Electric Charges and Electrostatics

Electric Charges

• Electric charge is a fundamental property of matter
• There are two types of electric charges: positive (+) and negative (-)
• Like charges repel each other, while opposite charges attract each other

Coulomb's Law

• Coulomb's Law describes the electrostatic force between two point charges
• The force is proportional to the product of the magnitudes of the charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them
• The force can be attractive or repulsive, depending on the sign of the charges

Electric Field

• Electric field is a vector field that surrounds charged particles
• Electric field lines emerge from positive charges and enter negative charges
• Electric field strength is measured in Newtons per Coulomb (N/C) or Volts per meter (V/m)

Electric Potential

• Electric potential, or voltage, is the potential energy per unit charge
• Electric potential is measured in Volts (V)
• Electric potential difference is the difference in electric potential between two points

Electric Dipole

• Electric dipole is a pair of equal and opposite charges separated by a small distance
• Electric dipole moment is a measure of the strength of the dipole
• Electric dipole moment is a vector quantity, measured in Coulomb-meters (C·m)

Gauss's Law

• Gauss's Law relates the distribution of electric charge to the resulting electric field
• The total electric flux through a closed surface is proportional to the charge enclosed within the surface
• Gauss's Law is a fundamental principle of electrostatics, used to calculate electric fields and potentials

Learn about the fundamental principles of electrostatics, including electric charges, Coulomb's Law, electric fields, electric potential, electric dipoles, and Gauss's Law.