Question

Is electric field a vector?

Answer 1

Yes, the electric field is a vector. This means it has both magnitude (how strong it is) and direction (which way it points).

1. The magnitude of the electric field tells you how strong the force is that a charged object would feel in that field.
   

1. The direction of the electric field tells you the direction that a positive test charge would move if placed in that field.
   

So, when you describe the electric field, you use both a number (for the strength) and a direction, which makes it a vector quantity.

For example, the electric field created by a positive charge points away from the charge, while for a negative charge, the field points towards it.