Electric Field Intensity:

Electric field is a region in which a charged particle experiences an electric force. The amount of force exerted on a unit positive charge placed in an electric field is known as electric field intensity. It is also known as electric field strength or electric field gradient.

Formula:

The electric field intensity at a point in an electric field is given by the ratio of the electric force acting on a unit positive charge placed at that point to the magnitude of the charge.

E = F/q

Where,
E = Electric field intensity
F = Electric force
q = Magnitude of charge

Unit and Dimension:

The SI unit of electric field intensity is Newtons per Coulomb (N/C).
The dimension of electric field intensity is [M L T^-3 A^-1].

Direction:

The direction of electric field intensity is the direction of the electric force acting on a positive test charge placed in the electric field.

Characteristics:

The following are the characteristics of electric field intensity:

- Electric field intensity is a vector quantity.
- It depends on the magnitude and sign of the source charge.
- It decreases with the distance from the source charge.
- It is proportional to the magnitude of the source charge.

Applications:

The electric field intensity is used in various applications such as:

- In electrostatic applications, it is used to calculate the electric force acting on a charged particle in an electric field.
- In electrodynamics, it is used to calculate the electric field produced by a charged particle.
- In high voltage engineering, it is used to calculate the electric stress on insulating materials.

Conclusion:

Electric field intensity is an important concept in electrostatics and electrodynamics. It is used to describe the electric force acting on a charged particle in an electric field. It has various applications in physics and engineering.