No, E can be constant regardless of the distance between two charges.

In summary: The electric field strength at a point is the electric force acting per unit charge on a test charge placed at that point (ignore the nuances about small positive test charge blah blah blah for now). And yes, the electric force acting on a charge placed say a distance away from a point charge does depend on the distance of that charge from the point charge. In a uniform electric field, the electric field strength at a point is the same for all charges. However, in the case of a homogeneous electric field, the electric field strength is the same for all charges if they are placed at the same point. Additionally, the electric field strength is the same for all charges if they are added at the same point.
  • #1
aloshi
80
0
The electric field strength E is defined as the number of Newton force that each Coulomb charging is affected by where it ends up in the electric field.
my question:
How can E be constant? distance does not play any role?

is it right to say:
E is the same (constant) if and only if there is a homogeneous electric field, or only, and only if the various charges are added at the same point as E becomes constant?

is it right?
 
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  • #2
Eh...I had some trouble understanding what you were trying to say, but anyways I think I've got the gist of it.

You are right in thinking that E is not constant generally, except in the case of a uniform electric field. What I'm not sure about is why were you led into your question of "how can E be constant" from the definition of the electric field strength E? The electric field strength at a point is the electric force acting per unit charge on a test charge placed at that point (ignore the nuances about small positive test charge blah blah blah for now). And yes, the electric force acting on a charge placed say a distance away from a point charge does depend on the distance of that charge from the point charge.
 
  • #3
what is the difference between place a test charge or a "big" charge
 
  • #4
aloshi said:
what is the difference between place a test charge or a "big" charge
Usually a test charge is a charge assumed to be small enough such that it does not alter the electric field; "big" charges will have nonnegligible effects on the electric field in the region.
 
  • #5
what is it determines the field direction?
 
  • #6
The direction of the electric field at a point is in the direction of the electric force experienced by a positive test charge placed at that point in the field.
 
  • #7
Fightfish said:
The direction of the electric field at a point is in the direction of the electric force experienced by a positive test charge placed at that point in the field.

why justett positive charge? why not a negative charge?
 
  • #8
It's just simply a matter of convention; the electric field has to point in a particular direction, so physicists historically chose to make it in the direction of the electric force experienced by a positive charge. The force experienced by a negative charge would be in the opposite direction.
 
  • #9
[tex]E=\frac{F}{q}=\frac{k\frac{Qq}{r^2}}{q}=k\frac{Q}{r^2}[/tex]
Electrical field strength is therefore only depending on the charge Q and the distance r. The field's direction is given according to the convention that q is positive.

http://www.pluggakuten.se/wiki/images/2/23/F%C3%A4.JPG
1)
the picture shows three identical reports whose charge is +Q on everyone, the distance between them is equal. how comes the the electrical field strength to last in the point C? therefore which direction comes it to last there?
can one explain why it becomes so?

2)
another thing is homogeneous field strength?? there is of course one posetiv side and a negative side. so how can one know the field strength if it is for a posetiv charge or negative charge
 
Last edited by a moderator:

1. Can E ever be constant between two charges?

Yes, E can be constant regardless of the distance between two charges. This is because E represents the electric field strength, which is a measure of the force experienced by a unit charge at a certain point in space. As long as the magnitude and direction of the charges remain the same, the electric field strength will also remain constant.

2. Does the distance between two charges affect the value of E?

Yes, the distance between two charges does affect the value of E. According to Coulomb's Law, the electric force between two charges is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. This means that as the distance increases, the electric field strength decreases.

3. Is E always constant in an electric field?

No, E is not always constant in an electric field. The electric field strength can vary depending on the distribution of charges and the distance from the charges. In some cases, the electric field strength may be constant, while in others it may change in magnitude and direction.

4. Can E be constant for both positive and negative charges?

Yes, E can be constant for both positive and negative charges. Since electric field strength is a vector quantity, it takes into account both magnitude and direction. If the charges have the same magnitude but opposite signs, the electric field strength will be constant at all points between them.

5. How does the medium between two charges affect the value of E?

The medium between two charges can affect the value of E. The electric field strength in a vacuum is different from that in a medium, such as air or water. This is because the medium can alter the strength and direction of the electric field due to its dielectric properties. In some cases, the electric field strength may be constant in a vacuum but change in a medium.

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