Otis Singleton
An electric field is a physical field that surrounds electrically charged particles such as electrons. It can be thought of as the force per unit of charge exerted on an infinitesimal test charge at rest at a certain point in space. The SI unit for the electric field is the volt per meter (V/m), which is equal to the newton per coulomb (N/C). The electric field is defined in terms of force, and force is a vector (i.e. having both magnitude and direction), so it follows that an electric field may be described by a vector field.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Definition | A physical field that surrounds electrically charged particles such as electrons. |
| Formula | E = F/q |
| SI Unit | Newton per coulomb (N/C) or volt per meter (V/m) |
| Other Units | Dynes per electrostatic unit (esu), equivalent to statvolts per centimetre |
| Direction | The direction of the force on a positive charge is chosen arbitrarily as the direction of the electric field. |
| Strength | The strength of the electric field depends on the source charge, not the test charge. |
| Magnitude | The magnitude of the electric field decreases with the inverse square of the distance from the charge. |
| Relation with Magnetic Field | The electric field with an accompanying magnetic field is propagated through space as a radiated wave at the same speed as light. |
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What You'll Learn
- The unit for electric field is newtons per coulomb (N/C)
- This is equivalent to volts per meter (V/m)
- The unit is derived from the electric field's definition as force per unit charge
- The SI unit is used in the metre-kilogram-second system
- The centimetre-gram-second system uses dynes per electrostatic unit
The unit for electric field is newtons per coulomb (N/C)
The unit for the electric field is newtons per coulomb (N/C). An electric field is a physical field that surrounds electrically charged particles such as electrons. It is the region around a charged body within which it can exert its electrostatic influence. The electric field is defined as a vector field that associates to each point in space the force per unit of charge exerted on an infinitesimal test charge at rest at that point. The SI unit for the electric field is the volt per meter (V/m), which is equal to the newton per coulomb (N/C). The electric field is defined in terms of force, and force is a vector (i.e. it has both magnitude and direction), so the electric field may be described by a vector field.
The electric field acts between two charges similarly to the way that the gravitational field acts between two masses, as they both obey an inverse-square law with distance. This is the basis for Coulomb's law, which states that, for stationary charges, the electric field varies with the source charge and varies inversely with the square of the distance. The greater the magnitude of the charges, the greater the force, and the greater the distance between them, the weaker the force. The strength of an electric field E at any point may be defined as the electric, or Coulomb, force F exerted per unit positive electric charge q at that point, or simply E = F/q.
The electric field may be thought of as the force per unit positive charge that would be exerted before the field is disturbed by the presence of the test charge. The direction of the force that is exerted on a negative charge is opposite that which is exerted on a positive charge. Because an electric field has both magnitude and direction, the direction of the force on a positive charge is chosen arbitrarily as the direction of the electric field. Positive charges repel each other, so the electric field around an isolated positive charge is oriented radially outward. When they are represented by lines of force, or field lines, electric fields are depicted as starting on positive charges and terminating on negative charges.
The unit of the electric field in the metre-kilogram-second and SI systems is newtons per coulomb, equivalent to volts per metre. In the centimetre-gram-second system, the electric field is expressed in units of dynes per electrostatic unit (esu), equivalent to statvolts per centimetre.
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This is equivalent to volts per meter (V/m)
The unit for the electric field is the volt per meter (V/m). This is equivalent to newtons per coulomb (N/C) in the SI unit system. The SI base units for the electric field are kg⋅m⋅s−3⋅A−1.
The electric field is defined as a vector field that associates to each point in space the force per unit of charge exerted on an infinitesimal test charge at rest at that point. The electric field is defined in terms of force, and force is a vector (i.e. having both magnitude and direction), so the electric field may be described by a vector field.
The electric field acts between two charges similarly to the way that the gravitational field acts between two masses, as they both obey an inverse-square law with distance. This is the basis for Coulomb's law, which states that, for stationary charges, the electric field varies with the source charge and varies inversely with the square of the distance from the source charge.
The intensity or strength of an electric field, E, can be defined by placing a small test charge, Q, in an electric field. This charge will then experience a force, F. The ratio of the force to the charge is the intensity of the electric field, or simply the electric field. This can be written as the equation F = QE.
The SI units of electric field are newtons per coulomb, or N C-1, which is equivalent to volts per meter.
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The unit is derived from the electric field's definition as force per unit charge
An electric field is a physical field that surrounds electrically charged particles such as electrons. It is a vector field that associates to each point in space the force per unit of charge exerted on an infinitesimal test charge at rest at that point. The unit of the electric field is derived from this definition, as force per unit charge.
