Electric Charges and Coulomb's Law

Study Notes

Coulomb's Law describes the electrostatic force between two point charges
The law states: F = (k * q1 * q2) / r^2
- F is the electrostatic force between the charges
- k is Coulomb's constant (approximately 8.99 x 10^9 N m^2 C^-2)
- q1 and q2 are the magnitudes of the two charges
- r is the distance between the centers of the charges
The electrostatic force is a vector, with direction dependent on the relative signs of the charges

An electric field is a vector field that surrounds charged particles
Electric fields are measured in newtons per coulomb (N/C)
Electric fields are created by charged particles and can be calculated using Coulomb's Law
Electric fields can be visualized using electric field lines:
- Electric field lines emerge from positive charges and terminate on negative charges
- The density of electric field lines is proportional to the strength of the electric field
Electric fields can exert forces on charged particles:
- The force on a charged particle in an electric field is given by F = qE, where q is the charge and E is the electric field strength

Electric potential, also known as electric potential difference or voltage, is the potential energy per unit charge
Electric potential is measured in volts (V)
Electric potential is a scalar quantity, with higher values indicating greater potential energy
Electric potential can be calculated using the electric field:
- V = ∫E dr, where E is the electric field and dr is an infinitesimal displacement
Electric potential is related to electric potential energy (U) by:
- U = qV, where q is the charge and V is the electric potential

Electric charge is a fundamental property of matter, like mass and volume, and comes in two types: positive and negative
Like charges repel each other, while opposite charges attract each other
Electric charges are measured in coulombs (C), with the SI unit being 1 coulomb = 6.24 x 10^18 electrons

Coulomb's Law describes the electrostatic force between two point charges, stating F = (k * q1 * q2) / r^2
The law involves Coulomb's constant (k ≈ 8.99 x 10^9 N m^2 C^-2), the magnitudes of the two charges (q1 and q2), and the distance between their centers (r)
The electrostatic force is a vector, with direction dependent on the relative signs of the charges

An electric field is a vector field surrounding charged particles, measured in newtons per coulomb (N/C)
Electric fields are created by charged particles and can be calculated using Coulomb's Law
Electric fields can be visualized using electric field lines, which emerge from positive charges and terminate on negative charges
The density of electric field lines is proportional to the strength of the electric field
Electric fields exert forces on charged particles, with the force given by F = qE, where q is the charge and E is the electric field strength

Electric potential, or voltage, is the potential energy per unit charge, measured in volts (V)
Electric potential is a scalar quantity, with higher values indicating greater potential energy
Electric potential can be calculated using the electric field, with V = ∫E dr, where E is the electric field and dr is an infinitesimal displacement
Electric potential is related to electric potential energy (U) by U = qV, where q is the charge and V is the electric potential