Question

The diagram shows two charged objects, X and Y.


Based on the field lines, what are the charges of the objects?

A: X: positive
Y: negative
B: X: negative
Y: positive
C: X: negative
Y: negative
D: X: positive
Y: positive

Answer 1

D:

X: positive

Y: positive

Explanation:

To answer correctly the question, we need to remind the difference between the electric field produced by a positive charge and by a negative charge:

- For a positive charge, the direction of the field lines is away from the charge (because they represent the direction in which a positive test charge would move, if placed in this field)

- For a negative charge, the direction of the field lines is toward the charge (because the positive test charge would move toward the negative charge, if placed in this field)

In the figure, we see that both charges have electric field lines that go away from the charges: therefore, according to the previous statements, they both have to be positive charges.

Answer 2

Answer: both charges are positive.

Explanation :

The imaginary lines around a bar magnet are called the electric field lines. The direction of field lines is from positive charge to negative charge.

The electric field lines for the positive charge is in outward direction while for negative charge the field lines are inwards.

In the given figure, the electric field lines are away from both of the charges. So, both charges X and Y must be positive.

Hence, the correct option is (D) " X: positive  and Y: positive  ".