Electric fields

• Electric field


  a field surrounding a charged object where other charged objects will experience a (non-contact) force

  
• Where an electric field is strongest

  Close to the charged object creating it
• Charged object


  An object that has gained a positive or negative charge

  
• Relationship between field strength and distance

  The further away from the charged object, the weaker the field
• Non-contact force


  The force exerted between two objects, even when they are not touching

  
• When charged objects experience non-contact forces

  When one charged object is placed in the field of a second charged object
• Relationship between force and distance

  The force gets stronger as the distance between two charged objects decreases
• Direction of electric field lines

  Positive to negative

  
• Uniform electric field


  When the field lines are equally spaced and acting in the same direction (parallel)

  
• Example of a uniform electric field

  Between two parallel, oppositely charged plates

  
• Radial electric field


  When the field lines spread out from a single point

  
• Example of a radial electric field

  The field surrounding any charged particle

  
• Electric field around an electron

  Radial field, with field lines going towards the electron

  
• Electric field around a proton

  Radial field, with field lines going away from the proton