What Is an Electric Field Definition, Formula, Example

When a balloon is rubbed against a sweater, the balloon becomes charged. Because of this charge, the balloon can stick to walls, but when placed beside another balloon that has also been rubbed, the first balloon will fly in the opposite direction. Key Takeaways: Electric Field An electric charge is a property of matter that causes two objects to attract or repel depending on their charges (positive or negative).An electric field is a region of space around an electrically charged particle or object in which an electric charge would feel force.An electric field is a vector quantity and can be visualized as arrows going toward or away from charges. The lines are defined as pointing radially outward, away from a positive charge, or radially inward, toward a negative charge. This phenomenon is the result of a property of matter called electric charge. Electric charges produce electric fields: regions of space around electrically charged particles or objects in which other electrically charged particles or objects would feel force. Electric Charge Definition An electric charge, which can be either positive or negative, is a property of matter that causes two objects to attract or repel. If the objects are oppositely charged (positive-negative), they will attract; if they are similarly charged (positive-positive or negative-negative), they will repel. The unit of electric charge is the coulomb, which is defined as the amount of electricity that is conveyed by an electrical current of 1 ampere in 1 second. Atoms, which are the basic units of matter, are made of three types of particles: electrons, neutrons, and protons. Electrons and protons themselves are electrically charged and have a negative and positive charge, respectively. A neutron is not electrically charged. Many objects are electrically neutral and have a total net charge of zero. If there is an excess of either electrons or protons, thus yielding a net charge that is not zero, the objects are considered charged. One way to quantify electrical charge is by using the constant e 1.602 *10-19 coulombs. An electron, which is the smallest quantity of negative electrical charge, has a charge of -1.602 *10-19 coulombs. A proton, which is the smallest quantity of positive electrical charge, has a charge of 1.602 *10-19 coulombs. Thus, 10 electrons would have a charge of -10 e, and 10 protons would have a charge of 10 e. Coulombs Law Electric charges attract or repel each other because they exert forces on each other. The force between two electric point charges—idealized charges that are concentrated at one point in space—is described by Coulomb’s law. Coulombs law states that the strength, or magnitude, of the force between two point charges is proportional to the magnitudes of the charges and inversely proportional to the distance between the two charges. Mathematically, this is given as: F (k|q1q2|)/r2 where q1 is the charge of the first point charge, q2 is the charge of the second point charge, k 8.988 * 109 Nm2/C2 is Coulomb’s constant, and r is the distance between two point charges. Although there are technically no real point charges, electrons, protons, and other particles are so small that they can be approximated by a point charge. Electric Field Formula An electric charge produces an electric field, which is a region of space around an electrically charged particle or object in which an electric charge would feel force. The electric field exists at all points in space and can be observed by bringing another charge into the electric field. However, the electric field can be approximated as zero for practical purposes if the charges are far enough from each other. Electric fields are a vector quantity and can be visualized as arrows going toward or away from charges. The lines are defined as pointing radially outward, away from a positive charge, or radially inward, toward a negative charge. The magnitude of the electric field is given by the formula E F/q, where E is the strength of the electric field, F is the electric force, and q is the test charge that is being used to â€Å"feel† the electric field. Example: Electric Field of 2 Point Charges For two point charges, F is given by Coulomb’s law above. Thus, F (k|q1q2|)/r2, where q2 is defined as the test charge that is being used to â€Å"feel† the electric field.We then use the electric field formula to obtain E F/q2, since q2 has been defined as the test charge.After substituting for F, E   (k|q1|)/r2. Sources Fitzpatrick, Richard. â€Å"Electric Fields.† The University of Texas at Austin, 2007.Lewandowski, Heather, and Chuck Rogers. â€Å"Electric Fields.† University of Colorado at Boulder, 2008.Richmond, Michael. â€Å"Electric Charge and Coulomb’s Law.† Rochester Institute of Technology.

