Why don't the electric field vectors cancel each other out in a non-conducting infinite plane sheet?Why is...

What is the wife of a henpecked husband called?

Crystal compensation for temp and voltage

Why is my solution for the partial pressures of two different gases incorrect?

Table enclosed in curly brackets

Do any poskim exempt 13-20-year-olds from Mussaf?

Can the Count of Monte Cristo's calculation of poison dosage be explained?

Dilemma of explaining to interviewer that he is the reason for declining second interview

Why does the DC-9-80 have this cusp in its fuselage?

ip vs ifconfig commands pros and cons

Is it a fallacy if someone claims they need an explanation for every word of your argument to the point where they don't understand common terms?

Avoiding morning and evening handshakes

Sometimes a banana is just a banana

Meaning of すきっとした

What is the purpose of easy combat scenarios that don't need resource expenditure?

What is the meaning of "pick up" in this sentence?

How to avoid being sexist when trying to employ someone to function in a very sexist environment?

How would an AI self awareness kill switch work?

Why is c4 a better move in this position?

Word to be used for "standing with your toes pointing out"

It took me a lot of time to make this, pls like. (YouTube Comments #1)

Connecting top and bottom of adjacent circles

Which branches of mathematics can be done just in terms of morphisms and composition?

How to push a box with physics engine by another object?

What to do when being responsible for data protection in your lab, yet advice is ignored?



Why don't the electric field vectors cancel each other out in a non-conducting infinite plane sheet?


Why is the electric field of an infinite insulated plane of charge perpendicular to the plane?Difference between $E$ field configuration, sheet of charge: infinite sheet of charge, conducting vs. non-conductingElectric field uniform circle $R$ direction cancel outWhy don't magnetic and electric field lines collide?Why does the electric field in a dipole cancel out at distances much larger than the separation of the two charges forming a dipole ($r gg 2a$)?Why does the electric field of an infinite line depend on the distance, but not on an infinite plane?Infinite charged sheet kicked into motion - Electric field direction?Electric field below conducting planeElectric field due to uniformly charged infinite plane sheetElectric field of infinite sheet













1












$begingroup$


enter image description hereenter image description hereWhy do these vectors not cancel each other out in spite of their being in the opposite directions?










share|cite|improve this question









New contributor




Jay Sen is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.







$endgroup$












  • $begingroup$
    Hi Jay. Can you clarify exactly what you are asking? Do you mean an infinite charged sheet? If so, where do you think the vectors will cancel. At the mid plane of the sheet? If you would like to draw a diagram and upload it to an image hosting site we can insert the diagram into your question to help clarify it.
    $endgroup$
    – John Rennie
    18 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    As shown in the image above the electric field vectors are going in opposite directions above and below the plane.
    $endgroup$
    – Jay Sen
    17 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    The upwards field exists only above the sheet and the downwards field exists only below the sheet. The only place where both the two fields exist is right in the centre of the sheet, and in that plane they do cancel. Everywhere else they can't cancel because they don't overlap.
    $endgroup$
    – John Rennie
    17 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    Consider it being point charges smeared across the plate. The field lines are supposedly propagating off the same set of charged particles in all directions, and the approximate resultant vector direction is the upward and downward. Try drawing a set of positive point charges horizontally and then resolve the approximate directions of their net combined field effect.
    $endgroup$
    – TechDroid
    17 hours ago






  • 2




    $begingroup$
    If you want to quote a part of your text, please type it out rather than posting a picture. The relevant information won't show up if other people search for a similar question if it is in a picture.
    $endgroup$
    – Aaron Stevens
    17 hours ago
















1












$begingroup$


enter image description hereenter image description hereWhy do these vectors not cancel each other out in spite of their being in the opposite directions?










share|cite|improve this question









New contributor




Jay Sen is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.







