Answer to Question #156495 in Electricity and Magnetism for Viccy

Question

What is electric field.

Answer 1

Electric field can be defined as the electric force exerted by the charge distribution on the infinitesimally small positive test charge divided by the test charge:

$$E=\dfrac{F}{q_0}.$$

The direction of the electric field is the direction of the force that the positive test charge experiences. The electric field is radially outward from a positive charge and radially in toward a negative point charge.