Work through the list without notes. If you cannot do a statement, follow its link, then come back. Guide = study guide; Practice = practice questions.
Understanding
- I can define the electric field as E = F/q₀ and give its unit. (Guide: “What an electric field is”)
- I can explain what makes a charge a good test charge, and why the field does not depend on it. (Guide: “What an electric field is”; Practice Q2, Q6)
- I can state the direction of E near isolated positive and negative charges, and the direction of the force on a negative charge. (Practice Q1)
- I can read a vector field map and a field-line diagram, and explain why field lines never cross. (Guide: Figure 1)
- I can describe where excess charge sits, and what E is inside and at the surface, for a conductor in equilibrium and for an insulator. (Guide: “Fields of charged conductors and insulators”; Practice Q3)
Calculation and skills
- I can use E = kq/r² and F = qE with correct units and signs. (Guide: Worked example 1)
- I can add the fields of several point charges by components, using symmetry to cancel components. (Guide: Worked example 2; Practice Q4)
- I can find where the net field of two charges is zero. (Practice Q5)
- I can plan a measurement of E with a small charged probe and a force sensor. (Guide: “Measuring a field”; Practice Q6)
- I can plot E against 1/r² with labelled axes and find the source charge from the slope. (Guide: Worked example 3; Practice Q6)
Reasoning
- I can predict factors of change in E and F when charges or distances change. (Practice Q2)
- I can use the point-charge result for the field outside a spherically symmetric sphere. (Practice Q3, Q6)
- I can derive a symbolic expression for a net field and explain how it behaves far away. (Practice Q7)
All ticked? Move on to Topic 8.4, Electric Fields of Charge Distributions, or return to the course roadmap.