Certainly, let's analyze the given question: "How do electric field lines show the strength of an electric field?"
Electric field lines provide a visual representation of the electric field around charged objects. Here's a detailed breakdown of each answer choice:
A. The closer together the arrows are on a field line, the stronger the field is.
- This answer is incorrect. Arrows typically indicate the direction of the electric field but are not used to indicate the strength directly.
B. Numbers are placed along the lines to represent field strength.
- This is not a standard practice in representing electric fields. Electric field diagrams usually employ graphical indicators (like the density of field lines) rather than numerical values along the lines.
C. The closer together the field lines are, the stronger the field is.
- This is the correct answer. In an electric field diagram, the strength of the field is conveyed by the density of the field lines. If the field lines are closer together, this indicates a stronger electric field. Conversely, when the field lines are farther apart, the field is weaker.
D. The thicker the field line is, the stronger the field is.
- This is incorrect. The thickness of field lines does not conventionally represent field strength. It's the spacing between the lines that indicates the strength of the electric field.
Given these analyses, the correct answer to the question "How do electric field lines show the strength of an electric field?" is:
C. The closer together the field lines are, the stronger the field is.
