electric field: Quick Facts

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Facts

Also Known As	electrostatic field

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Electric field lines near equal but opposite charges

Diagram showing electric field lines as dashed curves radiating from a blue circle and bending around a red L-shaped object, with denser lines indicating stronger electric fields.

Diagram of an electromagnetic wave showing two perpendicular oscillating fields: electric field (E) and magnetic field (B), both at right angles to the direction of wave propagation (c). Wavelength is marked as lambda.

Figure 3: Focusing action of a radial electrostatic field produced by two semicylindrical charged electrodes on a monoenergetic beam of ions. The ions diverging from point A are brought to a focus at point B.

Two diagrams compare electric fields: on the left, arrows radiate outward from a red sphere with a plus sign, showing the field of a positive charge; on the right, arrows point inward toward a blue sphere with a minus sign, showing the field of a negative charge.

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Topics

built-in electric field electric wind electric field strength electricity field magnetic field electromagnetic field quantum field theory line of force general relativity

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Italian-born physicist Dr. Enrico Fermi draws a diagram at a blackboard with mathematical equations. circa 1950.

Physics and Natural Law