$endgroup$












  • $begingroup$
    Hi Jay. Can you clarify exactly what you are asking? Do you mean an infinite charged sheet? If so, where do you think the vectors will cancel. At the mid plane of the sheet? If you would like to draw a diagram and upload it to an image hosting site we can insert the diagram into your question to help clarify it.
    $endgroup$
    – John Rennie
    18 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    As shown in the image above the electric field vectors are going in opposite directions above and below the plane.
    $endgroup$
    – Jay Sen
    17 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    The upwards field exists only above the sheet and the downwards field exists only below the sheet. The only place where both the two fields exist is right in the centre of the sheet, and in that plane they do cancel. Everywhere else they can't cancel because they don't overlap.
    $endgroup$
    – John Rennie
    17 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    Consider it being point charges smeared across the plate. The field lines are supposedly propagating off the same set of charged particles in all directions, and the approximate resultant vector direction is the upward and downward. Try drawing a set of positive point charges horizontally and then resolve the approximate directions of their net combined field effect.
    $endgroup$
    – TechDroid
    17 hours ago






  • 2




    $begingroup$
    If you want to quote a part of your text, please type it out rather than posting a picture. The relevant information won't show up if other people search for a similar question if it is in a picture.
    $endgroup$
    – Aaron Stevens
    17 hours ago














1












1








1





$begingroup$


enter image description hereenter image description hereWhy do these vectors not cancel each other out in spite of their being in the opposite directions?










share|cite|improve this question









New contributor




Jay Sen is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.







$endgroup$




enter image description hereenter image description hereWhy do these vectors not cancel each other out in spite of their being in the opposite directions?







electrostatics electric-fields vectors gauss-law






share|cite|improve this question









New contributor




Jay Sen is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.











share|cite|improve this question









New contributor




Jay Sen is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.









share|cite|improve this question




share|cite|improve this question








edited 17 hours ago







Jay Sen













New contributor




Jay Sen is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.









asked 18 hours ago









Jay SenJay Sen

62




62




New contributor




Jay Sen is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.





New contributor





Jay Sen is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.






Jay Sen is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.












  • $begingroup$
    Hi Jay. Can you clarify exactly what you are asking? Do you mean an infinite charged sheet? If so, where do you think the vectors will cancel. At the mid plane of the sheet? If you would like to draw a diagram and upload it to an image hosting site we can insert the diagram into your question to help clarify it.
    $endgroup$
    – John Rennie
    18 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    As shown in the image above the electric field vectors are going in opposite directions above and below the plane.
    $endgroup$
    – Jay Sen
    17 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    The upwards field exists only above the sheet and the downwards field exists only below the sheet. The only place where both the two fields exist is right in the centre of the sheet, and in that plane they do cancel. Everywhere else they can't cancel because they don't overlap.
    $endgroup$
    – John Rennie
    17 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    Consider it being point charges smeared across the plate. The field lines are supposedly propagating off the same set of charged particles in all directions, and the approximate resultant vector direction is the upward and downward. Try drawing a set of positive point charges horizontally and then resolve the approximate directions of their net combined field effect.
    $endgroup$
    – TechDroid
    17 hours ago






  • 2




    $begingroup$
    If you want to quote a part of your text, please type it out rather than posting a picture. The relevant information won't show up if other people search for a similar question if it is in a picture.
    $endgroup$
    – Aaron Stevens
    17 hours ago


















  • $begingroup$
    Hi Jay. Can you clarify exactly what you are asking? Do you mean an infinite charged sheet? If so, where do you think the vectors will cancel. At the mid plane of the sheet? If you would like to draw a diagram and upload it to an image hosting site we can insert the diagram into your question to help clarify it.
    $endgroup$
    – John Rennie
    18 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    As shown in the image above the electric field vectors are going in opposite directions above and below the plane.
    $endgroup$
    – Jay Sen
    17 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    The upwards field exists only above the sheet and the downwards field exists only below the sheet. The only place where both the two fields exist is right in the centre of the sheet, and in that plane they do cancel. Everywhere else they can't cancel because they don't overlap.
    $endgroup$
    – John Rennie
    17 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    Consider it being point charges smeared across the plate. The field lines are supposedly propagating off the same set of charged particles in all directions, and the approximate resultant vector direction is the upward and downward. Try drawing a set of positive point charges horizontally and then resolve the approximate directions of their net combined field effect.
    $endgroup$
    – TechDroid
    17 hours ago






  • 2




    $begingroup$
    If you want to quote a part of your text, please type it out rather than posting a picture. The relevant information won't show up if other people search for a similar question if it is in a picture.
    $endgroup$
    – Aaron Stevens
    17 hours ago
















$begingroup$
Hi Jay. Can you clarify exactly what you are asking? Do you mean an infinite charged sheet? If so, where do you think the vectors will cancel. At the mid plane of the sheet? If you would like to draw a diagram and upload it to an image hosting site we can insert the diagram into your question to help clarify it.
$endgroup$
– John Rennie
18 hours ago




