What Is an Electric Field? Definition, Formula, Types

What Is an Electric Field: A balloon becomes charged when it is rubbed against a sweater. The balloon can adhere to walls due to this charge, but when placed next to another rubbed balloon, the first balloon will fly in the opposite direction.

Electric charge is a characteristic of stuff that causes this behaviour. Electric fields are areas of space around electrically charged particles or things where other electrically charged particles or objects would experience force.

What Is Electric Field?

A positive or negative electric charge is a feature of matter that causes two objects to attract or repel one other. If the objects are charged in different directions (positive-negative), they will attract one other; if they are charged in the same direction (positive-positive or negative-negative), they will repel each other.

A coulomb is a unit of electric charge that is defined as the amount of electricity carried by a 1 ampere per second electrical current.

There are three sorts of particles that make up atoms, which are the fundamental units of matter, they are electrons, neutrons, and protons. Protons and electrons are both electrically charged, with a negative and positive charge, respectively. A neutron does not have an electrical charge.

Many items have a total net charge of zero and are electrically neutral. The items are deemed charged if there is an excess of electrons or protons, resulting in a net charge that is not zero.

The constant e = 1.602 *10-19 coulombs is one technique to measure electrical charge. The charge of an electron, the smallest quantity of negative electrical charge, is -1.602 *10-19 coulombs. A proton has a charge of +1.602 *10-19 coulombs, which is the smallest quantity of positive electrical charge. As a result, ten electrons have a charge of -10 e, while ten protons have a charge of +10 e.

How To Calculate the Electric Field Formula

An electric charge creates an electric field, which is a region of space around an electrically charged particle or object where the charge feels forced. The electric field exists everywhere in space and can be studied by introducing another charge into it. If the charges are far enough apart, the electric field can be approximated as 0 for practical purposes.

Electric fields are vector variables represented by arrows pointing toward or away from charges. The lines must point radially outward, away from a positive charge, or radially inward, toward a negative charge.

The electric field’s magnitude is calculated using the formula E = F/q, where E is the electric field’s strength, F is the electric force, and q is the test charge used to “sense” the electric field.

Example: Electric Field of 2 Point Charges

For two-point charges in a plane, F is given by Coulomb’s law above.

Thus, F = (k|q1q2|)/r2, where q2 is defined as the test charge that is being used to “feel” the electric field.

Using the Electric Field formula we obtain E = F/q2 since q2 has been defined as the test charge.

After substituting for F, E = (k|q1|)/r2.

Different Types of Electric Fields

The electric field can be divided into two categories. The uniform electric field and the nonuniform electric field are the two types of electric fields.

1. Uniform Electric Field

The uniform electric field is defined as an electric field that is constant at all points. The constant field is created by aligning the two conductors parallel to each other and maintaining the same potential difference between them at all times.

2. Non-Uniform Electric Field

The non-uniform electric field is defined as a field that is irregular at all points. The amplitude and directions of the non-uniform field are different.

Properties of an Electric Field

Following are some of the properties of an electric field.

• Field lines do not cross each other.
• They are perpendicular to the charge on the surface.
• When the field lines are close together, the field is strong; when the field lines move apart, the field is weak.
• The charge’s magnitude is directly proportional to the number of field lines.
• The electric field line begins with a positive charge and terminates with a negative charge.
• They begin or terminate at infinity if the charge is solitary.
• In a charge-zone, the line curves are continuous.

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