Electric Fields Flashcards

All 6 cards in this deck

Define an electric field.

A region where an electric charge experiences a force.

Describe the shape and direction of the electric field around a positive point charge.

Straight radial lines spread out evenly all round it, with arrows pointing away from the charge.

True or false? The field lines around a negative point charge point outwards, away from the charge.

False. They are radial but point inwards, towards the negative charge.

Describe the electric field between two parallel charged plates.

Straight, equally spaced parallel lines (a uniform field), arrowed from the positive plate to the negative plate.

What does the arrow on an electric field line show?

The direction of the force on a positive charge placed at that point.

How is the strength of an electric field shown by its field lines?

The closer together the lines, the stronger the field.