The Electric Field
Electric charges modify the space around them--> concept of electric field
This electric field is manifested by the force acting on charges
Concept of electric field is analogous with the concept of gravitational field
Definition: The value of the electric field (E) at any point in space is equal to the force experienced by one unit of positive charge at that point
electric field is a vector:
- electric field can be represented by a set of arrows around the object
(size of the arrows representing the magnitude of the field)
- electric field can be represented by a set of continuous lines starting from positive charges and ending at negative ones (density of the lines ~ intensity of the field)