My book "Concepts of Physics (Satish K. Gupta)" says:
The electric field of a charge is the space property by virtue of which the charge modifies the space around itself. As a result, if any charge is brought in the space around the charge, it experiences electrostatic force. It may be pointed out that the source charge does not experience any force due to electric field produced by it. The electric field due to a source charge has its own existence and is present even if there is no test charge to experience the force.
NEWTON'S LAW III: To every action there is always opposed an equal reaction: or the mutual actions of two bodies upon each other are always equal, and directed to contrary parts. — Whatever draws or presses another is as much drawn or pressed by that other. If you press a stone with your finger, the finger is also pressed by the stone.
By reading the statements given in my book and the newton's third law, I got a question. If we press a stone with our finger, the finger is also pressed by the stone. If a source charge exerts force on the test charge, it should also feel the same force in opposite direction. So, won't it mean source charge is experiencing force due to its own electric field? If it is true, it is in contradiction with my text book statement that the source charge experiences no force due to electric field produced by it.
I don't know whether I have misunderstood anywhere, or (if I am not misunerstood) is it that source charge experiences force due to it's own electric field?
Best Answer
There will be force on the source charge, but due to electric field of the test charge. If the test charge was not present, there would be no force on the source charge.