Answer :
The unit of measurement for an electric field is C) Volts per metre.
An electric field is a vector field that represents the electric force per unit charge exerted on a positive test charge at any point in space. It is a fundamental concept in physics and is vital for understanding various phenomena related to electricity and magnetism.
How is the unit derived?
Understanding Voltage and Distance:
- "Volts" refers to voltage, which is the potential difference between two points. It indicates how much potential energy per charge is available to move electrons from one point to another.
- "Metre" is a unit of distance in the International System of Units (SI).
Electric Field Definition:
- The electric field [tex]E[/tex] is defined as the voltage [tex]V[/tex] across a certain distance [tex]d[/tex]. Mathematically, the electric field is calculated using the formula:
[tex]E = \frac{V}{d}[/tex]
where [tex]E[/tex] is the electric field in volts per metre (V/m), [tex]V[/tex] is the voltage in volts, and [tex]d[/tex] is the distance in metres.
- The electric field [tex]E[/tex] is defined as the voltage [tex]V[/tex] across a certain distance [tex]d[/tex]. Mathematically, the electric field is calculated using the formula:
Why Volts per Metre?
- The electric field represents how much force is exerted on charges in a space and shows how the potential energy (voltage) changes within a specific distance (metre).
Understanding electric fields is crucial in high school physics as it explains how electric forces operate and is applied in many practical areas like capacitors and electromagnetic waves. It's also foundational knowledge for further studies in electrical engineering and technology.
