Question

I'm studying about electric field and referring to an article about electric field in wikipedia

And in here, there are some doubtful sentences:

The electric field is defined as a vector field that associates to each point in space the electrostatic (Coulomb) force per unit of charge exerted on an infinitesimal positive test charge at rest at that point

First, in this sentence, i'm doubtful about 'electrostatic force'. As i know, moving charges also make electric field.

This implies there are two kinds of electric fields: electrostatic fields and fields arising from time-varying magnetic fields.

And i think, in here, there is electric field which is not belonging to 'electrostatic field and field time-varying magnetic fields'. For example, steady current, not in wire, makes electric field but don't make time varying magnetic field..

Is there something I'm thinking wrong?

Answer 1

The electric field can arise from electrostatic forces due to static charges or from dynamic processes involving moving charges. Moving charges produce magnetic fields, and changing magnetic fields induce electric fields, governed by Maxwell's equations.

Step-by-step explanation:

The electric field is a concept in physics used to describe the influence that a charged object exerts on other charges around it. The standard definition of an electric field relates to electrostatics, which deals with electric charges at rest.

According to this definition, an electric field is a vector field that associates the electrostatic force per unit charge that would be exerted on an infinitesimal positive test charge placed at a point in space. Moreover, a steady current, like that in a wire, does indeed produce a magnetic field, not an electrostatic field.

However, if charges are moving steadily and not accelerating, the magnetic field they produce will also be steady and not time-varying.

It is true that moving charges can produce electric fields. In fact, a changing magnetic field will induce an electric field. This is a dynamic electric field, as opposed to the static electric field produced by stationary charges. The dynamic electric field is an integral concept in electromagnetism, particularly in Faraday's law of induction.

The relationship between moving charges, magnetic fields, and electric fields is governed by Maxwell's equations, which describe how electric and magnetic fields are generated and altered by each other and by charges and currents.