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Questions tagged [electric-fields]

For questions that utilize the concept of electric fields (commonly denoted by the letter E), or for questions whose answers likely involve electric fields. More specific than the [electricity] tag, as questions about the phenomenon & theory of electricity do not necessarily involve the discussion of fields.

For questions that utilize the concept of electric fields (commonly denoted by the letter E), or for questions whose answers likely involve electric fields. More specific than , as questions about the phenomenon & theory of electricity do not necessarily involve the discussion of fields.

4438 questions
17
votes
4 answers

Why do electric field lines curve at the edges of a uniform electric field?

I see a lot of images, including one in my textbook, like this one, where at the ends of a uniform field, field lines curve. However, I know that field lines are perpendicular to the surface. The only case I see them curving is when drawing field…
Manar
  • 377
5
votes
4 answers

Electric field lines can be taken as continuous curves in a charge-free region. Clarify

In a charge-free region, electric field lines can be taken to be continuous curves without any breaks What is meant by charge-free region? I suppose it means absence of any external charge. What if some other charge is present near the source of…
Raknos13
  • 493
4
votes
4 answers

What is an electric field?

I know that we can define electric fields by the influence they have on certain kinds of matter (in particular, the charged kind), and that they store potential energy, but my question is what actually IS an electric field? We understand that a…
The_Mad_Geometer
  • 65
3
votes
2 answers

A question about electric fields and one of their formulas

I have a question based on a task given by my physics textbook: Two identical elongated objects with identical charge are put in front of each other as in the attached picture. The objects are 0.03 metre long and 0.02 metre wide each. The electric…
Pregunto
  • 559
3
votes
3 answers

Charged sphere inside opposite charged sphere

If we enclose a negatively charged sphere inside a positively charged sphere, do we get the electric field only due to the outer sphere? If we do, how? Also, where did the negative charge went ?
M. Singh
  • 71
3
votes
3 answers

Does a conductor need to touch the battery terminal for electric field to be set up inside it?

I understand that an electric field is setup inside a conductor when it is connected to the terminals of a battery and that this field is caused by induced surface charges on the conductor. These surface charges are also responsible for 'bending'…
shunya
  • 31
2
votes
3 answers

Why does the number of lines per unit area through a perpendicular area indicative of the strength/magnitude of an electric field?

Is there an intuitive reason for why this makes sense? I thought that ultimately a test charge experiences a different force depending on its exact position in the field why would the nearby lines matter?
nemser_shwerve
  • 23
2
votes
1 answer

What is the behavior of an electric field in gel electrophoresis?

In comparing the electric field in gel electrophoresis to that of a parallel plate capacitor (PPC), what would be the difference between them? What I mean is, PPCs are known for their constant fields. Gel electrophoresis is accomplished by placing…
abyssmu
  • 23
2
votes
3 answers

Can two electric field lines merge into each other?

Two electric field lines can never intersect because electric field at a point is unique but can the 2 vectors add up to give a single vector.Will both of them merge into a single field line?
Anamika Mahankakdi
  • 19
2
votes
1 answer

Is anything exchanged in the occurence of an electric field

I was wondering if there is anything exchanged during the occurrence of an electric field. Are photons exchanged, are electrons exchanged. Or is this just force acting up and not actually changing the properties of 2 objects creating an electric…
chromechris
  • 123
2
votes
0 answers

Polarisation inside a sphere

Why is the electric field inside a uniformly polarised sphere not zero? I am confused because charge enclosed is zero and by Gauss' law electric field has to be zero.
Tejas P
  • 989
2
votes
3 answers

right hand rule using left hand?

im kind of confused, the right hand rule is used to know where the direction the magnetic field created by the current is going . is there any particular reason why the right hand is used to determine the direction of the Magnetic field?
jeo
  • 21
1
vote
1 answer

What is the dominant force in the atom between the nucleus and the electrons?

This is a trivial question that is not usually considered in the basic statements on electron-nucleus interaction. We are talking about excited states and ground states of the electrons or about the changes in the probability of presence of the…
HolgerFiedler
  • 10,334
1
vote
3 answers

Macroscopic vs microscopic electric fields

What exactly is the difference between macroscopic and microscopic electric fields? Is the macroscopic one just the average of the micro over some not-to-small volume?
Ahmed Samir
  • 458
1
vote
1 answer

Electric Field inside a hollow ball, excentred of a homogeneous charged ball

Q: We have a homogeneous charged ball with radius R which contains a ball-shaped hollow (with radius := r and distance from center of the bigger ball (M) to the center of the hollow (N) := b). What’s now the field force inside the hollow, depending…
user20486
  • 75
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