About the lecture

In this first mini-lecture we introduce the concept of a charge in an electric field, focusing in particular on: (i) the equation F = q × Electric Field Strength, where F is the force a change feels in an electric field and q is the charge measured in units of Coulombs (C); (ii) familiar objects that create electric fields; (iii) charges, which are either positive or negative, for example the electron which is negative; (iv) the potential energy = Fd, where F is a constant force and d is the distance travelled; (v) the potential difference, or voltage, which is the potential energy per unit charge in some electric field and is measured in units of volts (V); (vi) the energy (E), or ‘work done,’ which is given by E = qv; and (vii) a couple of examples that use E = qv.

About the lecturer

David Berman is a Professor of Theoretical Physics at Queen Mary. His research interests include string theory and ideas in fundamental theoretical physics, including non-commutative geometry, black holes physics, and quantum gravity. He has contributed to the Radio 4 biography series Great Lives and the In Our Time podcasts, including Great Lives: Richard Feynman (2018), Great Lives: Galileo (2019), In Our Time: Emmy Noether (2019), and In Our Time: Paul Dirac (2020).