The SI unit for the electric field is the volt per meter (V/m), which is equal to the newton per coulomb (N/C). In the centimetre-gram-second system, the electric field is expressed in units of dynes per electrostatic unit (esu), which is equivalent to statvolts per centimetre.
The electric field is defined at each point in space as the force that would be experienced by an infinitesimally small stationary test charge at that point, divided by the charge. The field and the force are in the same direction, and the electric field is a vector quantity. The electric field acts between two charges, similarly to how the gravitational field acts between two masses.
The strength of an electric field E at any point may be defined as the electric, or Coulomb, force F exerted per unit positive electric charge q at that point, or simply E = F/q. The electric field may be thought of as the force per unit positive charge that would be exerted before the field is disturbed by the presence of the test charge. The direction of the force that is exerted on a negative charge is opposite that which is exerted on a positive charge.
The electric field may also be defined as an electric property that is associated with a certain point in space when some form of charge is present. The magnitude and direction of the electric field are expressed by the value of E, called electric field strength or electric field intensity.
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The SI unit is used in the metre-kilogram-second system
An electric field is a physical field that surrounds electrically charged particles such as electrons. It is a vector field that associates to each point in space the force per unit of charge exerted on an infinitesimal test charge at rest at that point. The strength of an electric field at any point may be defined as the electric, or Coulomb, force exerted per unit positive electric charge at that point. The SI unit of the electric field is the volt per meter (V/m), which is equal to the newton per coulomb (N/C).
In the metre-kilogram-second and SI systems, the appropriate units are newtons per coulomb, equivalent to volts per metre. The SI unit for the electric field is derived from the metre-kilogram-second system, which is based on fundamental units of length, mass, and time. In this system, the unit of length is the metre, defined as the distance travelled by light in a vacuum during a specific fraction of a second. The unit of mass is the kilogram, originally defined as the mass of one litre of water but now defined in terms of fundamental constants. The unit of time, the second, is now defined in terms of the vibrations of caesium atoms.
Using these base units, the SI unit of the electric field is defined as newtons per coulomb. This unit is derived from the force exerted per unit of charge, with force measured in newtons and charge measured in coulombs. The newton is the SI unit of force, equal to the force required to accelerate one kilogram of mass by one meter per second every second. The coulomb is the SI unit of electric charge, equal to the charge transported by a current of one ampere in one second.
The SI unit of the electric field is also expressed as volts per meter, with one volt equal to one newton-metre per coulomb. This unit is commonly used in electrical engineering and represents the potential difference or voltage between two points in an electric field. The volt is a derived unit, defined as the potential difference that would create one joule of energy per coulomb of charge.
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The centimetre-gram-second system uses dynes per electrostatic unit
The unit for electric field is the volt per meter (V/m), which is equal to the newton per coulomb (N/C). This is the SI unit of the electric field.
The centimetre-gram-second system, or CGS, is a predecessor of the modern SI. In the CGS system, the unit of force is the dyne, which is defined as 1 g⋅cm/s2. The dyne is derived from the Ancient Greek 'dúnamis', meaning power or force. One dyne is equal to 10 micronewtons, 10−5 N or to 10 nsn (nanosthenes) in the old metre–tonne–second system of units.
In the CGS system, the unit of charge is the franklin, which is equal to a centimetre times the square root of a dyne. The CGS system also has the unit of current, the biot, which is equal to the square root of a dyne.
In electromagnetic CGS units, a franklin is equal to:
> 1 statcoulomb = 1 esu charge = 1 dyne^(1/2) x cm = 1 g^(1/2) x cm^(3/2) x s^-1
Similarly, in electromagnetic CGS units, a biot is equal to:
> 1 abampere = 1 emu current = 1 dyne^(1/2) = 1 g^(1/2) x cm^(1/2) x s^-1
Converting between CGS and SI units for measurements of electromagnetic phenomena is less straightforward than for mechanical systems. Formulas for physical laws of electromagnetism take a form that depends on which system of units is being used, because the electromagnetic quantities are defined differently in SI and in CGS.
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Frequently asked questions
An electric field is a physical field that surrounds electrically charged particles such as electrons.
The SI unit for the electric field is the volt per meter (V/m), which is equal to the newton per coulomb (N/C).
The formula for the unit of the electric field is F = Q*E, where F is force and Q is charge.
The unit of the electric field in the centimetre-gram-second system is dynes per electrostatic unit (esu), which is equivalent to statvolts per centimetre.
The unit of the electric field in the metre-kilogram-second system is the same as the SI unit: newtons per coulomb, equivalent to volts per meter.
