Question

can electric field strengths be positive or negative?

So if the source charge is positive does that mean that it has a positive electrical field strength?

Answer 1

ok so i just researched was that electric fields are vectors and not a charge. so even if the source charge is (+) , it doesnt mean the field is positive. it means the the electric field lines go left right up down etc based on the test charge?

Answer 2

I think that's it. The direction of the electric field which is part of a radio wave determines the "polarization" such as vertical, horizontal, circular (left-hand, right-hand etc.)

Answer 3

You're right to think of the electric field as a vector field
In electrostatics, positive charges give rise to fields that point away from the charge, whereas negative charges have fields that point in towards the charge.