Electric Fields Flashcards
What do charged objects do?
They create electric fields around themselves
Electric field def
A region where an electric charge experiences a force
Direction of electric field lines
Positive charge to negative charge
What does a radial field do
It spreads uniformly in all directions
How are field lines drawn around point charges
Always perpendicularly to the charge
Positive: lines go out
Negative: lines go in
Strength in uniform electric field
Electric field strength is the same throughout
Strength in a non uniform electric field
Varying electric field strength throughout
How is the strength of an electric field represented
A stronger field is represented by the field lines closer together
A weaker field is represented by the field lines further apart
Radial fields: uniform or non uniform?
Non uniform, EFS depends on distance
Electric field strength def
The electrostatic force per unit positive charge acting on the charge at that point
EFS eq1
E = F/Q
EFS eq2 (2 oppositely charged plates)
E= V/d
Coulombs law
The electrostatic force between two point charges is proportional to the product of the charges and inversely proportional to the square of their separation
What is the 1/r^2 relation called amd whats kts significance
Inverse square law
This means that when the separation of two charges doubles, the electrostatic force between them reduces by (½)^2 = ¼
What type of field does a point charge produce
A radial field
Field definition
A region in which an object will experience a force, such as gravitational or electrostatic, at a distance
Gravitational field def
The gravitational force per unit mass exerted on a point mass
Motion of charged particle that stands still in a uniform electric field
It will move parallel to the electric field lines (along or against the field lines depending on its charge)
Electric potential at a point
The work done per unit positive charge in bringing a point test charge from infinity to a defined point
