Force Fields

• What is a force field?

  A region where a body experiences a non-contact force
• What happens to a body in a force field?

  It may move, interact, or deform
• What is a non-contact force?

  A force that acts without physical contact
• What causes force fields to arise?

  Interactions between bodies or particles
• What do static or moving charged particles experience?

  A force in an electric field
• What do moving charged particles experience?

  A force in a magnetic field
• What do particles with mass experience?

  A force in a gravitational field
• How can the direction of a force field be represented?

  As a vector determined by inspection
• What does the direction of the vector in a force field indicate?

  The direction of the force on a body
• How are force fields visually represented?

  By field lines or lines of force
• How does a force field act on a three-dimensional object?

  It acts over the whole object
• How can spherical objects be approximated in a force field?

  As a point mass
• What do field lines show in a force field?

  The direction of the force exerted
• What do vector field lines indicate in a gravitational field?

  The direction of the gravitational force