$begingroup$
Hi Jay. Can you clarify exactly what you are asking? Do you mean an infinite charged sheet? If so, where do you think the vectors will cancel. At the mid plane of the sheet? If you would like to draw a diagram and upload it to an image hosting site we can insert the diagram into your question to help clarify it.
$endgroup$
– John Rennie
18 hours ago












$begingroup$
As shown in the image above the electric field vectors are going in opposite directions above and below the plane.
$endgroup$
– Jay Sen
17 hours ago




$begingroup$
As shown in the image above the electric field vectors are going in opposite directions above and below the plane.
$endgroup$
– Jay Sen
17 hours ago












$begingroup$
The upwards field exists only above the sheet and the downwards field exists only below the sheet. The only place where both the two fields exist is right in the centre of the sheet, and in that plane they do cancel. Everywhere else they can't cancel because they don't overlap.
$endgroup$
– John Rennie
17 hours ago




$begingroup$
The upwards field exists only above the sheet and the downwards field exists only below the sheet. The only place where both the two fields exist is right in the centre of the sheet, and in that plane they do cancel. Everywhere else they can't cancel because they don't overlap.
$endgroup$
– John Rennie
17 hours ago












$begingroup$
Consider it being point charges smeared across the plate. The field lines are supposedly propagating off the same set of charged particles in all directions, and the approximate resultant vector direction is the upward and downward. Try drawing a set of positive point charges horizontally and then resolve the approximate directions of their net combined field effect.
$endgroup$
– TechDroid
17 hours ago




$begingroup$
Consider it being point charges smeared across the plate. The field lines are supposedly propagating off the same set of charged particles in all directions, and the approximate resultant vector direction is the upward and downward. Try drawing a set of positive point charges horizontally and then resolve the approximate directions of their net combined field effect.
$endgroup$
– TechDroid
17 hours ago




2




2




$begingroup$
If you want to quote a part of your text, please type it out rather than posting a picture. The relevant information won't show up if other people search for a similar question if it is in a picture.
$endgroup$
– Aaron Stevens
17 hours ago




$begingroup$
If you want to quote a part of your text, please type it out rather than posting a picture. The relevant information won't show up if other people search for a similar question if it is in a picture.
$endgroup$
– Aaron Stevens
17 hours ago










2 Answers
2






active

oldest

votes


















3












$begingroup$

In order to superimpose two or more electric fields, they must be defined in the same region. In other words
$$mathbf E=mathbf E_1(x_0,y_0)+mathbf E_2(x_0,y_0)$$
for some point in space $(x_0,y_0)$



In your case, $mathbf E_1$ and $mathbf E_2$ exist in different regions of space. Therefore, you can't superimpose them and they don't cancel. It's kind of like asking if I put my car in drive and your put yours in reverse why both of our cars don't just stay still.



Perhaps your confusion lies in thinking that the field vectors in your picture only exist on the sheet. This is not the case. At every point $(x,y,z)$ in space there is an electric field. For $z>0$ the field points upward, for $z<0$ the field points downward. You can't add the upward and downward fields together because they exist in different regions of space.






share|cite|improve this answer











$endgroup$













  • $begingroup$
    Then how and why are we adding them up?
    $endgroup$
    – Jay Sen
    17 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    @JaySen We aren't adding them up. That's what I'm trying to say. The two fields that you say should cancel out exist in different regions of space, so they don't add up and don't cancel
    $endgroup$
    – Aaron Stevens
    17 hours ago












  • $begingroup$
    I think we add them up for getting the total electric field.
    $endgroup$
    – Jay Sen
    17 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    When doing field line vector resolution, we aren't adding the field or field lines itself, but the effect vector direction of the field(s).
    $endgroup$
    – TechDroid
    17 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    Sorry but i haven't understood this yet.
    $endgroup$
    – Jay Sen
    17 hours ago



















1












$begingroup$

This is a inside look at the atomic scale:



enter image description here



The field effect is radial and the intersecting field effects sort of cancles out. The direction lines are not forces on the plate but the field effect direction from the plate. You only do that sort of vector cancellation if the force vectors are rather on the plate. If another lone floating positively charged particle falls anywhere in this region, those field lines are the direction of force on the charge. We aren't vectorially resolving the field lines, but rather the force effect on another charged body.