Must Be Obeyed ( P. 280 - 1256 Words

must be obeyed (p.280). Collectivist societies include a built-in hierarchy, each position within the society is preordained with little to no wiggle room. In the case of Stalin, he ensured there would be no question of his authority by surrounding himself by subordinates who served him (did as they were told and served a purpose within his regime) and those subjects who may have questioned him feared him for those who offered the slightest bit of opposition were executed or exiled. However, there were those who loved him. Strong and Killingsworth (2011) quoted Kornei Chukovski (1936) as writing in his diary the following excerpt: And HE stood, a little weary, pensive and stately. One could feel the tremendous habit of power, the force†¦show more content†¦282). One of Stalin’s tactics to establish his social power was through â€Å"manipulation and control of the media† (Strong Killingsworth, 2011, p. 407). Stalin seemed to be quite skilled in his use of the media to portray the image of himself that he wished his followers to see. News articles were written in such a way to cause people feel as if Stalin was synonymous with power. All of this media manipulation cemented the growing bond between Stalin and his followers making them love him all the more (Strong Killingsworth, 2011, p. 407). Thereby exerting his social power through literature and by using the manipulation of media created a God-like image of himself that his followers loved and adored. Certain individuals believe that it is unimaginable the atrocious acts a dictator will orchestrate to ensure the submission of hi s followers to his rule. Leading them to wonder why people follow dictators? In the book, The Psychology of Dictatorship by Fathali M. Moghaddam (2013), the author addresses several aspects as to what it means to live under a dictatorship. The first point of interest is how individuals tend to assume the worldview of their particular culture (p. 47). Shiraev and Levy (2013) explain that when this happens, it is called groupthink (p. 283) within a dictatorship, each

Why Athens Lost the Peloponessian War Free Essays

â€Å"They were beaten at all points and altogether; all that they suffered was great; they were destroyed as the saying is with total destruction, their fleet, their army; everything was destroyed and few out of many returned home. † (Thucydides, Peloponnesian War, 481) The Sicilian military campaign of Athens proved to be one of the most disastrous military campaigns in ancient times. The loss of thousands of soldiers and sailors, hundreds of vessels and vast amounts of money from the treasury reduced tremendously the Athenian ability to wage war; however, even in spite of such a loss, Athens was still able to prolong the war for nine more years until the Spartans defeated Athens in 404 B. We will write a custom essay sample on Why Athens Lost the Peloponessian War or any similar topic only for you Order Now C. The downfall of Athens came as a result of Spartan military operations, which destroyed the Athenian navy and cut off Athens from the supply of grain from Ionia. The decisive battle at Aegospotami in 405 B. C put an end to the Athenian empire and Athenian military power. There were many reasons for the demise of Athens, ranging from bad leadership and preparation for war to a lack of overall strategic concept for conducting the war against Sparta and its allies. All of these reasons contributed to the downfall of Athens in the Peloponnesian War; however, this paper will focus only on the failure of Athens to execute Pericles’s strategy. Athens lost the Peloponnesian War because of a failure to follow the strategy of Pericles, which ultimately led to reckless expeditions, ill-advised war decisions and loss of allies. Pericles was an Athenian politician and general during the time when tensions between Sparta and Athens were rapidly escalating. The two city-states were constantly feuding over interests and were unable to compromise on several issues such as the siege of Potidaea, Megarian decree, and allowing Aegina become independent. This unwillingness of both sides in turn, pushed the rival poleis into a war against each other, which marked the start of the first Peloponnesian War. Before the hostilities began, Pericles laid out a strategy before the council, which if Athens were to follow would lead to a favorable outcome over the Lacedaemonians. The principles of Pericles’ strategy centered on naval warfare, attrition and limited foreign engagements during the time of war. Pericles being a wise strategist and a general knew the strengths and weaknesses of Athens and their opponents Lacedaemonians. Athens could not match the Spartan superiority in the hoplite warfare; however, Athens was capable of destroying Sparta by conducting raids from the sea on Spartan territory. The Athenian maritime fleet became one of the most powerful fleets in the ancient world after the defeat of Persia. The Athenian navy consisted of hundreds of ships and thousands of sailors who over the years gained experience and became second to none in their