All Textbook Topics - Electric Charge - Electric Charge Introduction - An electric field is a region where an electric charge will experience a force

An electric field is a region where an electric charge will experience a force

You get an electric field around charges and charged objects. If another charge is within this electric field, then it will experience a force. The original charge will also experience a force as it is in the field of the second charge.

The diagram above demonstrates this effect and shows the field lines for both charges interacting.

The diagram below shows the attraction without the field lines for reference.

Depending on whether the charges are similar or different, the force can be attractive or repulsive.

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A charged object (either positive or negative) has an electric field around it
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A solid object gains a charge by negative charges transferring between objects. Positive charges cannot move in a solid.

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