Chapter 18 - Electric Forces and Electric Potential Flashcards
What is the SI unit of electric charge?
Coulomb (C)
What is the law of conservation of electric charge?
the net electric charge of an isolated system remains constant during any process.
Explain the relationships between like and unlike charges.
Like charges repel; unlike attract
Explain the difference between conductors and insulators.
Conductors readily conduct electric charge; insulators conduct electric charge poorly.
Explain the difference between charging by induction and charging by contact.
Charging by contact is the process of giving one object a net electric charge by placing it in contact with an object that is already charged. Charging by induction is the process of giving an object a net electric charge without touching it to a charged object.
What is a point charge?
A point charge is a charge that occupies so little space that it can be regarded as a mathematical point
What is the electric field?
The electric field
E→ at a given spot is a vector and is the electrostatic force
F→ experienced by a very small test charge q0 placed at that spot divided by the charge itself,
What is the direction of the magnetic field?
The direction of the electric field is the same as the direction of the force on a positive test charge. Points away from a positive and toward a negative charge.
What is the SI unit for electric field?
N/C
What are electric field lines?
Electric field lines are lines that can be thought of as a “map,” insofar as the lines provide information about the direction and strength of the electric field.
Where are electric field lines directed?
Away from positive, toward negative (direction of magnetic field)
How can you tell the strength of the electric field based on the field lines?
Strongest where lines are packed most closely together.
Explain the electric field within and immediately outside of a conductor at equilibrium.
Excess negative or positive charge resides on the surface of a conductor at equilibrium under electrostatic conditions. In such a situation, the electric field at any point within the conducting material is zero, and the electric field just outside the surface of the conductor is perpendicular to the surface.
