Describe the behaviour of electric field lines near a conductor.

Electric field lines near a conductor are perpendicular to the surface and end at the surface of the conductor.

Electric field lines provide a visual representation of the electric field at any point in space. They are imaginary lines that are drawn such that their direction at any point is the same as the direction of the electric field at that point. Near a conductor, these lines behave in a specific way due to the properties of conductors.

Conductors are materials that allow free movement of electric charges. When an external electric field is applied to a conductor, the free electrons in the conductor move in response to the field. This movement of electrons creates an induced electric field inside the conductor that opposes the external field. The net electric field inside a conductor in electrostatic equilibrium is zero. This is because the charges redistribute themselves on the surface of the conductor until the electric field inside the conductor is cancelled out.

As a result of this redistribution of charges, the electric field lines near a conductor are perpendicular to the surface of the conductor. This is because the electric field lines must start or end on charges and the charges are on the surface of the conductor. The field lines cannot be parallel to the surface because that would imply a component of the electric field inside the conductor, which is not possible in electrostatic equilibrium.

Furthermore, the electric field lines end at the surface of the conductor. This is because the electric field inside the conductor is zero, so there are no field lines inside the conductor. The field lines from the external field end on the negative charges on the surface of the conductor.

In summary, the behaviour of electric field lines near a conductor is determined by the properties of conductors and the principles of electrostatics. The field lines are perpendicular to the surface of the conductor and end at the surface, reflecting the redistribution of charges on the conductor's surface and the cancellation of the electric field inside the conductor.