which way do electric-field lines point, from high to low potential or from low to high? Explain please
Electric field lines point from high to low potential. To understand why, let's start with the concept of electric potential.
Electric potential measures the electric potential energy per unit charge at a given point in an electric field. It is similar to gravitational potential, which measures the potential energy per unit mass at a particular location in a gravitational field.
When it comes to electric fields, a positive charge moves from high electric potential to low electric potential. This is because positive charges tend to move toward regions of lower potential energy or higher stability.
To visualize this, imagine placing a positive test charge in an electric field. As the test charge is released, it will experience a force due to the electric field. The direction of this force determines the direction of the electric field lines. Since the force experienced by a positive charge is in the direction opposite to the electric field lines, we can conclude that electric field lines point from high to low potential.
In summary, electric field lines point from high to low potential, which is the direction in which a positive charge would naturally move in an electric field.