The unit of electric field is the volt per meter (V/m). This unit describes the force per unit charge experienced by a charged particle in an electric field.
To understand this better, let’s break it down. An electric field is created by an electric charge, and its strength at a point is defined as the force (
F) experienced by a unit positive charge (
Q) placed at that point:
E = F / Q
In this formula, E represents the electric field, F is the force in newtons (N), and Q is the charge in coulombs (C). Since the SI unit of force (N) can be expressed as kg·m/s², we can see how this leads to the unit of electric field:
1 V/m is equivalent to 1 N/C (newton per coulomb). Therefore, when we talk about electric field strength, we’re discussing how much force a unit charge would feel in that field.
In summary, the electric field is measured in volts per meter, which represents the amount of electrical force acting on a charge within an electric field.