electric fields

Question 1

what does a charged object create?

Answer 1

an electric field around itself

Question 2

where is the electric field strongest / weakest?

Answer 2

strongest closer to the charged object
weaker further away from the charged object

Question 3

what happens if a second charged object gets placed in the field, how does this get stronger?

Answer 3

it experiences a force, stronger as the distance between the objects decreases

Question 4

what causes attraction / repulsion?

Answer 4

• when a charged object is placed in the electric field, it feels a force which causes the attraction or repulsion

Question 5

what causes the force?

Answer 5

• electric fields of each charged object interacting with each other

Question 6

how can sparking be explained by electric fields?

Answer 6

• sparks are caused when there is a high enough pd between a charged object and the earth
• a high pd causes a strong electric field between the charged object and the earthed object
• the strong electric field causes electrons in the air particles to be removed
• air is normally an insulator but when it is ionised, it is much more conductive so a current can flow through it, this is the spark