Summary Electric Charge comes in two kinds:
The electric force between two charges Q and q is given by Coulomb's Law,
We can describe the electric force as the result of an electric field,
F = E q
The electric field E due to a point charge Q is given by
An electric field originates on a positive charge.
Likewise, an electric field terminates on a negative charge.
The E-field inside a conductor is zero.
The electric potential energy of two point charges Q and q is given by
Potential energy is a scalar, so the PE due to more than a single electric charge is
(c) Doug Davis, 2002; all rights reserved
Return to Ch 17, Electrostatics & Electric Energy
