PHYS 2002 Lecture : Lecture 3
Document Summary
So a charged object fills all space with an electric field. And we can do this by using a positive test charge. Let"s start simple and try to map out the field lines around a positive point charge: Move the test charge around the point charge and note the direction of the force on it. *notice that the force vector arrows get shorter as we go farther away from the charge, since the force gets smaller. *the electrical field lines of a positive point charge point radially outward away from the charge and fill all space. By a similar construction, we can show that the field lines around a negative point charge look like this: i. e. the field lines around a negative charge point radially in toward the charge. Electric field lines always start at and are directed away from positive charges and always end at and are directed toward negative charges.
