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A Level Physics > 6.2 - Electrical Fields > Flashcards

6.2 - Electrical Fields Flashcards

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1
Q

Define Electric Field

A

A region of space in which charged particles are subject to an electrostatic force.

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2
Q

What shape of field do point charges have?

A

Radial fields

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3
Q

How can you model uniformly charged spheres?

A

As a point charge at the centre of the sphere

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4
Q

What do field lines show?

A

The path a positive test charge would take when placed in an Electric Field

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5
Q

Which direction do the field lines point?

A

Positive to negative – the lines always point away from a positive charge and towards a negative charge

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6
Q

What effect does distance have on the strength of the electrostatic force?

A

The greater the distance, the weaker the force

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7
Q

How is the strength of an Electric Field represented in a diagram?

A

By how close together the field lines are – the closer the lines, the stronger the field.

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8
Q

Define Electric Field Strength

A

Force per unit charge on a positive test charge placed in the field

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9
Q

What is the formula for Electric Field Strength?

A

E = F ÷ Q

E = Electric Field strength (NC⁻¹)
F = Force (N)
Q = Charge (C)

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10
Q

What is Coulomb’s Law?

A

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.

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11
Q

What is the formula for the force between two point charges?
(Coulomb’s Law)

A
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12
Q

Define permittivity

A

The ability of a material to transmit an Electric Field (how easily the atoms become polarised).

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13
Q

What is the formula for the Electric Field Strength of a point charge?

A

This can be derived
using E = F ÷ Q and
the formula for force
(Coulomb’s Law).

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14
Q

Name some similarities between Gravitational and Electric Fields

A
  • 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.
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15
Q

What is the formula for the work done when moving a charge in an Electric Field?

A

Work done = Force x Distance moved

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16
Q

Define potential at a point in an Electric Field

A

The work done per unit charge in moving a positive test charge from infinity to that point in the Electric Field.

17
Q

What is the formula for the potential at a point in an Electric Field?

A

V = W ÷ Q

V = Potential (V)
W = Work done in moving the particle (J)
Q = Charge of the particle (C)

18
Q

What is the formula for the potential between two parallel plates?

A

V = E x d

V = Potential (V)
E = Electric Field strength (NC⁻¹)
d = distance between the plates (m)

19
Q

What is the formula for the capacitance of a parallel plate capacitor?

A
20
Q

What can the motion of charged particles in an Electric Field be modelled as?

A

Projectile motion: the two components of velocity are independent of each other.
Velocity perpendicular to the field is not affected, velocity parallel to the field is.

21
Q

How do you calculate the parallel component of velocity for a charged particle in a uniform Electric Field?

A
  1. First, calculate the time the particle is in the field (using time = distance/speed, where distance = length of charged plates and speed = velocity perpendicular to the field).
  2. Use a = F/m and F=Eq to calculate the acceleration of theparticle while it is in the field (a = Eq / m).
  3. Substitute these values into V = u + at where u is the initialparallel velocity and V is the final parallel velocity
22
Q

What is the formula for the potential near a point charge?
(Coulomb’s Law)

A
23
Q

What does the force-distance graph for a point/spherical charge look like?

A

Force is inversely proportional to the square of the distance.

24
Q

What does the area under a force-distance graph for a point/spherical charge represent?

A

The work done in moving the charge.

25
Q

What is the formula for electric potential energy near a point charge?

A

E = V x q

E = electric potential energy (J)
V = potential (V)
q = charge of the point charge (C)

26
Q

What is the formula for the capacitance of an isolated sphere?

A

Isolated spheres can store charge, so technically they can be classed as capacitors. Using C = Q ÷ V and the formula for V (in terms of Coulomb’s law), you can derive the formula for capacitance

27
Q

What is the formula for electric potential energy near a point charge?
(Coulomb’s Law)

A

A Level Physics (31 decks)

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