VICTORI

A
EDUHUB Concept list
Chapter 13 and 18 Electric and Gravitational Field
Definition Checklist
1. Electric Field:

A region of space where a charged particle/object will experience electric force

2. Gravitational Field

A region of space where a particle/object with mass will experience gravitational force

3. Electric Field Strength: (Vector, unit N C−1or Vm−1)

The amount of electric force experienced per unit charge by a small positive test/point
charge.

4. Gravitational Field Strength: (Vector, unit Nkg−1 or ms−2)

The amount of gravitational force experienced per unit mass by a small test/point mass.

5. Electric potential energy: (Scalar, unit J )

The amount of work done by an external agent against the electric force to bring a
charged particle/object from infinity to the point of interest, where the point of infinity
is a point of reference with zero potential energy.

6. Gravitational potential energy: (Scalar, unit J )

The amount of work done by an external agent against the gravitational force to bring a
particle/object with mass from infinity to the point of interest, where the point of
infinity is a point of reference with zero potential energy.

7. Electric potential: (Scalar, unit V )

The amount of work done per unit charge by an external agent against the electric force
to bring a small positive test charge from infinity to the point of interest, where the
point of infinity is a point of reference with zero potential.

8. Gravitational potential: (Scalar, unit Jkg−1)

The amount of work done per unit mass by an external agent against the electric force to
bring a small test mass from infinity to the point of interest, where the point of infinity
is a point of reference with zero potential.

By Hongyi Huang Page 1 Copyright

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 VICTORI
A
EDUHUB Concept list
Q1 Q2
9. Coulomb’s Law: F E ∝ 2
r

The amount of electric force between two point charges is proportional to the product
of the magnitude of the charges and inversely proportional to the square of the
separation between the two point charges.

m1 m2
10. Universal Law of Gravitation: F g ∝
r2

The amount of gravitational force between two point masses is proportional to the
product of the magnitude of the masses and inversely proportional to the square of the
separation between the two point masses.

11. Equipotential:

A surface of constant potential where no work is done by the field when an object
moves along an equipotential.

12. Geostationary satellite:

A satellite that orbits above the equator with a 24 hour period, so it will aways remain
above the same position on the Earth.

13. Point mass or point charge:

Mass or charge without dimensions and volume, only occupy a single point in space.
All the mass or charge concentrate on that point.

Concept Checklist
1. Why spherical conductor can be considered as a point charge? Why spherical planet with
uniform density can be considered as a point mass?

All the field lines appear to originate from the centre of the sphere and the field lines are
perpendicular to the surface of the sphere. (or the field lines are radial)

2. Why the potential or potential energy is negative for gravitational field (or negative electric
charge)?

All the work done to bring the object from the infinity to point of interest is negative and
at the point of infinity the potential or potential energy equals to zero.

By Hongyi Huang Page 2 Copyright

Reserved