Electric Field Between Two Charges
Visualize the electric field and forces between point charges
+3 μC
-3 μC
20 cm
Electric Field at Midpoint (E)
5.4 × 10⁶ N/C
Force on Test Charge (F)
8.1 × 10⁻³ N
Physics Principles
E = kq/r² (Electric field due to point charge)
F = qE (Force on test charge)
F = qE (Force on test charge)
Where:
- E = Electric field (N/C)
- F = Force (N)
- k = Coulomb's constant (9 × 10⁹ Nm²/C²)
- q = Charge (C)
- r = Distance from charge (m)
Key Observations
- Electric fields from multiple charges add vectorially
- Positive charges create outward fields, negative charges create inward fields
- At midpoint between equal but opposite charges, fields add constructively
- Force on test charge follows F = qE and depends on test charge sign
