BRAINCAKEElectric Field Strength
The electric field strength E at a point is the force per unit positive charge acting on a small test charge placed there, E = F/Q. It is measured in N C-1, which is equivalent to V m-1.
Electric field strength is a vector. Its direction is the direction of the force on a positive charge, so it points away from a positive point charge and towards a negative point charge.
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Key terms in this lesson
- electric field
- A region of space in which a charged object experiences a force due to the presence of another charge.
- electric field strength
- The force per unit charge on a small, positive test charge placed at a point in an electric field.
- point charge
- A hypothetical charged object of negligible size, whose electric field is radial.
More in Electric Fields
- Van de Graaf generator
- Electric Potential
- Equipotentials
- Potential gradient
- The Force between Two Charged Objects
- Coulombs Law
- Point Charges
- Electric Potential
All 17 lessons in Electric Fields · All OCR A-level Physics topics