share|cite|improve this answer











$endgroup$













    Your Answer





    StackExchange.ifUsing("editor", function () {
    return StackExchange.using("mathjaxEditing", function () {
    StackExchange.MarkdownEditor.creationCallbacks.add(function (editor, postfix) {
    StackExchange.mathjaxEditing.prepareWmdForMathJax(editor, postfix, [["$", "$"], ["\\(","\\)"]]);
    });
    });
    }, "mathjax-editing");

    StackExchange.ready(function() {
    var channelOptions = {
    tags: "".split(" "),
    id: "151"
    };
    initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);

    StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function() {
    // Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
    if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled) {
    StackExchange.using("snippets", function() {
    createEditor();
    });
    }
    else {
    createEditor();
    }
    });

    function createEditor() {
    StackExchange.prepareEditor({
    heartbeatType: 'answer',
    autoActivateHeartbeat: false,
    convertImagesToLinks: false,
    noModals: true,
    showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
    reputationToPostImages: null,
    bindNavPrevention: true,
    postfix: "",
    imageUploader: {
    brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
    contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"u003ecc by-sa 3.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
    allowUrls: true
    },
    noCode: true, onDemand: true,
    discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
    ,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
    });


    }
    });






    Jay Sen is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.










    draft saved

    draft discarded


















    StackExchange.ready(
    function () {
    StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fphysics.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f464103%2fwhy-dont-the-electric-field-vectors-cancel-each-other-out-in-a-non-conducting-i%23new-answer', 'question_page');
    }
    );

    Post as a guest















    Required, but never shown

























    2 Answers
    2






    active

    oldest

    votes








    2 Answers
    2






    active

    oldest

    votes









    active

    oldest

    votes






    active

    oldest

    votes









    3












    $begingroup$

    In order to superimpose two or more electric fields, they must be defined in the same region. In other words
    $$mathbf E=mathbf E_1(x_0,y_0)+mathbf E_2(x_0,y_0)$$
    for some point in space $(x_0,y_0)$



    In your case, $mathbf E_1$ and $mathbf E_2$ exist in different regions of space. Therefore, you can't superimpose them and they don't cancel. It's kind of like asking if I put my car in drive and your put yours in reverse why both of our cars don't just stay still.



    Perhaps your confusion lies in thinking that the field vectors in your picture only exist on the sheet. This is not the case. At every point $(x,y,z)$ in space there is an electric field. For $z>0$ the field points upward, for $z<0$ the field points downward. You can't add the upward and downward fields together because they exist in different regions of space.






    share|cite|improve this answer











    $endgroup$













    • $begingroup$
      Then how and why are we adding them up?
      $endgroup$
      – Jay Sen
      17 hours ago










    • $begingroup$
      @JaySen We aren't adding them up. That's what I'm trying to say. The two fields that you say should cancel out exist in different regions of space, so they don't add up and don't cancel
      $endgroup$
      – Aaron Stevens
      17 hours ago












    • $begingroup$
      I think we add them up for getting the total electric field.
      $endgroup$
      – Jay Sen
      17 hours ago










    • $begingroup$
      When doing field line vector resolution, we aren't adding the field or field lines itself, but the effect vector direction of the field(s).
      $endgroup$
      – TechDroid
      17 hours ago










    • $begingroup$
      Sorry but i haven't understood this yet.
      $endgroup$
      – Jay Sen
      17 hours ago
















    3












    $begingroup$

    In order to superimpose two or more electric fields, they must be defined in the same region. In other words
    $$mathbf E=mathbf E_1(x_0,y_0)+mathbf E_2(x_0,y_0)$$
    for some point in space $(x_0,y_0)$



    In your case, $mathbf E_1$ and $mathbf E_2$ exist in different regions of space. Therefore, you can't superimpose them and they don't cancel. It's kind of like asking if I put my car in drive and your put yours in reverse why both of our cars don't just stay still.



