Chapter 5.2

Question 1

What is an electric field? How is it created? What determines whether an electric field is attractive or repulsive?

Answer 1

• every electric charge creates a surrounding electric field
• > just like every mass creates a gravitational field
• the attractiveness of the electric field is determined by a stationary test charge(q) and a stationary source charge(Q)
• > if it is attractive, Q will be attractive to q
• > if it is repulsive, then Q will not be attractive to q

Question 2

How is the direction of the electric field determined

Answer 2

-it is determined by the direction a positive test charge would move in the presence of a source charge

Question 3

Why use field lines when drawing an electric field?

Answer 3

• field lines are imaginary lines that represent how a positive test charge would move in the presence of a source charge
• > they are drawn in the direction of an actual electric field
• near the source of the charge
• > field lines are closer together
• > this indicates the field is stronger

Question 4

Describe the relatio of electrostatic force directions to that of electric field directions

Answer 4

• if test charge is positive
• > then both electrostatic force and electric field directions are the same
• if the test charge is negative
• > then the electrostatic force and electric field directions are opposite