Is electric field intensity a scalar or vector quantity?
2 Answers
Electric field intensity is a vector quantity. It has both magnitude and direction, which means it describes the strength and direction of the electric field at a given point in space. The vector nature of electric field intensity allows us to understand how the field influences charged particles, including the direction in which a positive test charge would move.
Electric field intensity is a vector quantity. It describes the force per unit charge experienced by a positive test charge placed in the field. The vector nature of the electric field intensity is due to its direction and magnitude:
- **Magnitude**: The size of the electric field intensity, which depends on the source charges and their arrangement.
- **Direction**: The direction in which a positive test charge would move if placed in the field. This direction is away from positive charges and towards negative charges.
Mathematically, the electric field intensity \(\mathbf{E}\) is defined as:
\[ \mathbf{E} = \frac{\mathbf{F}}{q} \]
where \(\mathbf{F}\) is the force experienced by a test charge \(q\). Because both force and charge are vectors, the electric field intensity inherits the vector nature from these quantities.
- **Magnitude**: The size of the electric field intensity, which depends on the source charges and their arrangement.
- **Direction**: The direction in which a positive test charge would move if placed in the field. This direction is away from positive charges and towards negative charges.
Mathematically, the electric field intensity \(\mathbf{E}\) is defined as:
\[ \mathbf{E} = \frac{\mathbf{F}}{q} \]
where \(\mathbf{F}\) is the force experienced by a test charge \(q\). Because both force and charge are vectors, the electric field intensity inherits the vector nature from these quantities.