Notes
Static Electricity: Coulomb's Law
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Coulomb's Law
The electrostatic force between two point charges is proportional to the product of their charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them
History
This law was first published in 1785 by French physicist Charles Augustin de Coulomb
it is analogous to Isaac Newton's inverse-square law of universal gravitation
F∝ (Q₁)(Q₂)/d²
Q₁ = charge on body one
Q₂ = charge on body two
d = distance between them
This is the formula used for numerical calculations
ε = permittivity of the medium (surrounding the charges)
r = distance between the charges
When dealing with spherical conductors, the distance is the distance between the centres of the spheres
The electrostatic force can be either attractive or repulsive
Permittivity
If the permittivity is low, the force is big
The force is greatest when the charges are in a vacuum
ε₀ = permittivity of a vacuum
All media have a greater permittivity than that of a vacuum = the relative permittivity (εᵣ)
ε = εᵣ ε₀
Direction of the Force
The direction of the force is always along the line joining the two charges
Force is attractive if the charges are opposite
Force is repulsive if the charges are the same
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- Description
- This note outlines Coulomb's Law of Static Electricity. It can be used in conjunction with the mind map on Static Electricity. It is aimed at the Leaving Certificate student or someone who has an interest in static electricity and Coulomb's Law.
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- Created by alex.examtime9373 · Jan 21, 2014
- Copied by tatemae.honne · Jan 21, 2014
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