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Identify the correct statements: A. Electrostatic field lines form closed loops. B. The electric field lines point radially outward when the charge is greater than zero. C. Gauss's law is valid only for an inverse-square force. D. The work done in moving a charged particle in a static electric field around a closed path is zero. E. The motion of a particle under Coulomb's force must take place in a plane. Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

Asked in JEE Main 28th Jan 2nd Shift 2026 · Electric field lines

Answer: (3) B, C, D, E Only

Step-by-step solution

A is false: a static electric field is conservative, so ∮⃗E· d⃗l=0 and a line can never close on itself. Lines begin on positive charge and end on negative charge.

B is true: an isolated positive charge has ⃗E along ̂r, so its lines run radially outward.

C is true: the 1/(r²) law is what makes the flux through a closed surface independent of its shape; for any other power Gauss's law would not hold.

D is true, and it is the same statement as A being false.

E is true: the Coulomb force is central, so the torque about the source vanishes, angular momentum is conserved and the motion stays in the plane fixed by the initial position and velocity.

The correct set is B, C, D, E.

Why the other options are wrong

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