Question
When defining the electric field, why must the magnitude of the test charge be very small?
Step 1
The electric field is a vector field around a charged object where a force would be exerted on other charges. It is defined as the force per unit charge experienced by a small positive test charge placed in the field. Show more…
Show all steps
Your feedback will help us improve your experience
Timothy Vitale and 79 other educators are ready to help you.
Ask a new question
Labs
Want to see this concept in action?
Explore this concept interactively to see how it behaves as you change inputs.
Key Concepts
Recommended Videos
Why should the test charge used to measure an electric field be small?
Why must the test charge q in the definition of the electric field be vanishingly small?
Why is the magnitude of the electric field zero midway between identical point charges?
Transcript
18,000,000+
Students on Numerade
Trusted by students at 8,000+ universities
Watch the video solution with this free unlock.
EMAIL
PASSWORD