topic 7 Flashcards
what is an electric field
a region where a charged particle experiences a force
electric field strength formula
E = F / Q
define electric field strength
force per unit charge experienced by an object in an electric field
electric field strength in uniform and radial field
- uniform - E is constant
- radial - E varies
Coulomb’s law
- the magnitude of the force between two point charges is directly proportional to the product of their charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them
Coulomb’s law formula
F = Q1Q2 / 4πε0r^2
what makes the force repulsive?
- if charges have the same sign
what makes a force attractive?
- if charges are oppositely signed
what do point charges form
a radial field
electric field strength in a radial field formula
E = Q / 4πε0r^2
absolute potential energy
- the potential energy per unit charge at a positive point charge at that point in the field
at which point is the absolute magnitude of electric potential the highest?
- at the surface of the charge
- as distance from charge increases, potential decreases
- hence, electric potential at infinity is zero
positive charge - what is potential?
- potential is positive
- charge is repulsive
negative charge - what is potential?
- potential is negative
- charge is attractive
how can you form an electric field
- two parallel plates
- potential difference across them
how to calculate electric field strength formed between the plates
E = V / d
- V is the p.d. across the plates
- d is the distance between the two plates
electric potential in a radial field
V = Q / 4πε0r^2
what is electric potential difference
- the energy needed to move a unit charge between two points
what do the field lines show
- the direction of force acting on a positive charge
field lines - uniform vs radial
- uniform - same electric force is exerted everywhere (equally spaced parallel lines)
- radial - depends on the distance between the two charges
what does the distance between the field lines represent
the magnitude of the force
what surfaces to electric fields have
equipotential surfaces
what happens when a charge moves along an equipotential surface
- no work is done
- this is because the potential on an equipotential surface is the same everywhere
magnetic flux denisty
measure of the strength of the field