Electric Field Due to Point Charge, Know how every Charge exert force on every other Charge

Every charge in this universe exert pressure on every other charge. This is a gallant yet true proclamation of Physics. One way to understand the aptitude of a charge to dominate other charges anywhere in space is by visualizing the impact of the charges as a field. It is to be noted that this influence is simply the electrostatic force that a charge exerts over the other. However, we need a scalar or vector quantity acting on it, and is only reliant on the dominance and the spatial distribution when specifying fields.

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Note that this ‘influence’ is simply the electrostatic force that a charge is able to exert over another. However, when describing fields, we require a quantity (scalar or vector) that is independent of the charge acting on and only dependent on the influence and the spatial distribution. So in simple terms, we can describe the electrostatic field keeping the force exerted by a point charge on a unit charge into consideration. In other terms, we can describe the electric field as the force per unit charge.

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Table of Content

Electric field of a charge

Electric field due to point charge

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Electric field of a charge

To find out an electric field of a charge q, we can establish a test charge q0 and gauge the force exerted on it.

Therefore, the force applied per unit charge is


It is to be noted that the electric field is a vector quantity, which is described at every point in space, the value of which is reliant only upon the radial distance from q.

The trial charge q0 itself has the capability to exert an electric field around it. Therefore, to prevent the dominance of the test charge, we must preferably make it as tiny as we can. 

Consequently,



Also read:
Electric Charge
Conductors and Insulators
Basic Properties of Electric Charge
Forces between Multiple Charges
 

Electric field due to point charge

This is a point charge's electric field. Moreover, see it displays spherical symmetry because the electric field has the same extent on every point of an illusory sphere centered around the charge q.