History of Electrostatics Quiz

Study Notes

A Bit of History

Ancient Greeks observed electric and magnetic phenomena as early as 700 BC.
They found that amber, when rubbed, became electrified and attracted pieces of straw or feathers.
Magnetic forces were discovered by observing magnetite attracting iron.

William Gilbert and Charles Coulomb

William Gilbert (1600) found that electrification was not limited to amber.
Charles Coulomb (1785) confirmed the inverse square relationship of electrical forces.

Properties of Charge

Nature's basic carrier of negative charge is the electron.
An object becomes charged by gaining or losing electrons.
Electric charge is always conserved, meaning it is not created or destroyed, only exchanged between objects.
Charge is quantized, meaning all charge is a multiple of a fundamental unit of charge, symbolized by e.
Quarks are the exception to this rule.
Electrons have a charge of –e, while protons have a charge of +e.
The SI unit of charge is the Coulomb (C), where e = 1.6 × 10^(-19) C.

Equations and Solutions

The solution of the equation (𝒙 − 𝟑)𝟐 = −𝟔𝒙 + 𝟏𝟖 has one root.
The solution of the equation [(𝒙 − 𝟐)𝟐 − 𝟑𝒙 − 𝟔 = −𝟏𝟐] is (-2, 5).
The two roots (5, -5) can construct an equation 𝑥² − 10𝑥 + 25 = 0.
The roots of the equation (2𝑥² + 20𝑥 = −42) are (-7,-3).
Using the "completing the square" method to solve the equation ( 𝑎𝑥² + 12𝑥 + 2 = −8) leads to (𝑥 + 3)² = 4 where a= 2.
For the complex numbers A=8+j6, B=a+j3, the value of a is 4 if |A|=2|B|.
The magnitude of |C| is 4 if C= 𝐵 .
The angle of the polar form of C is θc = 36.8 if C=A/B.
The magnitude of Z is |Z|= 10 if z = 6+𝑗8 −3−𝑗4.
The simplest form of the number Z = 3𝑗² +5𝑗³ −10𝑗⁵ +5(𝑗² +𝑗³ +𝑗⁴)² is Z = -2+j15.

Description

Test your knowledge of the early discoveries and key figures in the history of electrostatics, including the observations of the ancient Greeks and the contributions of William Gilbert and Charles Coulomb.