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Inthelanguageofphysicsafieldisaspacewhereobjectsexperienceaforce.Thefieldcanberepresentedbylinesshowingthedirectionoftheforcetheobjectexperiencesinthefield.
GravitationalField
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Showfieldlines
Dragthemanalongthegroundtoadifferentposition.Nowclicktheball.Thegravitationalfieldwilldoworkontheballcausingittoacceleratealongthegravitationalfieldlines.
Fields
FactusestXII,MMXIX
Inthelanguageofphysicsafieldisaspacewhereobjectsexperienceaforce.Thefieldcanberepresentedbylinesshowingthedirectionoftheforcetheobjectexperiencesinthefield.Thecloserthelinesaretogetherthestrongertheforceexperiencedbytheobject.
GravitationalField
Reset
ShowGravitationalfieldlines
ViewedfromouterspacetheEarth’sgravitationalfieldisradialandpointstowardsthecentreoftheEarth.Thismeansmasseswillexperienceaforcetowardsthecentreoftheearth.
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Fields
FactusestXII,MMXIX
ElectricFields
Electricchargessuchasprotonsandelectronsexperienceforcesofattractionandrepulsion.ThismeansthataroundachargedparticletheremustexistandElectricField.
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Theelectricfieldaroundapositivechargeisradial,justlikethespokesofabicyclewheel.Thearrowsshowthedirectionoftheelectricfieldexperiencedbyaverysmallpositivechargeandthusthedirectionoftheforceexperiencedbythesmallpositivecharge.
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NoticethatthesmallnegativechargesmoveintheoppositedirectiontotheElectricfieldarrows.
negativecharge
positivecharge
Fields
FactusestXII,MMXIX
Whenapositivechargeismovedagainsttheelectricfieldlinesworkhastobedoneontheelectriccharge.Thisissimilartoliftingupamassagainstagravitationalfield.Letthemassgoanditacceleratestotheground.Thegravitationalfielddoesworkonthemass.Theworkdoneonthepositivechargemovingitagainsttheelectricfieldistransferredintoelectricalpotentialenergy.Whenreleasedthiselectricalpotentialenergyistransferredtokineticenergy.
Workdoneinmovinganelectriccharge
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Workbeingdoneontheelectricchargeasitismovedagainsttheelectricfield.
Workdoneonchargebyelectricfield
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Ifittakes1jouletomove1coulombofelectricchargefromoneplatetotheother,itissaidthetheelectricalpotentialdifferencebetweentheplatesis1volt.
V=WQ
Definitionofthevolt
Fields
FactusestXII,MMXIX