[Physics] difference between electric field and electrical charge

chargeelectric-fieldselectrostatics

what is difference between electric field and electrical charge? I read about electrical charges and the electric field so I do not know what the difference is between them because they both are doing the same thing they act with repulsive or attractive force on other charges.

Best Answer

Think of a field as "the effect something has which spreads out". Like rings in water spreading from the splashing stone or like sound spreading from the clapping hands.

  • A magnetic field is the effect of a magnet. The field spreads out from/to the poles and grabs everything on its way that will interact magnetically.

  • Gravity is the effect of things with mass. The gravitational field spreads out from the mass and grabs every other mass on its way.

  • And an electric field is an effect of a charge. The field spreads out from/to charges and grabs every other charge on its way.

Everytime I said "grab", what I mean is that this field converts into a force of some sort. A force that causes motion in those other interacting objects.

A field is a way to explain how forces can be applied without physical touch. A charge is pulling in something else with an electric force without touching it - the "stuff" that connects the charge with its force through empty space is the electric field.