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Electric Field Strength Equation:
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Electric field strength (e) is a measure of the electric force (f) per unit charge (q) experienced by a test charge placed in the field. It's a vector quantity that describes the electric force per unit charge that would be exerted on a positive test charge at a given point in space.
The calculator uses the electric field strength equation:
Where:
Explanation: The equation shows that electric field strength is directly proportional to the force and inversely proportional to the charge.
Details: Calculating electric field strength is fundamental in electromagnetism, helping understand how charges interact with each other and with electric fields. It's crucial for designing electrical systems, analyzing electromagnetic phenomena, and solving physics problems.
Tips: Enter force in newtons (N) and charge in coulombs (C). Both values must be positive numbers. The calculator will compute the electric field strength in newtons per coulomb (N/C).
Q1: What are typical units for electric field strength?
A: The SI unit is newtons per coulomb (N/C), but volts per meter (V/m) is also commonly used (1 N/C = 1 V/m).
Q2: How does electric field strength relate to potential difference?
A: Electric field is the negative gradient of electric potential. In a uniform field, E = V/d where V is potential difference and d is distance.
Q3: What is a typical electric field strength value?
A: Near a point charge, it can be very large (thousands of N/C). In household wiring, it's typically a few hundred V/m. Atmospheric electric fields are about 100 V/m in fair weather.
Q4: Can electric field strength be negative?
A: The magnitude is always positive, but the direction (represented by the sign in one-dimensional problems) can be negative, indicating opposite direction to the reference.
Q5: How does distance affect electric field strength?
A: For a point charge, electric field strength decreases with the square of the distance from the charge (inverse square law).