    Perhaps your confusion lies in thinking that the field vectors in your picture only exist on the sheet. This is not the case. At every point $(x,y,z)$ in space there is an electric field. For $z>0$ the field points upward, for $z<0$ the field points downward. You can't add the upward and downward fields together because they exist in different regions of space.






    share|cite|improve this answer











    $endgroup$













    • $begingroup$
      Then how and why are we adding them up?
      $endgroup$
      – Jay Sen
      17 hours ago










    • $begingroup$
      @JaySen We aren't adding them up. That's what I'm trying to say. The two fields that you say should cancel out exist in different regions of space, so they don't add up and don't cancel
      $endgroup$
      – Aaron Stevens
      17 hours ago












    • $begingroup$
      I think we add them up for getting the total electric field.
      $endgroup$
      – Jay Sen
      17 hours ago










    • $begingroup$
      When doing field line vector resolution, we aren't adding the field or field lines itself, but the effect vector direction of the field(s).
      $endgroup$
      – TechDroid
      17 hours ago










    • $begingroup$
      Sorry but i haven't understood this yet.
      $endgroup$
      – Jay Sen
      17 hours ago














    3












    3








    3





    $begingroup$

    In order to superimpose two or more electric fields, they must be defined in the same region. In other words
    $$mathbf E=mathbf E_1(x_0,y_0)+mathbf E_2(x_0,y_0)$$
    for some point in space $(x_0,y_0)$



    In your case, $mathbf E_1$ and $mathbf E_2$ exist in different regions of space. Therefore, you can't superimpose them and they don't cancel. It's kind of like asking if I put my car in drive and your put yours in reverse why both of our cars don't just stay still.



    Perhaps your confusion lies in thinking that the field vectors in your picture only exist on the sheet. This is not the case. At every point $(x,y,z)$ in space there is an electric field. For $z>0$ the field points upward, for $z<0$ the field points downward. You can't add the upward and downward fields together because they exist in different regions of space.






    share|cite|improve this answer











    $endgroup$



    In order to superimpose two or more electric fields, they must be defined in the same region. In other words
    $$mathbf E=mathbf E_1(x_0,y_0)+mathbf E_2(x_0,y_0)$$
    for some point in space $(x_0,y_0)$



    In your case, $mathbf E_1$ and $mathbf E_2$ exist in different regions of space. Therefore, you can't superimpose them and they don't cancel. It's kind of like asking if I put my car in drive and your put yours in reverse why both of our cars don't just stay still.



    Perhaps your confusion lies in thinking that the field vectors in your picture only exist on the sheet. This is not the case. At every point $(x,y,z)$ in space there is an electric field. For $z>0$ the field points upward, for $z<0$ the field points downward. You can't add the upward and downward fields together because they exist in different regions of space.







    share|cite|improve this answer














    share|cite|improve this answer



    share|cite|improve this answer








    edited 15 hours ago

























    answered 17 hours ago









    Aaron StevensAaron Stevens

    12.2k32147




    12.2k32147












    • $begingroup$
      Then how and why are we adding them up?
      $endgroup$
      – Jay Sen
      17 hours ago










    • $begingroup$
      @JaySen We aren't adding them up. That's what I'm trying to say. The two fields that you say should cancel out exist in different regions of space, so they don't add up and don't cancel
      $endgroup$
      – Aaron Stevens
      17 hours ago












    • $begingroup$
      I think we add them up for getting the total electric field.
      $endgroup$
      – Jay Sen
      17 hours ago










    • $begingroup$
      When doing field line vector resolution, we aren't adding the field or field lines itself, but the effect vector direction of the field(s).
      $endgroup$
      – TechDroid
      17 hours ago










    • $begingroup$
      Sorry but i haven't understood this yet.
      $endgroup$
      – Jay Sen
      17 hours ago


















    • $begingroup$
      Then how and why are we adding them up?
      $endgroup$
      – Jay Sen
      17 hours ago










    • $begingroup$
      @JaySen We aren't adding them up. That's what I'm trying to say. The two fields that you say should cancel out exist in different regions of space, so they don't add up and don't cancel
      $endgroup$
      – Aaron Stevens
      17 hours ago












    • $begingroup$
      I think we add them up for getting the total electric field.
      $endgroup$
      – Jay Sen
      17 hours ago










    • $begingroup$
      When doing field line vector resolution, we aren't adding the field or field lines itself, but the effect vector direction of the field(s).
      $endgroup$
      – TechDroid
      17 hours ago










    • $begingroup$
      Sorry but i haven't understood this yet.
      $endgroup$
      – Jay Sen
      17 hours ago
















    $begingroup$
    Then how and why are we adding them up?
    $endgroup$
    – Jay Sen
    17 hours ago




    $begingroup$
    Then how and why are we adding them up?
    $endgroup$
    – Jay Sen
    17 hours ago












    $begingroup$
    @JaySen We aren't adding them up. That's what I'm trying to say. The two fields that you say should cancel out exist in different regions of space, so they don't add up and don't cancel
    $endgroup$
    – Aaron Stevens
    17 hours ago






