Re: E and B field nomenclature

[John Mallinckrodt <ajmallinckro@CSUPOMONA.EDU>]

On Mon, 7 May 2001, John S. Denker wrote:

> I agree absolutely with the point Ludwik is making.

As do I.

> ... By analogy, we need a word to
> express the electric force-per-unit-charge at a point, in contrast with the
> field that gives this quantity as a function of position.  Alas I don't
> know of any such word.  People generally use the term "electric field" to
> refer to this quantity, but there is something not quite right about that.

In my experience, people use the term "electric field vector" to
refer to this quantity (e.g., "Draw the electric field of a
dipole," as opposed to, "Find the electric field vector at point
P") I think consistent use of that terminology *is* the best
solution, but I don't think the distinction is likely to lodge
squarely in the minds of students who also regularly confuse the
terms "electric potential" and "electric potential energy."

John Mallinckrodt      mailto:ajm@csupomona.edu
Cal Poly Pomona          http://www.csupomona.edu/~ajm