Final answer:
The electric field is a property of electric charges that exerts a force on other charges. It can be calculated using Coulomb's law.
Step-by-step explanation:
Electric field is a property of electric charges that exerts a force on other charges. It is a vector quantity, meaning it has both magnitude and direction. The electric field at a point P between two charges q1 and q2 can be calculated using Coulomb's law.
To find the electric field at point P between charges q1 = 8.5 nC and q2 = -5.5 nC, we can use the formula:
E = (k * |q1|) / r12 - (k * |q2|) / r22
Where E is the electric field, k is the electrostatic constant, |q1| and |q2| are the magnitudes of the charges, and r1 and r2 are the distances from the charges to point P. In this case, the distance from q1 to point P is a and the distance from q2 to point P is b.