    $begingroup$
    @JaySen We aren't adding them up. That's what I'm trying to say. The two fields that you say should cancel out exist in different regions of space, so they don't add up and don't cancel
    $endgroup$
    – Aaron Stevens
    17 hours ago














    $begingroup$
    I think we add them up for getting the total electric field.
    $endgroup$
    – Jay Sen
    17 hours ago




    $begingroup$
    I think we add them up for getting the total electric field.
    $endgroup$
    – Jay Sen
    17 hours ago












    $begingroup$
    When doing field line vector resolution, we aren't adding the field or field lines itself, but the effect vector direction of the field(s).
    $endgroup$
    – TechDroid
    17 hours ago




    $begingroup$
    When doing field line vector resolution, we aren't adding the field or field lines itself, but the effect vector direction of the field(s).
    $endgroup$
    – TechDroid
    17 hours ago












    $begingroup$
    Sorry but i haven't understood this yet.
    $endgroup$
    – Jay Sen
    17 hours ago




    $begingroup$
    Sorry but i haven't understood this yet.
    $endgroup$
    – Jay Sen
    17 hours ago











    1












    $begingroup$

    This is a inside look at the atomic scale:



    enter image description here



    The field effect is radial and the intersecting field effects sort of cancles out. The direction lines are not forces on the plate but the field effect direction from the plate. You only do that sort of vector cancellation if the force vectors are rather on the plate. If another lone floating positively charged particle falls anywhere in this region, those field lines are the direction of force on the charge. We aren't vectorially resolving the field lines, but rather the force effect on another charged body.






    share|cite|improve this answer











    $endgroup$


















      1












      $begingroup$

      This is a inside look at the atomic scale:



      enter image description here



      The field effect is radial and the intersecting field effects sort of cancles out. The direction lines are not forces on the plate but the field effect direction from the plate. You only do that sort of vector cancellation if the force vectors are rather on the plate. If another lone floating positively charged particle falls anywhere in this region, those field lines are the direction of force on the charge. We aren't vectorially resolving the field lines, but rather the force effect on another charged body.






      share|cite|improve this answer











      $endgroup$
















        1












        1








        1





        $begingroup$

        This is a inside look at the atomic scale:



        enter image description here



        The field effect is radial and the intersecting field effects sort of cancles out. The direction lines are not forces on the plate but the field effect direction from the plate. You only do that sort of vector cancellation if the force vectors are rather on the plate. If another lone floating positively charged particle falls anywhere in this region, those field lines are the direction of force on the charge. We aren't vectorially resolving the field lines, but rather the force effect on another charged body.






        share|cite|improve this answer











        $endgroup$



        This is a inside look at the atomic scale:



        enter image description here



        The field effect is radial and the intersecting field effects sort of cancles out. The direction lines are not forces on the plate but the field effect direction from the plate. You only do that sort of vector cancellation if the force vectors are rather on the plate. If another lone floating positively charged particle falls anywhere in this region, those field lines are the direction of force on the charge. We aren't vectorially resolving the field lines, but rather the force effect on another charged body.







        share|cite|improve this answer














        share|cite|improve this answer



        share|cite|improve this answer








        edited 17 hours ago

























        answered 17 hours ago









        TechDroidTechDroid

        1317




        1317






















            Jay Sen is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.










            draft saved

            draft discarded


















            Jay Sen is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.













            Jay Sen is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.












            Jay Sen is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
















            Thanks for contributing an answer to Physics Stack Exchange!


            • Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!

            But avoid



            • Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.

            • Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.


            Use MathJax to format equations. MathJax reference.


            To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.




            draft saved


            draft discarded














            StackExchange.ready(
            function () {
            StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fphysics.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f464103%2fwhy-dont-the-electric-field-vectors-cancel-each-other-out-in-a-non-conducting-i%23new-answer', 'question_page');
            }
            );

            Post as a guest















            Required, but never shown





















































            Required, but never shown














            Required, but never shown












            Required, but never shown







            Required, but never shown

































            Required, but never shown














            Required, but never shown












            Required, but never shown







            Required, but never shown







            Popular posts from this blog

            El tren de la libertad Índice Antecedentes "Porque yo decido" Desarrollo de la...

            Puerta de Hutt Referencias Enlaces externos Menú de navegación15°58′00″S 5°42′00″O /...

            Castillo d'Acher Características Menú de navegación