Electric fields

Cards (19)

  • What does any charged object have around it?
    An electric field
  • How do electric fields compare to gravitational and magnetic fields?
    They are similar areas of influence
  • What happens when you have a positive and a negative charged particle?
    They attract each other
  • How are electric fields represented in physics?
    With field lines that have arrows
  • In which direction do electric field lines point?
    From positive to negative
  • How should field lines be drawn in relation to surfaces?
    At right angles to the surface
  • How many field lines should be shown in an exam drawing?
    At least eight
  • What happens to the strength of the electric field as you move away from a charged particle?
    It gets weaker
  • What occurs when oppositely charged particles get closer together?
    Their electric fields interact more
  • What is the attractive force between oppositely charged particles called?
    Electrostatic attraction
  • How can field lines illustrate the attraction between a positive and negative particle?
    By extending from positive to negative
  • What happens when two particles have the same charge?
    They repel each other
  • What is the effect of a strong electric field on nearby air particles?
    It can cause ionization
  • What is air's state in relation to electricity?
    It is an electrical insulator
  • What happens to air particles during ionization?
    They lose electrons and become positive ions
  • How does ionization affect air's ability to conduct electricity?
    It allows air to conduct electricity
  • What phenomenon allows sparks to travel through air?
    Ionization of air particles
  • What are the key characteristics of electric fields around charged particles?
    • Exist around any charged object
    • Represented by field lines
    • Lines point from positive to negative
    • Strength decreases with distance
    • Interact when particles are close
  • What are the effects of strong electric fields on air particles?
    • Air is normally an insulator
    • Strong fields can ionize air particles
    • Ionized air can conduct electricity
    • Sparks can travel through ionized air