- #1
DaTario
- 1,059
- 42
This question bothers me since ever...
At a given time in a EM course, we stop talking of forces relation between two particles and start conceiving electric interaction as something where one of the charges acts upon the whole space and the other, since it occupies some portion of the space, suffers the consequences of being in an altered space. In this altered space the "who suffers" particle experiences acceleration, which is an evidence that the other particle, the "who acts upon space" particle causes the space to be an out-of-equilibrium ground.
But soon, the teacher comes with the observation that, in order to attach a physically stable meaning to the electric field, one must measure it (the field) with small enough "who suffers" charges (test charges), since larger charge values in the "who suffers" particles will imply forces on the "who acts" charged particles, which will probably change its positions and thus changing the "who acts" action (Electric field).
I have a strange feeling that electric field is not a physically stable concept.
Does any have a comment on this subject ?
Best Wishes
DaTario
At a given time in a EM course, we stop talking of forces relation between two particles and start conceiving electric interaction as something where one of the charges acts upon the whole space and the other, since it occupies some portion of the space, suffers the consequences of being in an altered space. In this altered space the "who suffers" particle experiences acceleration, which is an evidence that the other particle, the "who acts upon space" particle causes the space to be an out-of-equilibrium ground.
But soon, the teacher comes with the observation that, in order to attach a physically stable meaning to the electric field, one must measure it (the field) with small enough "who suffers" charges (test charges), since larger charge values in the "who suffers" particles will imply forces on the "who acts" charged particles, which will probably change its positions and thus changing the "who acts" action (Electric field).
I have a strange feeling that electric field is not a physically stable concept.
Does any have a comment on this subject ?
Best Wishes
DaTario
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