- #1
Coffee_
- 259
- 2
From what I understood, a vector can be either covariant or contravariant. Which one this is will depend on how the coordinates of this vector transform under a coordinate transformation. Let's take a look at the electric field then:
##\vec{E}=-\nabla{V}##, so here it looks as if the electric field is covariant.
However if we have a particle in space, it will accelerate due to this electric field and now the electric field can be expressed as :
##\vec{E}=c\vec{a}## where ##\vec{a}## is contravariant , and so here it looks like the electric field is contravariant.
So is my understanding about vectors being either covariant or contravariant incorrect?
##\vec{E}=-\nabla{V}##, so here it looks as if the electric field is covariant.
However if we have a particle in space, it will accelerate due to this electric field and now the electric field can be expressed as :
##\vec{E}=c\vec{a}## where ##\vec{a}## is contravariant , and so here it looks like the electric field is contravariant.
So is my understanding about vectors being either covariant or contravariant incorrect?