craft. Their familiarity with the sea allowed Athens to sail anywhere and raise fortification against any enemy in their own land. Such an advantage over the seas prevented Athenian opponents from committing too many resources and soldiers against Athens because of the fear that Athens might strike while they were on an expedition. Furthermore, the domination of the seas allowed Athens to become wealthy from trading with her allies and colonies. The money made abroad combined with the tributes from allies allowed Athens to acquire means for prolonged wars. On the other hand, Sparta in the eyes of Pericles could not afford this luxury and had to fight shorter wars. â€Å"Spartans personally engaged in the cultivation of their land, had no private or public funds, the Peloponnesians are also without experience in long wars across the sea. (Thucydides, Peloponnesian War, 82) Pericles saw that Sparta can only gain land and money by battle, while Athens had plenty of islands where they received their resources from, which in turn did not require Athens to engage in many battles. In addition, Lacedaemonians were also limited by the type of alliance they were in, where each member had an equal vote. The group had to reach a consensus before they could act, while Athens made decisions and her allies followed. Pericles foresaw that the Peloponnesian League members in their war decisions would press for their own well-being instead of the common good. Therefore, when Athens would attack one of the allies of Sparta, Spartans would be put in a position where they had to choose to either to protect their allies and abandon the attack on Athens, or to continue the attack without support. That was the strategy of Pericles to defeat Lacedaemonians and their allies. By remaining in the city and conducting naval warfare, Athens would eventually reach a favorable outcome against the Spartans. Additionally, for as long as they abstained from new conquest during the war and kept their allies with them they had a good chance in winning the war. Following the death of Pericles in 429 B. C. the Athenian strategy for the war began to change. â€Å"Private ambitions and interests in matters apparently quite foreign to the war, lead them into projects unjust both to themselves and to their allies, projects whose successes would only conduce to the honor and advantage of private persons, and whose failure entailed certain disaster on the country in the war. † (Thucydides, Peloponnesian War, 126) Personal ambitions and interests were in many cases put before the common good. This change in the strategy was exhibited in many situations and the most prominent was the Sicilian campaign. It was not in Athens’ strategic interest to invade Sicily because the city was still struggling with enemies within their homeland. But, common good and the strategic interest of a polis were overshadowed by eloquent speeches of individuals who promised wealth and expansion of the Athenian Empire as the results of the expeditions. However, these expeditions proved to be more detrimental than beneficial to the city of Athens. The Sicilian campaign is the prime example of unnecessary expedition, which stemmed more from personal ambitions than overall interest of the city. Athens became involved in Sicily because of her alliance with Egesta, which was at war with Selinuntines. The Egestaeans called upon Athens to assist them in war not only because they signed an alliance and belonged to the same Ionian ethnic groups but also because of supposed danger that Syracusans the allies of Selinuntines posed to Athens. Egestaeans persuaded Athenians that if they would not act Syracusans would take over Sicily and than would join the Peloponnesians in attacking Athens. The envoys from Athens were dispatched to survey the situation in Sicily and when they returned Athens decided to join the Egestaeans in the war against Selinuntines and Syracusans. Few Athenians questioned the decision of the council, however, among them was Nicias the general who was leading the expedition to Sicily. Nicias argued that the expedition to Sicily would bring Athens more enemies and more problems. Athens needed to focus on the war with the Lacedaemonians and securing the empire they established and not to undertake new conquests. However, his arguments fell on deaf ears and Athens began to prepare for the expedition. Over five thousands hoplites and one hundred triremes were dispatched from Athens to Sicily in 415 B. C. The goal of the expedition was simple, to capture Syracuse, however, Syracuse stood its ground and the Athenian generals requested more soldiers and ships from Athens. Even with the reinforcements, Athens was unable to gain advantage over the Syracusans. The results of the expedition were disastrous and not what the Athenians had expected. Syracuse and their allies, with the help of Spartans were able to stop and later annihilate the Athenians in Sicily. The Athenian failure in Sicily reverberated across the Greek world, which led to more problems for the Athenians. With the news of the defeat, not only did the enemies of Athens