Question

A stationary electric charge on a body produces
(A) A magnetic field only
(B) An electric field only
(C) Both magnetic field and electric field
(D) Neither electric nor magnetic field

Answer 1

Hint: A current carrying coil also has a magnetic field of its own around it. A magnetic field is produced only when a charge is in motion. This is similar to the current flow in a material. Any conductor in which current flow is happening is accompanied by an electric field as well as a magnet field around it. This happens only when the charge is moving or in motion.

Complete step by step solution:
 A stationary electric charge is nothing but static electricity.
We know that a magnetic field is present anywhere there is current flow. This tells us that when a charge is flowing there is a magnetic field present along with it.
In case of a stationary charge there is no motion present in the charge hence there is no magnetic field produced. So, only an electric field is produced.

Hence option (B) an electric field only is the correct answer.

Additional information This is the concept that is used in an inductor. Inductors are coil shaped conductors through which electricity flows through. The coils amplify the magnitude of the magnetic field. More the number of coils, more the magnetic field. Again, for this to happen a current flow is required. A stationary charge doesn’t produce a magnetic field.

Note: if a stationary charge did produce a magnetic field then every time a lightning occurs a magnetic field is supposed to occur along with it too, because a lighting occurs due to static electricity. But in real life this doesn’t happen because stationary charge doesn’t produce a magnetic field.