Electricity (TLE III)

ELECTRIC FIELD

Electric Field –

§      a field of force surrounding a charged body or associated with a fluctuating magnetic field, with which charged particles interact §      the electric force per unit charge §      Electric field strength is a vector quantity; it has both magnitude and direction. §      The electric field is radially outward from a positive charge and radially in toward a negative point charge. §      This is how electric field looks like. §      To solve for electric field, consider the given formula:  Electric field = Force/Charge or E = F/q Standard Metric Unit: Newton/Coulomb        (N/C) Remember: 1. All charged objects have electric fields around them. 2. The electric force on a charged body is exerted by the electric field created by other charged bodies. The field around a charged conductor A conductor is in electrostatic equilibrium when the charge distribution (the way the charge is distributed over the conductor) is fixed. Basically, when you charge a conductor the charge spreads itself out. At equilibrium, the charge and electric field follow these guidelines: §      the excess charge lies only at the surface of the conductor §      the electric field is zero within the solid part of the conductor §      the electric field at the surface of the conductor is perpendicular to the surface §      charge accumulates, and the field is strongest, on pointy parts of the conductor http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/electric/elefie.html http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/estatics/u8l4b.cfm Microsoft® Encarta® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation.