Fields Concepts
12 concepts · Grades 6-8, 9-12 · 17 prerequisite connections
Fields describe forces that act at a distance — no physical contact needed. Electric fields surround every charge, magnetic fields surround every magnet and current-carrying wire, and the interplay between them produces electromagnetic induction. This family contains some of the most powerful ideas in physics: Coulomb's law for electrostatic force, Faraday's law for generating electricity, and Lenz's law for predicting the direction of induced currents. Real-world applications include generators, transformers, and electric motors.
This family view narrows the full physics map to one connected cluster. Read it from left to right: earlier nodes support later ones, and dense middle sections usually mark the concepts that hold the largest share of future work together.
Use the graph to plan review, then use the full concept list below to open precise pages for definitions, examples, formulas, and related guides.
Concept Dependency Graph
Concepts flow left to right, from foundational to advanced. Hover to highlight connections. Click any concept to learn more.
Connected Families
Fields concepts have 8 connections to other families.
All Fields Concepts
Electric Field
A region around a charged object where other charges experience a force. Measured in newtons per coulomb (N/C) or volts per meter (V/m).
Coulomb's Law
The force between two point charges is proportional to the product of their charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.
Electric Potential
The electric potential energy per unit charge at a point in an electric field. Measured in volts (V).
Potential Difference
The difference in electric potential between two points, equal to the work done per unit charge moving between them.
Magnetic Field
A region around a magnet or moving charge where magnetic forces act. Measured in tesla (T).
Magnetic Force
The force exerted on a moving charge or current-carrying conductor by a magnetic field.
Electromagnetic Induction
The production of voltage (EMF) in a conductor when the magnetic flux through it changes.
Faraday's Law
The induced EMF in a circuit equals the negative rate of change of magnetic flux through the circuit.
Lenz's Law
The direction of an induced current is always such that it opposes the change in magnetic flux that produced it.
Generator
A device that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy by rotating a coil in a magnetic field, using electromagnetic induction.
Transformer
A device that changes the voltage of alternating current by using two coils wound around a shared iron core.
Electric Motor
A device that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy (rotation) using the force on a current-carrying conductor in a magnetic field.