Chapter 15: Electric Fields Flashcards
What is an electric field?
“An electric field is a region of space around a charged object where other charged objects experience a force.”
What is the electric field strength?
“Electric field strength (E) is the force per unit charge experienced by a small positive test charge
What is the equation for electric field strength?
“E = F/q
What is Coulomb’s law?
“Coulomb’s law describes the force between two point charges: F = k_e * (q₁ * q₂) / r²
What is the direction of the electric field?
“The electric field points away from positive charges and toward negative charges.”
What is the concept of electric potential?
“Electric potential is the potential energy per unit charge at a point in an electric field
What is the equation for electric potential?
“V = U/q
What is the relationship between electric field and electric potential?
“The electric field is the negative gradient of the electric potential
What is the potential difference?
“The potential difference (V) between two points is the work done to move a charge from one point to the other
What is the relationship between electric field and potential difference?
“The electric field is the rate of change of electric potential with respect to distance: E = -dV/dx.”
What is an equipotential surface?
“An equipotential surface is a surface where the electric potential is constant
What is the relationship between electric field and equipotential surfaces?
“Electric field lines are always perpendicular to equipotential surfaces
What is the principle of superposition in electric fields?
“The principle of superposition states that the total electric field at a point due to multiple charges is the vector sum of the individual fields from each charge.”
What is Gauss’s law?
“Gauss’s law relates the electric flux through a closed surface to the charge enclosed within that surface: Φ_E = q_enclosed / ε₀
What is the equation for electric flux?
“Φ_E = E * A * cos(θ)
What is the permittivity of free space?
“The permittivity of free space (ε₀) is a constant that characterizes the ability of a vacuum to permit electric field lines to pass through
What is the concept of electric potential energy?
“Electric
