direction of field and have length proportional to the strength of the field at that point.

Electric field lines for a point charge are the paths in which a positive test charge would move if let go.

The field lines starts from positive charge and move toward negative charge (inifinity if no negative charge).

To represent strong field in a region we show it by drawing closer field lines.

Also , electric field vector at any point is always tangent to the electic field lines