become more emboldened to take actions against Athens but also the Athenian colonies began to revolt which caused Athens both economic and political problems. Athens’ source of strength came from her allies and colonies. They did not only provide Athens with money in a form of tribunes but also supplied her with resources such as wood, silver or food. The Athenian alliance system was set up in such a way that it required everyone to contribute money, ships or men. These contributions were then put to use in the war by Athens. The contributions kept on coming in for as long as Athens could control her allies, however when Athens began to engage in battles and started losing them, the allies revolted. The allies and colonies began to revolt because Athens could no longer proceed with forces against them. Additionally, the treatment by Athens created resentment among the allies and colonies. The allies no longer saw themselves as equals but as servants to Athens. When Lacedaemonians came through, their city’s majority changed sides because they believed that would receive freedom from by siding with Sparta. The revolutions of allies in many cases were also due to the bad treatment by Athens. After engaging in campaigns, which did not bring back the desired result, Athens pressed her allies for more tribunes and contributions. The poleis which did not want to pay more eventually revolted, than Athens was forced to put down the revolutions with force, which alienated the allies even more. The revolts and losses of allies had a profound impact on Athenian war efforts. Not only did they require Athens to diverge manpower and resources away from the war but also Athens was cut of from tribunes, which they badly needed after the failure in Sicily. â€Å"If you consent not to combine schemes of fresh conquest with the conduct of the war, and will abstain willfully involving yourselves in other dangers, indeed, I am more afraid of our own blunders than of the enemy’s devices. † (Thucydides, Peloponnesian War, 85) The leaders of Athens and majority of the Athenian populace did not take the advice of Pericles to heart. Witnessing the destruction of the countryside from inside the Long Walls, many Athenians became enraged with Pericles’s strategy. People like Cleon and Alcibiades who promulgated more offensive and daring plans in the war, became leaders. With their promises of wealth, glory and fame, they were able to persuade Athenians to engage in unneeded expeditions. However, these expeditions only drew the attention away of what was actually needed to end the war. Athens lost the Peloponnesian War because of her failure to follow Pericles’s strategy. Pericles’s strategy stressed the importance of navy and staying within one’s walls which if was adhered to by the Athenians; it would ultimately lead Athens towards a favorable outcome. However, personal ambitions and interest preceded the common good, which resulted in failed expeditions and policies. These disastrous expeditions in the end were compounded with revolts and losses of allies, which ultimately led to the Athenian downfall. Athens was no longer able to provide manpower and resources to continue the war and ultimately was taken over by Lacedaemonia. How to cite Why Athens Lost the Peloponessian War, Essay examples

By Dan Serpico Essay Example For Students

By Dan Serpico Essay Nihil ex nihilo, I always say(Gardner 150). These are the words of the infamous Grendel from the novel, titled that same character, by John Gardner. They represent the phrase life itself is meaningless which is taught to Grendel by a few different people throughout this novel. In the following essay, the explanation of this phrase, the way Grendel learns about nihilism, and how Grendel develops the concept of nihilism, as it is known, will be discussed. First, we attack the nihilism itself. What is Nihilism? Well, this is one of the main components of the book. It means life itself is meaningless. What is meant by that phrase is that anything you do or decide to do, means nothing. For example, if you make a huge decision that you think will affect you for the rest of your life, according to a nihilist it means nothing. To them, it will all turn out how it is supposed to turn out and that is that. Nihilism also refers to people who do not believe they should be told how to live their life by the government. One major example of a nihilism uprise was in Russia during the 1860s. During this decade, nihilism was primarily a rejection of tradition and authoritarianism in favor of rationalism and individualism. In Laments terms, live your lives how you want to live it and do not let anyone tell you how. In the novel, Grendel first learns this theory indirectly from the hypocrisy of man. This starts in chapter three where Grendel is observing man for the very first time. He watches in horror as they fight and scream over land and treasure. After all of this nonsense and chaos, they still have the nerve to make speeches about how honorable or great they or their king is, even though they still kill one another. This is an early sign in the book of the hypocrisy of man. From chapter three: Terrible threats, from the few words I could catch. Things about their fathers, and their fathers fathers, things about justice and honor and lawful revenge, their throats swollen, their eyes rolling like a newborn colts, sweat running down their shoulders.