Electrical feilds Flashcards
Point charge
an electric charge considered to exist at a single point, and thus having neither area or volume
Positive charge
one type of electric charge - positively charged objects arttract negatively charged ones, and repel other positive charges
Negative charge
one type of electric charge - negatively charged objects attract positiveky charged ones and repel other negative charges
electric feild
a region where a charge experiences a force / acceleration
electric feild strength
the force per unit positive charge at that point
radial feild
a symmetrical feild that diminishes with distance^2 from its centre, such as the electrical feild around a spherical charged object
coulombs law
any two point charges exert an electrostatic (electrical) force on each other that is directly proportional to the produce of thier charges and inversly proportional to the square of their seperation.
electric potential + units
the work done by an external force per unit positive charge to bring a charge from infinity to a point in an electric feild - unit volt or JC^1
electric potential difference
the work done by an external force per unit positive charge to move a charge between two points in an electric field.
Similarities between electric fields and gravitational fields
Both are radial fields, both follow an inverse square law
Differences