Stable Equilibrium in Electrostatic Field – Rankers Physics

Electric Field: Practice Problem & Solution

Assertion (A): In any electrostatic field, a charge cannot be in stable equilibrium. Reason (R): An electrostatic field is a conservative force field.  
Both (A) & (R) are true and the (R) is the correct explanation of the (A)
Both (A) & (R) are true but the (R) is not the correct explanation of the (A)
(A) is true but (R) is false
Both (A) and (R) are false

Short Solution (Best for NEET):

To solve this problem, we apply the core principles of Electric Field. Understanding the underlying formula is key to arriving at the correct answer below:

According to Earnshaw's Theorem, a charge cannot be in stable equilibrium in an electrostatic field, thus Assertion (A) is true. An electrostatic field is a conservative force field, so Reason (R) is true. However, the conservative nature of the field is not the direct explanation for Earnshaw's theorem, which is derived from Gauss's law and the Laplace equation.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *