feel a mild electric shock.
Electric charges follow a simple rule: Like charges repel; opposite charges attract . Two positively
charged particles will try to get as far away from each other as possible, while a positively charged
particle and a negatively charged particle will try to get as close as possible.
You can also have something called “induced charge.” An induced charge occurs when an electrically
neutral object becomes polarized—when negative charges pile up in one part of the object and positive
charges pile up in another part of the object. The drawing in Figure 18.1 illustrates how you can create an
induced charge in an object.
Figure 18.1 Creation of an induced charge.Electric Fields
Before we talk about electric fields, we’ll first define what a field, in general, is.
Field: A property of a region of space that can apply a force to objects found in that region of spaceA gravitational field is a property of the space that surrounds any massive object. There is a gravitational
field that you are creating and which surrounds you, and this field extends infinitely into space. It is a
weak field, though, which means that it doesn’t affect other objects very much—you’d be surprised if
everyday objects started flying toward each other because of gravitational attraction. The Earth, on the
other hand, creates a strong gravitational field. Objects are continually being pulled toward the Earth’s
surface due to gravitational attraction. However, the farther you get from the center of the Earth, the
weaker the gravitational field, and, correspondingly, the weaker the gravitational attraction you would
feel.
An electric field is a bit more specific than a gravitational field: it only affects charged particles.
Electric Field: A property of a region of space that applies a force to charged objects in that region of
space. A charged particle in an electric field will experience an electric force.Unlike a gravitational field, an electric field can either push or pull a charged particle, depending on the