How Do You Visualize and Estimate the Electric Field Around a Charged Rod?

In summary, the conversation discusses how to determine the magnitude and direction of the electric field at a point above and to the side of a long thin rod with a positive charge on it. It is suggested to use Coulomb's law and imagine a positive test charge at the point to determine the direction of the field. To find the magnitude without using math, one can draw vectors from points on the rod to the point and determine the magnitude of each vector. However, determining the magnitude without math may be difficult to explain.
  • #1
sijanranabhat
1
0
i have a test, and i can't find a answer to this question .
" Draw the general shape of the electric field in the region surrounding a long thin rod of length L with a positive charge on it. At a point P above and to the side of the rod, describe in detail without math, how to determine the magnitude and direction of the field at that point."
somebody please help me
 
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  • #2
I think, to solve this problem, you will need to imagine that there is a test positive charge at point P. Based on Couloumb force, you know that direction of C. force at P is away from the rod. You also know that directions of force and e. field is parallel (in case of positive charge) ==> ...

About how to determining a magnitude of e. field without math, you may draw e.field vectors from several points in the rod to point P. Each point will create e.field with magnitude dE at P. Using vectors to find value of dE in each axis ==> ...

p/s: i am not sure about how to determine magnitude of e.field without math. It is too hard to explain :(

Hope this help.
 

FAQ: How Do You Visualize and Estimate the Electric Field Around a Charged Rod?

What is an electric field?

An electric field is a physical quantity that describes the influence of electric charges on each other. It is a vector field, meaning it has both magnitude and direction, and is created by the presence of electric charges.

How is electric field strength measured?

Electric field strength is measured in units of volts per meter (V/m) in the International System of Units (SI). This unit is calculated by dividing the force on a test charge by the magnitude of the charge.

How do you calculate the electric field at a specific point in space?

The electric field at a specific point in space can be calculated using the equation E = kQ/r^2, where k is the Coulomb's constant, Q is the charge creating the field, and r is the distance between the charge and the point of interest.

What are the different types of electric fields?

There are two types of electric fields: uniform and non-uniform. A uniform electric field has the same strength and direction at all points in space, while a non-uniform electric field has varying strength and direction at different points.

How are electric fields and electric potential related?

Electric potential is a scalar quantity that is related to electric fields through the equation V = Ed, where V is the potential difference, E is the electric field strength, and d is the distance between two points. In other words, electric potential is the amount of work required to move a unit charge between two points in an electric field.

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