Question

Which of the following is not a point of similarity between Biot-Savart law and Coulomb’s law.

(a) Both fields depend inversely on the square of the distance from the source to the point of observation

(b) They are not a universal law

(c) The principle of superposition does not apply to both

(d) Both are long-range fields

I have been asked this question in class test.

The doubt is from Magnetic Field due to a Current Element & Biot-Savart Law topic in chapter Moving Charges and Magnetism of Physics – Class 12

Answer 1

The correct choice is (c) The principle of superposition does not apply to both

Easy explanation: The principle of superposition applies to both fields. This is because the magnetic field is linearly related to its source, namely, the current element and the electrostatic field is related linearly to its source, the electric charge.