W14 Activity 3 - Intro. to Electric Fields

How do electric charges 'talk' to each other?

Same charges repel and opposite charges attract.

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But how do they interact with one another without touching?

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Michael Faraday came up with the idea of an Electric Field

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Charges create Electric fields which surround them in all directions, and stretch out forever.

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The electric field is not an electric force.

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The electric field causes a force to act on a charge.​

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​The electric field from one charge causes a force on another charge.

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The other charge ALSO has an electric field, which causes a force on the original charge. This is how they inertact!

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The electric force on a charge is determined by the strength of the electric field at the location of the charge.

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Doesn't need to 'know' about the other charge, just the field.

The force a charge experiences in an Electric field is the Strength of the Electric field, multiplied by the amount of charge.

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Units for E are N/C​

A charge of 5C is placed in an electric field with strength 20N/C. What is the magnitude of the force acting on the charge?

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F_E = qE = 5*20 = 100N​

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Continue working on activity on your own or with your neighbors.