All Flashcards
Define electric field.
A field created by charged objects that exerts a force on other charged objects. It can be attractive or repulsive.
What is electric field strength?
The force per unit charge experienced by a test charge placed in the electric field. Measured in N/C or V/m.
Define electrostatic equilibrium in a conductor.
A condition where there is no net motion of charge within the conductor, and the electric field inside the conductor is zero.
What is polarization?
The separation of charge within an insulator (or even a neutral object) caused by an external electric field.
Define electric field lines.
Visual representations of the electric field, indicating direction and strength. They point away from positive charges and towards negative charges. Density indicates strength.
What is a Faraday cage?
A conductive enclosure that blocks external electric fields by redistributing charges to cancel the external field inside.
Define Electric Field.
A field created by charged objects that exerts a force on other charged objects. It can be attractive or repulsive.
What is electric field strength?
The force per unit charge experienced by a test charge placed in the electric field. Measured in N/C or V/m.
Define electrostatic equilibrium in conductors.
A condition where there is no net motion of charge within the conductor and the electric field inside the conductor is zero.
What is polarization?
The separation of positive and negative charges within an insulator (or even a neutral object) when placed in an electric field.
Define electric field lines.
Lines used to visualize the electric field, indicating the direction a positive test charge would move. Density of lines indicates field strength.
What is a test charge?
A hypothetical charge used to measure the electric field at a point. It is assumed to be small enough not to disturb the field it is measuring.
How do you find the net electric field from multiple charges?
Use vector addition. Calculate the electric field due to each charge individually, then add the electric field vectors using head-to-tail or parallelogram method.
How do you determine the direction of acceleration of a positive charge in an electric field?
A positive charge accelerates in the direction of the electric field.
How do you determine the direction of acceleration of a negative charge in an electric field?
A negative charge accelerates against the direction of the electric field.
How do you calculate electric field strength from force?
Use the formula: E = F_e/q, where E is electric field strength, F_e is electrostatic force, and q is the test charge.
How do you calculate electric field strength from a source charge?
Use the formula: E = kQ/r^2, where k is Coulomb's constant, Q is the source charge, and r is the distance from the source charge.