(Gardner 35). This quote is Grendel talking about what he sees and only what he sees. This is where he is wrongly taught about how the humans live out their hypocrisy. You could compare this situation to a toddler watching an adult and learning by repeating and mimicking everything done by the older one. This is exactly how Grendel is learning. In Chapter four, Grendels learning is furthered even more when he comes in contact with the people of Herot. At first, he comes to the hall and offers peace and mercy. Immediately the humans hack away at him with their swords. This really gets Grendel angry since he just offered his peace. He then becomes part of this hypocrisy by fighting man himself. From chapter four: I staggered out into the open and up toward the hall with my burden, groaning out, ?Mercy! Peace! The Harper broke off, the people screamed. (They all have their own versions, but this is the truth.) Drunken men rushed over with battle-axes. I sank to my knees crying, ?Friend! Friend! They hacked at me yipping like dogs., . I crushed the body in my hug, then hurled it in their faces, turned, and fled.(Gardner 52) This was the event that really made Grendel into a nihilist. The only thing left was to develop this daring new concept. Enter stage left, the Dragon. .u104898e1899e6f062fa01e83d77d94da , .u104898e1899e6f062fa01e83d77d94da .postImageUrl , .u104898e1899e6f062fa01e83d77d94da .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u104898e1899e6f062fa01e83d77d94da , .u104898e1899e6f062fa01e83d77d94da:hover , .u104898e1899e6f062fa01e83d77d94da:visited , .u104898e1899e6f062fa01e83d77d94da:active { border:0!important; } .u104898e1899e6f062fa01e83d77d94da .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u104898e1899e6f062fa01e83d77d94da { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u104898e1899e6f062fa01e83d77d94da:active , .u104898e1899e6f062fa01e83d77d94da:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u104898e1899e6f062fa01e83d77d94da .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u104898e1899e6f062fa01e83d77d94da .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u104898e1899e6f062fa01e83d77d94da .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u104898e1899e6f062fa01e83d77d94da .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u104898e1899e6f062fa01e83d77d94da:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u104898e1899e6f062fa01e83d77d94da .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u104898e1899e6f062fa01e83d77d94da .u104898e1899e6f062fa01e83d77d94da-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u104898e1899e6f062fa01e83d77d94da:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Statistics EssayThe Dragon, the mentor, the teacher to Grendel of nihilism. Grendel is awakened by the dragon and is brought to his lair. The Dragon, not caring at all about Grendel as a person, helps Grendel develop his nihilist ideas. To do this, he explains to him that repetition is the key to nihilism. No matter how hard the universe trys to stop repetition, it always goes on. For example, if Grendel were not there, some other evil would be tormenting the humans. From chapter five: The essence of life is to be found in the frustrations of established order. The universe refuses the deading influence of complete conformity.(Gardner 67) The Dragons teachings do not get t hrough to Grendel very well and finally the Dragon just lets it all out. You drive them to poetry, science, religion, all that makes them what they are for as long as they last. You are, so to speak, the brute existent by which they learn to define themselves. (Gardner 73) After that comment, Grendel stubbornly blurts out that he does not want to be the brute. The dragon sarcastically replies by telling him to feed the hungry and help the poor. The dragon knows that it is inevitable for Grendel to be the brute but Grendel does not yet understand this. By chapters seven and eight, Grendel realizes his role in the hypocrisy. He realizes that when the queen is brought to Hrothgar that letting her live is the best thing to do after she loses her trust in the king. In chapter eight Hrothulf is the student of nihilism as Grendel observes. Grendel learns by listening to Red Horse about the corruption of the government. This is all in contribution to Grendels developing of his idea of nihilism. By chapter ten, Grendel says to the reader, Nihil ex nihilo, I always say. (Gardner 150) He now knows his role. In conclusion, this essay has gone through the development of the idea of nihilism throughout the book. From its early stages in chapters three and four, to its development in chapter five, to its full blown out ideas in chapters seven and eight. Grendel at the end of chapter ten sums up the whole hypocrisy in a simple phrase. A stupid business. (Gardner 150)