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Electric field strength

A charged object placed in an electric field will experience a force.The electric field strength at a point in an electric field - E - is the force per unit charge on a small, positive test charge placed in the field at that pointThe unit is NC-1
E = F/Q
Example
If a charge of 4.5μC experiences a force of 90mN then the electric field strength at that point is given by E=90×10-3/4.5×10-6
= 2.0×104NC-1.

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Specification: AQA Physics (7408), A-level, 3.7.3.2 Electric field strength. Topic: Electric Fields.

Key terms in this lesson

Centripetal force
The resultant force, directed towards the centre of a circle, needed to keep an object moving in that circular path.
Motor effect
The force experienced by a current-carrying conductor placed in an external magnetic field, resulting from the interaction between the field and the field created by the current.

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