6.2 Electric Fields Flashcards
Define Electric Field
A region of space in which charged particles are subject to an electrostatic force.
What shape of field do point charges have?
Radial fields.
How can you model uniformly charged spheres?
As a point charge at the centre of the sphere.
What do field lines show?
The path a positive test charge would take when placed in an Electric Field.
Which direction do the field lines point?
Positive to negative – the lines always point away from a positive charge and towards a negative charge.
What effect does distance have on the strength of the electrostatic force?
The greater the distance, the weaker the force.
How is the strength of an Electric Field represented in a diagram?
By how close together the field lines are – the closer the lines, the stronger the field.
Define Electric Field Strength
Force per unit charge on a positive test charge placed in the field.
What is the formula for Electric Field Strength?
E = F ÷ Q E = Electric Field strength (NC-1) F = Force (N) Q = Charge (C)
What is Coulomb’s Law?
The force between any two point charges is proportional to the product of their charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.
What is the formula for the force between two point charges? (Coulomb’s Law)
F= Q1Q2/4pie permitivityoffreespace r2
Define permittivity
The ability of a material to transmit an Electric Field (how easily the atoms become
polarised).
What is the formula for the Electric Field Strength of a point charge?
E=Q/4pie permittivityoffreespace r2
Name some similarities between Gravitational and Electric Fields
● Both follow the inverse square law for the force.
● Point masses and point charges both produce a radial field.
● Newton’s law and Coulomb’s law formulae for force are very similar:
● Field strength is defined by force per unit charge/mass.
What is the formula for the work done when moving a charge in an Electric Field?
Work done = Force x Distance moved