Given below are two statements:
Statement I: An electric field line is drawn so that the tangent to it at each point gives the direction of the net electric field at that point.
Statement II: A figure shows electric field lines in the plane of the paper, but the field lines are curves in three-dimensional space.
In the light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Both Statement I and Statement II are correct
Statement I An electric field line is drawn so that the tangent to it at each point gives the direction of the net electric field at that point. — True. This is how a field line is defined. A tangent shows two possible directions, so an arrow on the line picks the direction of the field.
Statement II A figure shows electric field lines in the plane of the paper, but the field lines are curves in three-dimensional space. — True. The field exists all around the charges, in every direction. A drawing on paper shows only the lines that lie in one plane.
NCERT (2026-27):
Electric Field Lines – “… a curve drawn in such a way that the tangent to it at each point is in the direction of the net field at that point.”
Electric Field Lines – “… As mentioned earlier, the field lines are in 3-dimensional space, though the figure shows them only in a plane.”