What term describes the field around charged particles that exerts a force on other charged particles?

The term that describes the field around charged particles, which exerts a force on other charged particles, is the electric field. An electric field is generated by electric charges and it is a vector field that represents the force per unit charge experienced by a small positive test charge placed in the vicinity of the charge creating the field. This means that other charged particles placed within this field will feel a force proportional to their own charge and the strength of the electric field at that point in space.

In contrast, a magnetic field is concerned with the forces exerted by moving charges or by magnets, and it affects charged particles in motion. A gravitational field describes the attractive force between masses, not charges. Lastly, a mechanical field is not a standard term used in the context of fields created by charged particles, and it does not pertain to the interactions involving electric charges. Thus, the electric field is the most appropriate term when discussing the influence of charges on other charged particles.