Electric Field Calculator Formula
Understand the math behind the electric field calculator. Each variable explained with a worked example.
Formulas Used
Electric Field Strength
electric_field = 8.9875e9 * abs(charge) / pow(distance, 2)Variables
| Variable | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
charge | Charge(C) | 0.000001 |
distance | Distance from Charge(m) | 0.1 |
How It Works
Electric Field
The electric field describes the force per unit charge experienced by a test charge placed near a source charge.
Formula
E = k * |Q| / r²
where k = 8.9875 x 10^9 N·m²/C² is Coulomb's constant. The field points radially outward from positive charges and inward toward negative charges.
Worked Example
Electric field 10 cm from a 1 microcoulomb charge.
charge = 0.000001distance = 0.1
- 01E = k * Q / r²
- 02E = 8.9875e9 * 1e-6 / 0.01
- 03E = 8987.5 / 0.01
- 04E = 898,750 N/C
Ready to run the numbers?
Open Electric Field Calculator