All Flashcards
What is electric force?
The fundamental force governing interactions between charged objects, causing attraction or repulsion.
Define electric permittivity ().
A measure of how easily a material polarizes in an electric field.
What is free space permittivity ()?
The permittivity of a vacuum; a fundamental constant in physics formulas.
Define polarization in the context of electric fields.
The rearrangement of electrons in a material under an electric field, creating charge separation.
What is the difference between conductors and insulators in terms of permittivity?
Conductors have high permittivity due to free electrons, while insulators have low permittivity due to restricted electron movement.
Compare electrostatic and gravitational forces.
Electrostatic: Attracts and repels, strong at small scales. | Gravitational: Only attracts, weak at small scales, dominates at large scales.
Compare the behavior of like and opposite charges.
Like charges: Repel each other. | Opposite charges: Attract each other.
Compare permittivity in conductors vs. insulators.
Conductors: High permittivity due to many free electrons. | Insulators: Low permittivity due to restricted electron movement.
What is the effect of like charges interacting?
They repel each other.
What is the effect of opposite charges interacting?
They attract each other.
What happens when a material with high electric permittivity is placed in an electric field?
The material becomes easily polarized, reducing the electric field strength.
What happens when an electric field is applied to a dielectric material?
The material becomes polarized, with positive and negative charges separating within the material.