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The electric field strength (E) at any location surrounding a source charge can be determined by measuring the force (F) exerted upon some test charge (q) that is placed at that location.
E = F / q
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The standard metric units of a quantity can be understood by thinking about its formula. Electric field strength is the ratio of force to charge (see Formula Frenzy section). So the units on electric field strength are units of force divided by units of charge. The standard metric unit of force is the Newton; the standard metric unit of charge is the Coulomb. So the standard metric unit of electric field strength is Newton/Coulomb, abbreviated N/C.
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