Question

Three positive charges of equal value ‘q’ are placed at the vertices of an equilateral triangle. The resulting lines of force should be sketched as in
A.

B.

C.

D.

Answer 1

Hint: Electric lines of force about a positive point charge are always radially outwards. They do not form closed loops or cross each other and do not pass through the conductor. They contract lengthwise and exert lateral pressure on each other.

Complete step by step answer:
The electric charge following a specific path to move in an electric field is called a line, a force or in other words line of force lines in a force field or electric field where the tangent to the line of force gives the direction of the field at that specific point and its density gives the magnitude of the field.
The electric line of force for a positive charge in space contains several straight lines that are radiating in all directions uniformly from the charge where they occur. A second positive charge is kept in the same field and it will radiate away from the first one. The pictorial representation of the line of forces due to a single positive charge q is shown below:
          

The dotted lines are the lines of force due to a positive charge ‘q’ at the center represented by the black dot.
As discussed earlier tangent to the field line give the direction of the electric field the pictorial representation of the statement is shown below:

Now in option (A), we can see the line of forces starts from one positive charge and ends at another thus forming a close loop
In option (B), one close-loop is formed at the center and in option D all the line of forces forms a closed concentric circle.
In option C we can see the lines are radiating outwards and do not form a closed loop,

Hence option c is correct.

Note:
Lines of force do not form a close loop. So in options A, B, D we can see the lines of force forming closed loops which are wrong. Also, the eclectic line of forces can be straight or curved. The line of force and surface of the charge is perpendicular to each other.