Electric Field Definition

An electric field is a region in which an electric charge experiences a force. The object producing the field is sometimes called the source charge. If another charge is placed in that region, the field exerts an electric force on it.

The field and the force are different

The electric field is the region around the source charge; it is not itself a push or pull. The electric force is the push or pull experienced by another charge placed in that field.

The field exists even when there is no second charge present. Placing another charge in it reveals the field through the force on that charge—rather as an object placed in Earth's gravitational field experiences weight.

Electric fields are not material substances and cannot be seen directly. Their effects can be observed when charged objects attract or repel across a gap. This makes electric force a non-contact force.

A useful chain of reasoning

When explaining an interaction, follow the sequence:

1. A charged object produces an electric field around itself.
2. Another electric charge is placed within that field.
3. The second charge experiences an electric force.

This field model explains how charged objects can affect one another without touching. The detailed shapes and directions used to represent electric fields are considered separately.