The CGS (Centimeter-Gram-Second) system is an older system of units that was commonly used before the adoption of the SI (International System of Units). In the CGS system, electric field intensity is measured using different units compared to the SI system.
In the CGS system, the unit of electric field intensity is the **statvolt per centimeter** (statV/cm). To understand this unit, it's helpful to break it down:
1. **Statvolt (statV)**: This is the unit of electric potential in the CGS electrostatic system. One statvolt is defined such that an electric field of 1 statvolt per centimeter exerts a force of 1 dyne on a unit charge (the statcoulomb).
2. **Centimeter (cm)**: This is a unit of length in the CGS system.
Thus, 1 statvolt per centimeter (statV/cm) represents the electric field intensity that corresponds to an electric potential difference of 1 statvolt across 1 centimeter.
For comparison, in the SI system, the unit of electric field intensity is the volt per meter (V/m). The relationship between the two systems is not straightforward due to the different ways they define and measure electric charge and potential. However, in the CGS system, the electric field intensity is fundamentally tied to the electrostatic unit of charge (statcoulomb) and the resulting forces it produces.