Electric Fields Flashcards

All 6 cards in this deck

What is an electric field?

The region around a charged object where another charged object experiences a force.

How does electric field strength vary with distance from a charged object?

It is strongest close to the object and gets weaker as distance increases.

What does the electric field pattern around an isolated charged sphere look like?

Straight lines spread out evenly all around the sphere (radial lines), drawn from the centre outwards.

Which way do electric field lines point around a charged sphere?

Away from a positively charged sphere, towards a negatively charged sphere.

True or false? The electric field around an isolated charged sphere is drawn as circles going round the sphere.

False. The field lines are straight and radial, pointing directly in to or out of the sphere.

What happens to the force on a charged object as it is moved closer to another charged object?

The force gets stronger, because the field is stronger closer to the charged object.