Electric field strength is a quantitative expression of the intensity of an electric field at a particular location. The standard unit is the volt per meter (v/m or v · m -1 ). A field strength of 1 v/m represents a potential difference of one volt between points separated by one meter.
Next Steps
-
volt per meter (V/m)
The standard unit of electric field (E-field) s...
(WhatIs.com) -
charge (electric charge)
In physics, charge, also known as electric char...
(SearchCIO-Midmarket.com)
Any electrically charged object produces an electric field. This field has an effect on other charged objects in the vicinity. The field strength at a particular distance from an object is directly proportional to the electric charge, in coulomb s, on that object. The field strength is inversely proportional to the distance from a charged object. The field-strength-vs-distance curve is a direct inverse function, and not an inverse-square function, because electric field strength is specified in terms of a linear displacement (per meter) rather than a surface area (per meter squared).
An alternative expression for the intensity of an electric field is electric flux density . This refers to the number of lines of electric flux passing orthogonally (at right angles) through a given surface area, usually one meter squared (1 m 2 ). Electric flux density, like electric field strength, is directly proportional to the charge on the object. But flux density diminishes with distance according to the inverse-square law, because it is specified in terms of a surface area (per meter squared) rather than a linear displacement (per meter).
Sometimes the strength of an electromagnetic field ( EM field ) is specified in terms of the intensity of its electric-field component. This is done by engineers and scientists when talking about the radio-frequency field strength at a certain location arising from sources such as distant transmitters, celestial objects, high-tension utility lines, computer displays, or microwave ovens. In this context, electric field strength is usually specified in microvolts per meter (µV/m or µV · m -1 ), nanovolts per meter (nV/m or nV · m -1 ), or picovolts per meter (pV/m or pV · m -1 ). The relationship among these units is shown in the table.
| Unit | To convert to v/m, multiply by: |
Conversely, multiply by: |
| v/m | 1 | 1 |
| µV/m | 10 -6 | 10 6 |
| nV/m | 10 -9 | 10 9 |
| pV/m | 10 -12 | 10 12 |
Also see coulomb , EM field , meter , volt , and SI (International System of Units).
Tech TalkComment
Share
Comments
Results
Contribute to the conversation