Electric Fields and Charge Behavior

These flashcards cover key concepts about electric fields, charge behavior, and principles related to conductors and electric forces.

What is the electric field represented as and why?

The electric field is represented as an arrow because it is a vector quantity.

What factors can be adjusted to increase the electric field strength between parallel plates?

Increase the magnitude of the charge on both plates, decrease the distance between the plates, or decrease the area of the plates.

What happens to the charge on conducting surfaces?

The charge spreads out and reaches equilibrium, concentrating at sharper points of the surface.

What is the principle behind lightning rods?

Lightning rods attract lightning to a point to safely direct it to the ground.

What occurs inside a conductor when excess charge is applied?

The electric field inside a conductor becomes zero due to the redistribution of charge.

Describe the Faraday cage and its function.

A Faraday cage shields its interior from external electric fields, maintaining zero electric field inside.

What does Coulomb's law relate to electric fields?

Coulomb's law establishes a relationship between electric force and the amount of charge, defining the electric field as force per unit charge.

How does the direction of force on positive and negative charges in an electric field differ?

A positive charge moves in the direction of the electric field, while a negative charge moves against it.

Describe the behavior of a dipole in a uniform electric field.

A dipole will align itself with the electric field, with the positive end pointing in the direction of the field.

What is the relationship between the electric field created by a dipole and an external electric field?

The dipole generates its own electric field, but when placed in an external electric field, it interacts with that field.