What is the electric field strength?

[rayhan619]

Homework Statement

50 pJ of energy is stored in a 2.0 cm*2.0 cm*2.0 cm region of uniform electric field.
What is the electric field strength?

Homework Equations

not sure

The Attempt at a Solution

not sure how to start this problem

 

[LowlyPion]

Maybe this will give you a start?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_field#Energy_in_the_electric_field

 

[nlightner]

The electric field strength is a measure of the force per unit charge experienced by a charged particle in an electric field. It is typically denoted by the symbol E and its units are newtons per coulomb (N/C). In order to determine the electric field strength in this scenario, we can use the formula:

E = W/Q

Where E is the electric field strength, W is the energy stored in the electric field, and Q is the total charge in the field. In this case, we are given the energy stored (W = 50 pJ) and the dimensions of the region (2.0 cm * 2.0 cm * 2.0 cm), but we do not have information about the charge. Therefore, we cannot determine the electric field strength without more information.

If we assume that the electric field is created by a point charge at the center of the region, we can calculate the charge using the formula:

Q = 4πε0r^2

Where Q is the charge, ε0 is the permittivity of free space (8.85 x 10^-12 C^2/Nm^2), and r is the distance from the center of the region (in this case, r = 1 cm). Plugging in the values, we get Q = 4πε0(0.01 m)^2 = 1.11 x 10^-12 C.

Now, we can use the formula E = W/Q to calculate the electric field strength:

E = (50 x 10^-12 J)/(1.11 x 10^-12 C) = 45 N/C

Therefore, the electric field strength in this scenario is 45 N/C. However, please note that this is only an estimation based on the assumptions made, and the actual value may differ depending on the specific details of the electric field.