Department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences

Physics -112 Lab Assignment: 01

Name: Ohidul Hossain

Code: 23101500
Section:3
Group- 7
Tasks:
This activity consists of two Parts:

1. Part one: Electric force versus distance.

2. Part two: Electric forces versus charge.

Objectives:
1. Satisfy Coulomb’s law experimentally
2. Study the parameters that affect the electric force (distance and
charge).
3. Find experimentally the electric constant k.

Theoretical Background:
Coulomb’s Law: “The magnitude of the electric force that a particle
exerts on another is directly proportional to the product of their charges
and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.”
Mathematically, the magnitude of this electrostatic force FE acting on two
charged particles (q1, q2) is expressed as:

FE = kq1q2/r2

Where r is the separation distance between the charged objects and k is

a constant of proportionality, called the Coulomb constant, k = 9.0 × 109
Nm2/C2.

Part one:
To satisfy the objectives do the following steps.

1. Click on the following link and fix the charge q1 and q2 write their
values in table.1.

https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/coulombs-law/latest/coulombs-law_e
n.html
 2. Change the distance between the two charges as shown in the table.
3. Record the force value for each distance.
4. Fill table 1 by finding r2 and 1/r2.

Table.1 : Data of Force between two charges.

q1= -7 µ𝐶 q2= -8 µ𝐶
r (cm) r2 (m2) 1/r2 (1/m2) FE (N)
10 .01 100 50.330
9 8.1×10^-3 124.45 62.136
8 6.4×10^-3 156.25 78.641
7 4.9×10^-3 204.08 102.715
6 3.6×10^-3 277.77 139.806
5 2.5×10^-3 400 201.321
4 1.6×10^-3 625 314.564
3 9×10^-4 1.11×10^3 559.225

Part two:
To satisfy the objectives do the following steps.
 1. Click on the following link and fix the charge q1 and the
distance r, write their values in the table
https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/coulombs-law/latest/coul
ombs-law_en.html
2. Control q1 and fix it at 5µc and fix the distance between the
two objects at 6 cm, record them in table 2.
3. Change the charge of object 2 as shown in table.2 and for
each q2 record the electric force between the two objects in
table 2.

Table.2 : Data for electric force for different charges.

q1 = 5 µ𝐶 r = 6 cm

q2 (µ𝐶) FE (N)

10 124.827

9 112.344

8 99.862

7 87.379

6 74.896

5 62.414

4 49.931

3 37.448
Calculations and Analysis:

Part one:
1. Plot a graph relating FE and r. comment on the graph.

Ans:

The graph is plotted by a set of data points relating F and r, where r is

plotted on the x-axis and F on the y-axis. The graph shows a curve that
starts high on the y-axis and gradually decreases as r increases,
indicating an inverse relationship between F and r. The points plotted
indicate a non-linear relationship between the variables, showing a sharp
decline in y followed by a gradual decrease as x increases.So, if the
distance between two charges increases, the force between the charges
will decrease. The curve's shape suggests that the relationship might be
inversely proportional. So we can say that there has an inverse or
exponential decay relationship between the two variables.
 2. Plot one more graph relating FE and 1/r2. Use the graph to
find the electric constant k.

m=(62.136-50.33)/(124.45-100)= 0.483

k=m/q1×q2=(0.483)/((-7×10^-6)(-8×10^-6))=8.6225× 10^9
Nm2/C2

3. Calculate the percentage error in k (kknown=9.0 × 109 Nm2/C2)

Percentage Error =(|Measured Value-True Value|/True Value)× 100%

=(|8.6225×109 - 9.0 × 109 |/9.0 × 109)×100%

= 4.194%
Note: upload graph using google form

Part two:
1. Plot a graph relating FE and q2. comments on the graph.

The graph in the image is a plot of a set of data points relating F and q2,
where q2 is plotted on the x-axis and F on the y-axis. The graph shows a
linear relationship between F and q2.The equation of the line can be
represented as F=m⋅q2+c, where m is the slope of the line and c is the
y-intercept. We can say that, for each unit decrease in q2, F decreases
by a consistent amount and if q2 increases, F will increase by a
consistent amount .This linear relationship implies that the change in F
is directly proportional to the change in q2.
 2. Use the graph to find the electric constant k.

m=(87.379-124.827)/((7-10)×10^-6)=12.48×10^6

k=mr^2/q1=(12.48×10^6× (.06)2)/5×10-6=8.987×109 Nm2/C2

3. Calculate the percentage error in k (kknown=9.0 × 109 Nm2/C2)

Percentage Error =(|Measured Value-True Value| / True Value)× 100%

=(|8.987×109 - 9.0 × 109 | /9.0 × 109)×100%

=0.144%