Coulomb law
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http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/estatics/Lesson-3/Coulomb-s-Law
Coulomb's law is a fundamental principle in electrostatics that describes the force between two charged particles. It states that the force between two point charges is directly proportional to the product of their magnitudes and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers.
The mathematical expression of Coulomb's law is:
F = k * (|q1| * |q2|) / r^2
Where:
- F is the magnitude of the electrostatic force between the two charges.
- k is the electrostatic constant, which is approximately equal to 9 x 10^9 N m^2/C^2.
- |q1| and |q2| are the magnitudes of the charges.
- r is the distance between the centers of the charges.
To understand how Coulomb's law works and how to apply it, you can follow these steps:
1. Identify the values:
- Determine the magnitudes of the two charges, |q1| and |q2|.
- Measure the distance between the two charged particles, r.
2. Plug the values into Coulomb's law equation:
- Substitute the known values of |q1|, |q2|, and r into the equation.
- Remember to convert the units to SI units (Coulombs for charge and meters for distance).
3. Calculate the magnitude of the force:
- Multiply |q1|, |q2|, and k together.
- Divide the product by r^2.
4. Determine the direction of the force:
- The direction of the force will depend on the sign of the charges.
- If the charges are of the same sign (both positive or negative), the force will be repulsive. If the charges have opposite signs, the force will be attractive.
- Use the appropriate signs in the final result to indicate the direction of the force.
By following these steps, you can use Coulomb's law to calculate the electrostatic force between two charges and understand the nature of their interaction.