Practice question

**Independent action of charges** allows total force or field as vector sum. Geometry dictates distances to evaluation point, and resultant follows Σ k q_i/r_i², explaining zero field at symmetric centres for equal charges. The conservative nature of the electrostatic field means the work done depends only on the potential difference between points, not the path. For a closed path, the start and end points are the same, so the net work is zero. Substituting values gives Conservative nature, which matches expected magnitude for this electrostatic configuration, confirming Coulomb's and Gauss's principles and charge quantization consistency.