electric field
nounDefinition of electric field
: a region associated with a distribution of electric charge or a varying magnetic field in which forces due to that charge or field act upon other electric charges
Examples of electric field in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This changing magnetic field creates an electric field that also changes. — Rhett Allain, WIRED, "The Physics of Falling Magnets in Stranger Things Season 3," 9 Aug. 2019 An electric field then accelerates them and routes them out the back of the spacecraft. — Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, "The Good Kind of Crazy: The Quest for Exotic Propulsion," 29 July 2019 Another idea uses an electric field to change the polarization of a material—a rare earth metal—to warm and cool. — Chase Purdy, Quartz, "India is the epicenter of rethinking air conditioning," 26 July 2019 Zhang, now at Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China, has maneuvered bacteria into forming something like a liquid crystal — a type of material whose individual units arrange themselves in response to external influences like electric fields. — Quanta Magazine, "Swirling Bacteria Linked to the Physics of Phase Transitions," 16 June 2019 These deployable underwater fences produce small electric fields that guide the fish to traps. — Joanna Klein, New York Times, "Fish Cannons, Koi Herpes and Other Tools to Combat Invasive Carp," 4 June 2019 Packing a punch Muons carry negative charge, meaning their paths are distorted by electric fields. — Adam Mann, National Geographic, "Most powerful electrical storm on record detected," 23 Apr. 2019 With neither propellers nor jets, the airplane gets its thrust by applying a strong electric field to the air. — Malcolm Ritter, The Seattle Times, "Experimental plane flies silently, may lead to quiet drones," 21 Nov. 2018 This instrument will measure magnetic and electric fields in the sun's atmosphere to help scientists better understand why the corona is so much hotter than the photosphere. — Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, "Here Comes the Sun! Parker Solar Probe Instruments See 'First Light'," 25 Sep. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'electric field.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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